Medinah, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Medinah, Illinois
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Monument sign on Illinois Route 19 welcoming drivers to Medinah
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 Medinah, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Medinah, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | DuPage |
| Township | Bloomingdale |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
60157
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| area code | 630 |
Medinah is a small community in Illinois. It is not a city, but an unincorporated community. This means it does not have its own local government. Medinah is a northwest suburb of Chicago. It is located in DuPage County. The community is surrounded by the villages of Roselle, Itasca, and Bloomingdale. It sits along an old highway that used to connect Chicago and Galena.
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Medinah's Interesting History
The community of Medinah got its name from the famous Medinah Country Club. In the 1920s, a group of members from Chicago's Medinah Temple moved to this area. They were part of a group called the Shriners. The area was then known as Meacham. It was named after the Meacham, Lawrence, and Rosenwinkel families who lived there.
These members built a country retreat and a huge 54-hole golf course. They wanted it to be the best golf course in North America. The club had 1,500 members in the late 1920s. However, the Great Depression and World War II caused membership to drop. After the war, membership grew again. Today, the club has about 600 members.
How Medinah Has Grown
Over the last 30 years, the Chicago metropolitan area has grown a lot. This has brought more people to the areas around Medinah. Even with this growth, Medinah has worked hard to keep its unique identity. Sometimes, this has led to disagreements with state groups. For example, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) wanted to make Medinah Road much wider. Local residents protested, and IDOT agreed to make it only three lanes wide instead of five.
Medinah's Post Office Story
The first post office in the area opened in 1874. It was called Meacham, Illinois. It was located in a general store. The name Meacham came from the Meacham family, who were the first settlers. People often called the community Meacham's Grove, Illinois, even though it was not an official name.
The second post office was inside the train station. This was in the 1940s. It stayed there until 1963. The name of the community officially changed from Meacham to Medinah in 1924. This change happened because of the Medinah Country Club.
The third and current post office opened in 1963.
Where is Medinah Located?
Medinah is about 23 miles west of downtown Chicago. The center of the community is just south of the Medinah Metra train station. This station is on the Milwaukee District West line. You can find it at the corner of Medinah Road and Irving Park Road (Illinois Route 19).
Medinah is known for its large properties. Many homes here sit on lots that are an acre or more in size. This gives the community a rural feel. However, it is still close to shopping and major highways for easy travel. The exact borders of Medinah are defined by the cities around it. But you can think of its approximate borders as the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway to the north. Plum Grove Road is to the west, and Lake Street (U.S. Route 20) is to the south. The Medinah Country Club is to the east.
Medinah's Population
In 2015, Medinah had about 2,097 people living there. There were 744 households. Most of the people were White, making up 93.6% of the population. About 5.2% were Asian, and 1% were African American. A small number, 1.5%, were Hispanic or Latino.
The average age of people in Medinah was 42.8 years old. About 24.9% of the people were under 19 years old. Many adults, 43.6%, were between 40 and 64 years old.
The average household income in Medinah was $132,917. This shows that many families in Medinah have good incomes.
Sports in Medinah
Medinah is famous for the Medinah Country Club. This club has hosted many important golf tournaments. It hosted the USGA US Open in 1949, 1975, and 1990. It also hosted the PGA Championships in 1999 and 2006.
One of the biggest events was the 2012 Ryder Cup. This is a very exciting team golf competition. Medinah also hosted the 2019 BMW Championship. Looking ahead, Medinah will host the 2026 Presidents Cup.
Learning and Fun in Medinah
Medinah Elementary School District 11 runs three schools in Medinah. These are the Medinah Primary School, Medinah Intermediate School, and Medinah Middle School.
The community also has a park district. This district manages several parks where kids and families can play and have fun. In addition, Lake Park High School District 108 has a campus on Medinah Road. This high school serves students from the area.
Getting Around Medinah
Transportation Options
Medinah has its own train station. This station is part of Metra's Milwaukee District West Line. This train line offers daily service. You can travel between Elgin, Illinois and Chicago, Illinois (at Union Station). This makes it easy for people to travel for work or fun.
