Port Barrington IL Community Profile
Port Barrington IL real estate spans McHenry and Lake counties across zip code 60010 with a population of 1,600. Yes, Port Barrington is exceptionally safe, scoring a top-tier safety rating alongside a $460,000 median home price, direct Fox River boat access via the Nielsen Channels, and Barrington 220 schools.
Market Data Snapshot
Community Benchmark Parameter | Port Barrington IL Metric |
|---|---|
Median Single-Family Listing Price | $460,000 across residential inventory [1] |
Overall Residential Price Spectrum | $300,000 for canal cottages to $850,000 for river acreage [2] |
Waterway Infrastructure | Nielsen Channels canal system with direct Fox River navigation [3] |
Safety Rating (CAP Index Score) | 1 out of 10 (top tier suburban safety score) [4] |
Primary Public School Districts | Barrington CUSD 220 (primary) and Wauconda CUSD 118 [5] |
Commuter Transit Proximity | Fox River Grove Metra Station (UP Northwest, 5 min drive) [6] |
Sources: Midwest Real Estate Data MLS Reports, Village of Port Barrington Municipal Records, Lake County Geographic Information Systems.
Village Character
Originally established in the 1920s as a seasonal Fox River retreat, Port Barrington represents one of northern Illinois' most distinctive waterfront communities. Situated along the boundary of Lake and McHenry counties, the village was intentionally designed around a network of dredged canals known as the Nielsen Channels. These waterways connect directly to the Fox River, providing residential parcels with private boat docks and backyard water access.
With fewer than 1,600 residents, the municipality retains a tranquil, small-town atmosphere characterized by narrow tree-lined lanes, mature timber canopies, and a lack of commercial congestion. Residents enjoy four-season outdoor living, transitioning from summer boating, water skiing, and championship muskie fishing to winter snowmobiling and ice fishing, while remaining within convenient reach of suburban commerce and regional commuter rail lines.
Housing Diversity
01
Originally built as 1920s summer retreats along the Nielsen Channels, these compact single-family homes feature updated mechanical systems, finished expansions, and private boat slips.
02
Mid-twentieth-century single-story residences situated on canal and river-adjacent lots provide accessible main-floor living, private waterfront decks, and attached garages.
03
Constructed near Rawson Bridge Road on generous multi-acre parcels, these larger two-story homes feature modern four-bedroom floor plans, three-car garages, and wooded privacy.
04
A premier enclave of 36 luxury condominiums along the Fox River shoreline, offering maintenance-free living, scenic water views, and optional private marina docking slips.
Local Essentials and Connectivity
Key municipal facilities, marinas, parks, and commuter rail connections serving Port Barrington.
Waterway integration defines daily life in Port Barrington. The Nielsen Channels wind directly through the residential core, allowing boaters to navigate from private backyard docks straight onto the main stem of the Fox River. Anglers enjoy year-round sports fishing for walleye, largemouth bass, and trophy muskie reaching up to 50 inches. In winter, when the channels freeze, the community transforms into a quiet destination for ice fishing and cross-country winter recreation.
Public conservation land encloses the village. The Lake County Forest Preserve District maintains the Fox River Preserve and Marina within village limits, providing over three miles of crushed-gravel trails, elevated boardwalks, a 169-slip public marina, and boat launch facilities. Just northwest across the McHenry County line, Moraine Hills State Park protects over 2,200 acres of glacial wetlands, prairie trails, and scenic overlooks around Lake Defiance.
Educational zoning represents an essential consideration for incoming homebuyers. The majority of village addresses feed directly into top-ranked Barrington Community Unit School District 220, granting students access to Barrington High School, ranked among the premier public high schools in Illinois. Northern sections of the village attend Wauconda Community Unit School District 118, including Robert Crown Elementary and Wauconda High School, making address verification vital prior to contract execution.
Commuting professionals benefit from balanced regional connectivity. While Port Barrington maintains no municipal train depot of its own, the Fox River Grove Metra station on the Union Pacific Northwest Line sits five minutes south, providing 52 weekday express trains into Chicago Ogilvie Transportation Center in 60 to 70 minutes. Highway drivers access Route 12 and Route 22 within minutes, reaching O'Hare International Airport in roughly 35 minutes.
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Learn how The Morrison Home Team prices and markets waterfront properties for optimal return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Port Barrington sits at the intersection of McHenry and Lake counties across zip code 60010. The majority of village homes feed into Barrington Community Unit School District 220, while select northern sections attend Wauconda Community Unit School District 118.
Yes, Port Barrington is an exceptionally safe residential village, earning a top-tier 1 out of 10 CAP Index crime score supported by local municipal administration and county law enforcement patrols.
The median home price in Port Barrington sits near $460,000. Property options range from updated canal cottages starting around $300,000 to custom multi-acre homes and riverfront condominiums exceeding $750,000.
Yes, numerous residential parcels along the historic Nielsen Channels feature private boat docks and direct channel access flowing straight into the navigable waters of the Fox River.
Commuters drive five minutes to the nearby Fox River Grove Metra station on the Union Pacific Northwest Line, which offers express morning rail service to Chicago Ogilvie Transportation Center in approximately 60 to 70 minutes.
John Morrison | #1 Realtor in Barrington
The Morrison Home Team | @properties Christie's International Real Estate | Over $1.73 billion in career closed sales volume providing hyper-local guidance across Port Barrington, Barrington, and the northwest Chicago suburbs since 2003.
Tour Port Barrington
Connect with John Morrison and The Morrison Home Team to explore private channel properties, waterfront acreage, or maintenance-free riverfront condominiums in Port Barrington.
1,574 people live in Port Barrington, where the median age is 38.6 and the average individual income is $65,517. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
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Port Barrington has 542 households, with an average household size of 2.9. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Here’s what the people living in Port Barrington do for work — and how long it takes them to get there. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. 1,574 people call Port Barrington home. The population density is 1,357 and the largest age group is Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
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There's plenty to do around Port Barrington, including shopping, dining, nightlife, parks, and more. Data provided by Walk Score and Yelp.
Explore popular things to do in the area, including Hermann's Rest-A-While, Raging Buffalo Wakeboard School, and Barrington Boat Club.
| Name | Category | Distance | Reviews |
Ratings by
Yelp
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dining · $ | 0.45 miles | 12 reviews | 3.8/5 stars | |
| Active | 0.85 miles | 4 reviews | 5/5 stars | |
| Active | 1.37 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
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