Bellwood history

Directly west of Chicago (about 13 miles) lies the Village of Bellwood, a suburb with roughly 20,000 residents and a stable community culture backed by established local business districts and close proximity to the city. Bellwood commuters can jump right on the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) for a quick drive into the Loop and the Bellwood train station makes for easy public transit to downtown Chicago. In addition to having excellent ground transportation options, Bellwood is only 10 miles from O'Hare International Airport-so air travel is also very convenient.

Bellwood was incorporated in the year 1900. Decades later, the small town was the childhood stomping grounds for a young boy named Eugene Cernan. Cernan went on to be an astronaut and in the 1960s the Village of Bellwood was captivated by their hometown hero's outer space exploits that included several lunar missions. The entire community celebrated his return to Planet Earth after a landmark walk on the moon in 1972, where Commander Cernan was 'The Last Man on the Moon' (also the name of his autobiographical book), since he was the final crew member to re-board the Apollo Lunar Module.

In the 1980s, many of the industrial factories in the area were shut down -- a trend happening all over the United States at the time. After a period of economic troubles, Bellwood bounced back by transforming the old plant sites and warehouses into new commercial centers, office space, and business malls. Additional redevelopment projects in Bellwood helped position the village as a sought-after Chicago suburb. Recreational parks and a trail system were created and more retail corridors and parking were added throughout the 1990s. State-of-the-art public schools and a first-rate police department, plus affordable homes and great municipal facilities round out the suburb's accommodating services that continue to catch the attention of Chicago area home buyers.