Willowbrook dates to 1960, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 13% of U.S. towns · #710 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Most of Willowbrook was built recently: 0.4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1980. Its Register listing is the Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket. Below: maps from 1891 on and the census since 1960.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Willowbrook is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns, #710 of 768 in Illinois. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Willowbrook’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 Willowbrook’s 1.1 sits near the middle of its state (63% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 (±0.5 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 Willowbrook’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Originally an unincorporated area of nearby Darien, Willowbrook grew from the Ridgemoor subdivision. It was named after a grove of willows along a local creek, which flows into Waterfall Glen. It was incorporated as a village in 1960 Construction of U.S. Route 66 along Willowbrook's south edge led to the development of several new gas stations and restaurants. In 1946, Ervin "Irv" Kolarik opened Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket on Route 66. The restaurant became a staple in the community. It continues to operate as one of the last surviving stops on Route 66 in Illinois. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1960, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1960 counted 157 people here.
How does Willowbrook rank for history?
Willowbrook is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns, #710 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.
What is on the National Register in Willowbrook?
One place: the Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket (listed 2006).
How old are the homes in Willowbrook?
0.4% of Willowbrook’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1980.
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 Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.
