River Forest, Illinois Weather
River Forest, Illinois — live current conditions, hourly and 7-day forecasts, NWS alerts, radar and satellite imagery for River Forest, Cook County.
Full aviation weather for River Forest is published on the Chicago O'Hare International Airport (KORD) page, 12 km away. It carries the current METAR decoded into plain language — surface wind, visibility, cloud layers and ceiling, temperature and dewpoint, and altimeter setting — alongside the raw observation as transmitted. 6 airfields within reach of River Forest have their own pages, listed below.
The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is shown across its full validity period, with each change group broken out so you can see when conditions are expected to shift. Flight category is derived automatically — VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR — from reported ceiling and visibility, with runway details and field elevation alongside. Observations update roughly hourly and forecasts several times a day.
Other airports near River Forest: Chicago Midway International Airport (KMDW) 13 km · Gary/Chicago International Airport (KGYY) 46 km · Lansing Municipal Airport (KIGQ) 47 km · Bult Field (KC56) 59 km · Hobart Sky Ranch Airport (K3HO) 60 km
Conditions reported at KORD describe the airfield itself. Weather 12 km away can differ, particularly in terrain or near the coast. For conditions at River Forest specifically, see the current conditions and forecast above.
About River Forest, Illinois
River Forest unfolds as a verdant embrace along the Des Plaines River's winding path. It lies 1.8 miles west-north-west of Oak Park, IL (from Oak Park, IL: bearing 300°T), and is situated 9.1 miles west-north-west of Chicago. Its terrain, a gentle swell of land, is a mosaic of mature oak and elm canopies, their branches reaching skyward in a silent testament to seasons past. Wide, tree-lined avenues, often paved with brick that whispers underfoot, guide the eye past stately homes, each with its own personality, from modest bungalows to grander, more imposing residences. The air here carries the damp, earthy scent of rich soil and the subtle perfume of blooming lilacs in spring, a fragrance that seems to cling to the very stones of its older buildings. Sunlight, when it breaks through the dense foliage, spills in shifting patterns, dappling the sidewalks and the meticulously kept lawns, lending a quiet, luminous quality to the afternoon. This enclave, long intertwined with the development of Chicago's western suburbs, owes much of its character to a history of thoughtful planning and an enduring appreciation for natural beauty. The local economy has historically been shaped by its proximity to the bustling metropolis, serving as a desirable residential area for those who value both tranquility and access to urban amenities, rather than being driven by heavy industry. River Forest is perhaps most famously associated with its association with education, notably the presence of Concordia University Chicago, its campus a landmark presence adding a scholarly hum to the local rhythm. The Des Plaines River itself, though not a grand waterway here, offers a constant, murmuring presence, a ribbon of silver that anchors the community and evokes a sense of continuity, a reminder of the natural forces that shaped this place long before its first houses were built.
Live animated radar for River Forest and surroundings — RainViewer.
NOAA GOES-16 GEOCOLOR — live animated loop updated every 10 minutes. Shows cloud cover, storm systems and weather patterns across the continental US.
Source: NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East · Public domain · Auto-updates on page reload
| Location | River Forest, Cook County, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41.897809°N, 87.813948°W |
| Timezone | Central Time (America/Chicago) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 61109, 60305 |
| Area Code | 847, 224, 708 |
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Weather data | Open-Meteo (open-source), NOAA National Weather Service |
About This River Forest, Illinois Weather Page
This page provides live weather conditions and forecasts for River Forest, Illinois, including current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast, 7-day outlook, NWS extended text forecast, precipitation radar and NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery. Aviation weather — live METAR observations and TAF forecasts — is published separately on the pages for the nearest reporting airports, linked from the aviation section above. Additional sections may include tide predictions, wave height, wave direction and sea-surface temperature, a barometric pressure trend, and a solunar-based fishing forecast with a fishing-conditions rating for coastal localities, and soil temperature, crop weather and live USGS river gauge data for agricultural areas near a monitored waterway. All data updates automatically on every page visit.
Location data for River Forest includes coordinates 41.897809°N, 87.813948°W, situated in Cook County. ZIP code 61109, 60305. Telephone area code: 847, 224, 708. Timezone: Central Time (America/Chicago).
Weather data is sourced from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and the open-source Open-Meteo API. River and stream data is sourced from the USGS National Water Information System. Tide predictions are sourced from NOAA CO-OPS; marine and solunar data are modeled from Open-Meteo and public sunrise/moon calculations and should be treated as a general guide alongside on-the-water conditions. Radar is provided by RainViewer. Satellite imagery is sourced from NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East and is public domain.
