Blood, Trauma, and Biohazard Cleanup in Riverwoods, IL

Riverwoods is a village in Lake County that was incorporated in 1959, in a push led by local steel magnate Jay Peterson, specifically to halt development and protect the community's woodlands along the Des Plaines River.

Riverwoods had just 96 residents in the 1960 census, the first count after incorporation, but grew to 3,790 people by the 2020 census.

The 2020 census counted 1,262 households in Riverwoods, and the village's median household income of about $231,477 is among the highest reported for any Illinois community.

The 565-acre Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area is considered the soul of Riverwoods, after the Ryerson family began donating their land to the Lake County Forest Preserves in 1966.

Riverwoods is home to Orphans of the Storm, an animal shelter founded in 1928 by the famous dancer Irene Castle.

The corporate headquarters of CCH, the tax and accounting publishing and software company, are located in Riverwoods.

Riverwoods features many significant examples of midcentury residential design, including more than 40 homes designed by 'prairie modernist' architect Edward Humrich.

In 2006, the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois named Riverwoods one of the Chicago region's communities most threatened by overdevelopment, citing teardown pressure and the lack of a local preservation ordinance.

In the first half of the 20th century, Riverwoods was a popular vacation spot, with the Des Plaines River frequented by outdoorsmen.

Growth around Riverwoods began after a station for the Wisconsin Central Railroad was built near present-day Deerfield Road and Milwaukee Avenue in 1885.