Although the work on the feeder canal brought some settlers in the 1840s, German and Dutch farmers arrived after the 1850s.

In 1898, the Paul E. Berger Company, manufacturers of cash registers and slot machines, located adjacent to the railroad.

The first post office opened in 1900 in the Berger factory, and in 1902 the Wabash Railroad established a train station.

Both Chicago Ridge and Worth benefited from the activity and economic influences of a racetrack operating on 111th Street.

Local residents proudly recall that a member of one of the founding families of the Chicago Ridge area, Fred Herbert, won the Kentucky Derby in 1910.

With the great demand for housing and the expansion of road networks to include expressways, Chicago Ridge was poised for growth.

[6] According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Chicago Ridge has a total area of 2.27 square miles (5.88 km2), all land.

Chicago Ridge's irregular shape is bounded by Oak Lawn on the north and east, Bridgeview and Palos Hills on the west, and Worth on the south.

Charles Polchow served as the first president of Chicago Ridge when it organized as a village in 1914.

Polchow's was one of three taverns, the others being John Henry Meyer's Chicago Ridge Hotel at 103rd and South Ridgeland Avenue and Liberty Hall.

His father was John Henry Meyer who operated the Chicago Ridge Inn and Hotel which included a tavern, next to the railroad tracks at 103rd and Ridgeland Ave. Peter Ruices was Village President from 1927 to 1934.

The Ruices family owned Rucies Tavern and Grove at 106th Street and Ridgeland Avenue which was a popular spot for special events.

He resigned his position to enlist in the armed forces in 1942 and serve active duty during World War II.

The Chicago Ridge library, Public Works and Park District were formed under his administration.

Firehouse 2, a Park District Building, a Police Car Garage and Elden D Finley Jr High were built during this time.

The Village President is the chief executive officer, and the Board of Trustees is the legislative body.

The Village President, Board of Trustees and Clerk are all elected to four-year terms.

Over the years, recreational and cultural amenities including parks and a library, as well as business and industry were added to the picture.

Landis Plastics, Inc. is based in Chicago Ridge, with five domestic facilities supporting North American customers.

Landis manufactures injection molded and thermoformed plastic packaging for dairy and other food products.

Over the past 15 years, Landis has experienced robust organic growth in sales of 10.4%.

[15] The Park at Chicago Ridge is a 135-acre (0.55 km2) industrial park located off Southwest Highway at 103rd Street, which features rail transport and easy access to major expressways, including the Tri-State Tollway, and the Stevenson and Eisenhower expressways.

[3] Chicago Ridge hosts the annual RidgeFest celebration the last weekend in July at Freedom Park.

[17] The Chicago Ridge Park District has 23 acres (93,000 m2) of land available for recreational purposes, divided among nine parks containing tennis courts, baseball fields, a fitness center/gymnasium, and a newly completed miniature golf/batting cages complex.

Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Chicago Ridge to destinations across the Southland.