Wheaton (Illinois)

Wheaton is a suburban city of 53,000 people (2019) in Chicagoland.

Understand
It is about 25 miles (40 km) west of Chicago.

By car
Wheaton can be reached via 2 Interstate highways:
 * I-355 (Veterans Memorial Tollway) at North Ave, Roosevelt Rd, or Butterfield Rd
 * I-88 (Regan Memorial Tollway) at Naperville Rd/Freedom Dr or Winfield Rd just west of the city

Two Illinois State Routes run east–west through Wheaton:
 * Illinois Route 38, also known as Roosevelt Road, runs through the center of Wheaton.
 * Illinois Route 56, also known as Butterfield Road, runs through southern Wheaton.
 * Illinois Route 64, also known as North Ave, is an east–west route that runs just north of Wheaton city limits. Access to North Ave from Wheaton can be from County Farm Rd, Gary Ave, or Main St (turns into Schmale Rd at Geneva Rd).

Do

 * The 135-acre (55 ha) Lincoln Marsh Natural Area has over 300 species of prairie and wetland plants and animals, and a regionally acclaimed ropes course.
 * The Danada Forest Preserve and Equestrian Center is located on the site of the former estate of Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice, after whom Danada is named. In the 1940s, the Rices added a barn to the estate to house horses. In 1965, their horse Lucky Debonair won the Kentucky Derby. The Danada Farm estate was acquired by the county in 1980 and 1981.
 * DuPage County Fair in late July at the DuPage County Fairgrounds.
 * The Danada Forest Preserve and Equestrian Center is located on the site of the former estate of Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice, after whom Danada is named. In the 1940s, the Rices added a barn to the estate to house horses. In 1965, their horse Lucky Debonair won the Kentucky Derby. The Danada Farm estate was acquired by the county in 1980 and 1981.
 * DuPage County Fair in late July at the DuPage County Fairgrounds.
 * DuPage County Fair in late July at the DuPage County Fairgrounds.

Buy
Wheaton boasts a vibrant downtown with many restaurants, shops and services. The Downtown Wheaton Association hosts many events throughout the year to promote local businesses, including the French Market, the Chili Cookoff, Vintage Rides, Boo-palooza (Downtown Wheaton Trick-or-Treat), A Dickens of a Christmas, Wheaton Wedding Walk, and Wheaton's Wine & Cultural Arts Festival.


 * Downtown Wheaton is home to perhaps one of the narrowest stores in the Chicago area. The Little Popcorn Store on Front Street used to be an alley between two buildings, and features the exposed brick walls of its neighbors. The store has been around since the 1920s and sells candy, and fresh popcorn.
 * Danada Square West and Danada Square East are on the north side of Illinois Route 56 (Butterfield Road), on the west and east side of Naperville Road. The flagship stores in Danada Square West include Jewel-Osco, TJ Maxx, and Chili's Bar & Grill. The flagship stores in Danada Square East include Whole Foods Market, Starbucks, Petco, KFC, and PNC Bank.
 * Rice Lake Square, another shopping center, is next to Danada Square East Shopping Center on the north side of Illinois Route 56 (Butterfield Road). The flagship stores in Rice Lake Square include Stein Mart, PetSmart, and Sports Authority.
 * The Town Square Shopping Center is on Naperville Road, two miles (3 km) north of I-88 & one mile (1.6 km) south of Roosevelt Road in Wheaton. This outdoor mall features clothing boutiques and restaurants such as Banana Republic, Express, Francesca's Collections, Gap, L'anne Restaurant, Lenscrafters, Noodles & Company, Nothing Bundt Cakes, The Perfect Thing, Starbucks, and Victoria's Secret.