Welcome to Carol Stream
The Village of Carol Stream began with the vision of Jay Stream. As founder and original developer, he incorporated Carol Stream in 1959 and named it after his 14-year-old daughter, Carol. Over the past 60 years, careful planning and dedicated development teams shaped the Village into what it is today – a dynamic community showcasing economic prosperity, sought-after traditional neighborhoods, and a full array of Village services. In its annual ranking of the best American communities to live and raise a family for 2011, Money Magazine ranked Carol Stream as the best small town in Illinois, and the 49th best in the nation. In 2016, Carol Stream was ranked as one of the Best Small Cities in America by WalletHub® in a survey which compared over 1,200 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 based on 30 key indicators of livability. Carol Stream was again highly ranked by WalletHub® in a 2021 study that rated municipalities based on affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety.
Community Highlights
At the Timber Ridge, Forest Preserve is this historic farmstead, preserved as it was in the 1890s. You can come to witness everyday manual skills in Illinois’ rural communities in the 19th century. These might be planting (corn, oats, and other grains), harvesting, canning, baking, meat curing, coopering, smithing, sheep shearing, and ice cutting. You can take a tour of the historic farmhouse and, depending on the time of year, see the Percheron workhorses in the fields. Kline Creek Farm keeps an array of other domestic animals, like shorthorn cattle, Southdown sheep, and chickens.
Like many communities in the Chicago suburbs, Carol Stream has an outdoor aquatic complex that goes way beyond what you’d expect from a public facility. Coral Cove Water Park sits next to the Park District rec center on West Lies Rd and is a no-brainer for families on hot sunny days. The centerpiece is a cove-shaped pool, made up of a wading area with beach entry, and a deeper lap pool for fitness and lessons. All around this pool are engaging features like a small climbing wall, spray equipment, a shallow tot pool, a playground with a giant tipping bucket, slides, and a picnic area.
Up to the late 1990s, Carol Stream lacked a central, monumental space where the village could gather for public events. This arrived in 1998 and was named for the mayor, Ross Ferraro, who had prioritized it. A cross between a park and a plaza, the Ross Ferraro Town Center is a beautifully landscaped area, with lawns, a visitor center, walking paths, benches, ponds, and an impressive decorative fountain. This is an apt setting for all kinds of events in the summer, including a series of outdoor concerts and the Last Blast Summer Carnival in early September.
Local Schools
Community Consolidated School District 93 is an elementary district serving students in preschool through grade 8. The district serves portions of Carol Stream, Bloomingdale, Hanover Park, and other unincorporated portions of DuPage County. It encompasses 11.65 square miles in the far western suburbs of Chicago and is located approximately 25 miles from downtown Chicago.
Utility Companies