We are pleased to offer you this edition of the Bensenville Community Guide. This guide is intended to provide you with an overview of the Bensenville community, its institutions, and government services. After you read this guide, we hope you will come to Bensenville and take a closer look at everything out town has to offer.

Throughout this booklet you will read about Bensenville's excellent park district, police and fire departments, exceptional schools, residential neighborhoods, churches, and extensive business community. We hope this guide will become your most comprehensive resource for information about Bensenville.

The Bensenville Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit organization, made up of volunteers from the business community who give their time and energy to promote our town and businesses. Many times the Chamber is the first point of contact when someone is looking to move into or open a business in Bensenville. We are proud to recommend Bensenville as a place to live, work and do business.

The offices and Directors of the Chamber are committed to working with the Village to encourage economic development and positive growth through cooperative efforts and pooled resources.

We invite you to call the Chamber at 630-350-3040 or stop by our office at 119 W. Main Street for further information on Bensenville or the Chamber of Commerce.

Sincerely,
Bensenville Chamber of Commerce

Shirlanne Lemm
Executive Director

John Wassinger
President, Board of Directors

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Bensenville began its storied history as a dairy farm community during the halcyon days of Illinois’ 19th century growth. In 1884, Bensenville Village was incorporated in response to the need for a local school system and has now grown to become one of the ten largest industrial communities in the State of Illinois. Its early reputation for community spirit and cooperation thrived and continues today. This sense of Village pride and focused commitment to future growth and progress is evident throughout the community. In May of 1988, the Bensenville Intergovernmental Group, or B.I.G., was formed. Its purpose is to develop and implement long-range planning to benefit residents of the community.

Consisting of all elected officials, the Bensenville Intergovernmental group is committed to improving the quality of life for community residents. Members meet on a regular basis to express common concerns, solve problems and to share visions and goals for the future. Bensenville is proud of its past and takes pride in its future as the community works together to create a special place to live, work, learn and play. Through decades of continual change and development, Bensenville has remained one of Illinois’ leading community. Thoughtful planning and continuous progress are the order of the day in Bensenville, and the city strives to provide the highest quality of life for its residents while maintaining its traditional heritage.

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Bensenville is located in northeastern Illinois’ DuPage county right in the heart of the Greater Chicagoland metropolitan area. This bustling village is an important link in the area’s economic and industrial network. The village is strategically located along a vital transportation network that links the Chicagoland Metro area to the rest of the world. Air travelers can get in and out in a hurry as Bensenville is only minutes away from O’Hare International Airport. Chicago’s Midway Airport is also just 30 minutes away and provides an excellent alternative to O’Hare. Business travelers and commuters can take advantage of the downtown Metra commuter rail line, which makes frequent stops. Major expressways and tollways, including 290 and 294, are close by. Reaching the city by automobile is as scenic and pleasant as it is simple. Travel throughout the region is by 19 and 83 which connect Bensenville to her neighbors and offer easy accessibility.

A thriving, hardworking village, Bensenville has earned its reputation as one of DuPage county’s prize communities. The city has a present population of 17,767 with the median age of residents at 34 years. The community’s median household income is $44,682.

Major truck carriers, package handlers and the U.S. Postal Service all serve the city’s growing freight and package distribution needs. P.A.C.E. suburban bus service offers a dial-a-ride service throughout the village as well. Bensenville’s residents, businesses and travelers all find that the city’s location and transportation network makes it ideal for reaching destinations conveniently and easily.

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In addition to the many business opportunities, Bensenville also possesses the charm and community spirit of a small town. The homes of Bensenville reflect its decades of tradition and steady progress. Various residential designs in many sizes sprawl about the local landscape proudly displaying homeowners’ tastes. The community features charming retreats that offer panoramic vistas of the surrounding area with its gentle beauty. Carefully restored manors and townhomes abound, exuding traditional grace while seamlessly blending with neighboring contemporary masterpieces.

Careful planning has given the city a solid sense of residential unity by cleverly combining traditional properties with future developments to ensure ample elbow room for all. The best of peaceful community living awaits in Bensenville where the median home price is comparable to statewide averages. New home construction costs compare favorable to statewide averages as well. Living the American Dream is an affordable reality in Bensenville.

