Lake in the Hills is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,982.
The village is most known for its very high residential growth which occurred most heavily in the 1990s. Once a sleepy lakeside village of cottages and small ranches, its population skyrocketed as developers flocked to the area in the 1990s. Its population increased by 17,000 people (a nearly 400% increase) over this period, making it one of the most rapidly growing suburbs of Chicago and in the United States at that time. At the height of its building boom, the village issued over 1,000 residential building permits in 1995.
History
Lake in the Hills was founded in 1923 by Federal Judge Walter J. LaBuy around Woods Creek Lake, which is the main lake in Lake in the Hills. By the year 1926, La Buy bought of land which is currently Indian Trail. On this land, he built five stucco homes; only one stands in its original state, which is currently owned by the Village of Lake in the Hills. The other four original stucco homes have been altered in some way, but all still stand in the original spot by Woods Creek Lake.
The early days of Lake in the Hills saw vacationers from the Chicago area, who wanted to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of the city. By 1950, some of the vacationers became year-round residents of Lake in the Hills. On November 29, 1952, the Village of Lake in the Hills was formed.
The village of Lake in the Hills remained a small, close-knit lakeside residential community for much of the 20th Century, relying on nearby towns like Algonquin and Crystal Lake for services. In 1987, the Village's first shopping center was constructed; it was built at the intersection of Algonquin Road and Oakleaf Road±. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Village made a series of large annexations extending west of Randall Road, all the way west to Illinois Route 47. Numerous subdivisions were constructed in this area throughout the 1990s and 2000s (decade) and retail development blossomed along Randall Road during this time period as well. By the mid-2000s (decade), development had slowed down and as the Village became landlocked by other municipalities, it worked to appropriately develop its remaining parcels.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Lake in the Hills has a total area of , of which (or 97.8%) is land and (or 2.2%) is water.
Surrounding areas
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: Lakewood / Crystal Lake
: Unincorporated Grafton Township 20px 30px 20px Cary
: Huntley 30px 30px Cary / Trout Valley
: Huntley 20px 30px 20px Algonquin
: Algonquin
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