More historic than 8% of U.S. towns · #734 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Most of Countryside was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1891 on, and the census since 1970.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Countryside is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #734 of 768 in Illinois. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Countryside’s overall grade.
Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Countryside’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (28% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C−. The pre-1940 share (±2.5 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1960.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Countryside’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The land where Countryside sits was originally inhabited by the Potawatomi Indians and later by early American pioneers in the beginning of the 19th century. Settler Joseph Vial and his family were among the first non-native people to settle in the Countryside area in 1833.
The area remained large expanses of rural farmland until the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when the fire sent thousands of city dwellers into what is now west suburban Chicago. Land sold for only $2 an acre, which made areas such as Countryside a welcome respite from the congestion and industry in Chicago.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1960, according to Wikidata. the census of 1970 counted 2,864 people here.
How does Countryside rank for history?
Countryside is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #734 of 768 in Illinois. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Countryside?
4% of Countryside’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.5 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1975.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2024
2024
2007
2005