Lake County Map, Illinois

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Lake County, Illinois

Lake County is a weird mix of ritzy North Shore suburbs and blue-collar towns. It stretches along Lake Michigan, north of Chicago. Waukegan is the biggest city, rough around the edges but with some lakefront charm. Then you’ve got places like Lake Forest, where the houses look like museums.

Six Flags Great America is a big draw in the summer. You can hear the screams from the roller coasters for miles. The lake’s also the star here, with some killer beaches if you know where to look. Traffic is a nightmare, especially if you’re commuting to the city.

You’ve got the Naval Station bringing in people from all over. There’s more diversity than you’d expect, especially in Waukegan and North Chicago. It’s expensive to live here, but people say the schools are worth it. On a clear day, you can see the Chicago skyline from the right spots along the shore.

Category	Details
County Name	Lake County
County Seat	Waukegan
Population	Approximately 725,000
Cities, Towns, and Communities	Waukegan, Lake Forest, Highland Park, Libertyville, Mundelein, Gurnee, Buffalo Grove (part), Round Lake, Grayslake, Lake Zurich, Antioch, Deerfield, Zion, and various other communities.
Interstates and Highways	Interstate 94, U.S. Highway 12, U.S. Highway 41, Illinois Route 22, Illinois Route 21, Illinois Route 83, Illinois Route 60
FIPS Code	17-097
Total Area (Land and Water)	1,368 square miles (land: 444 sq mi, water: 924 sq mi)
Adjacent Counties (and Direction)	Kenosha County, Wisconsin (North), Cook County (South), McHenry County (West)
Time Zone	Central Time Zone (CT)
State	Illinois
Coordinates	42.3689° N, 87.8278° W
Etymology	Named after Lake Michigan, which borders the county
Major Landmarks	Six Flags Great America, Illinois Beach State Park, Gurnee Mills, Ravinia Festival, Great Lakes Naval Station, Lake County Forest Preserves, Chicago Botanic Garden
Website	Lake County Website