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The community offers beautiful parks and recreation facilities. The Bensenville Park District operates 18 parks within a ten mile square area of the village. Administration offices and the newest comprehensive recreation site are located in the Deer Grove Leisure Center. Opened in May, 1989, the 50,000 sq. ft. facility features a gym and running track, three racquetball courts, a weight room, dance, exercise and gymnastics studios, preschool and regular classrooms, a nursery, and the Oak Room, a senior citizen drop-in center.

The Park District also owns and operates the 240-acre, 36-hole daily fee golf course. The Golf Dome, a new indoor driving range, is open from November through April. The Pine Room, part of the historic old club house on Church Road, is open and available for parties and golf outings. Meetings and conference rooms are also available.

Opened in 1985, the Bensenville Water Park has become a major area summer attraction and a model for other towns planning new outdoor swimming facilities. The pool features a zero-depth water entry, marked lanes for lap swimming, a diving well, and a small water slide. For small children and their parents, there is a sand play area, a sunbathing hill, and a wading pool with spraying fountains and a waterfall. The Water Park is open from early June until Labor Day.

The Bensenville Park District operates the Golf Waters Miniature Golf Course. The 18- hole handicapped accessible course is located adjacent to the Water Park and Leisure Center and is open from early June through Labor day.

Bensenville prides itself on being a lifelong learning community, providing opportunities for enrichment and self-fulfillment for residents of all ages. The Bensenville Community Public Library plays a key role in making these opportunities available, hosting a community computing network and providing free internet access for cardholders. Traditional library services, including topnotch reference and reader's services, adult book discussions group, school outreach, storytimes and family programs, offer further lifelong learning connections. A world-class, state-of-the-art lifelong learning center is under construction, scheduled for completion in early 1999. The center, built in collaboration with Bensenville Elementary School District #2, will offer technology training for parents, teachers and students to carry them into the 21st century and beyond.

Bensenville’s cultural calendar is filled year-round with entertaining programs and events that present great occasions for cultural enrichment and growth. The Bensenville Arts Council sponsors an annual art show, an adult comedy clubhouse series and musical programs throughout the year. Limelight Theatre of Bensenville provides amateur theater buffs opportunities to shine year-round. The Bensenville Historical Society and the Bensenville Historical Commission have restored the 1844 Korthauer Log House as a living history center for use by school and community groups.

Providing arts experiences for residents of all ages is the mission of the Bensenville Arts Council. In 1979, Bensenville became the first community in Illinois to create an intergovernmental agreement supporting the arts, involving the Bensenville Community Public Library, Bensenville Elementary School District #2, the Bensenville Park District and the Village of Bensenville. Since its inception, the Bensenville Arts Council has sponsored hundreds of arts-related programs. Annual programs include the Artist in Education Program, the Comedy Clubhouse Series, the Annual Big Band Concert, Arts Fest and Various other programs and workshops. Volunteer support is welcome. For more information contact the Arts Council at 630-766-2605.

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For those who crave a good day’s shopping adventure, Bensenville has everything it takes to satisfy the most die-hard shopaholics. Retail establishments feature their goods throughout the city. From department stores to quaint specialty shops, discount venues to trendy fashion boutiques, Bensenville’s shopping culture is as diverse as it is accessible. Bensenville features the downtown Center Street shopping district. The district provides residents with a variety of goods and services. The Brentwood Commons Shopping District is also in town. The Linden Tower Complex, which includes 154 apartment units and 12,000 square feet of retail space, opened in 1992. The Center Street Shops have undergone extensive rehabilitation to preserve the historic look of the buildings. The project also included the redesigning and conversion of a circa 1920’s theater building into two separate auditoriums.

Bensenville is also just a half hour from Woodfield Mall, Stratford Square Mall, Yorktown, and Oakbrook Center, each with hundreds of retailers to make one-stop shopping convenient, easy and fun.

Everyone is sure to enjoy the friendly atmosphere provided by local merchants who tend the many family owned and operated business downtown. With a wide variety of retail establishments that offer an array of products at affordable products, Bensenville is sure to please even the most frugal of shoppers.

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