Kenilworth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, 15 miles (24 km) north of downtown Chicago.

[2] In December 2019, Forbes magazine listed Kenilworth village as the wealthiest zip code in the state of Illinois, with a median home sale price of $1,385,000 as of October 2019.

[4] Kenilworth was founded in 1889 when Joseph Sears purchased 223.6 acres of land consisting of several farms between the Chicago and North Western Railroad and Lake Michigan for $150,300.

In 1891, Sears invited about 20 of his personal friends, prominent bankers and Chicago businessmen to a picnic luncheon on Kenilworth's lake shore.

[9] This planned community attracted widespread attention and was visited by many noted architects attending the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

The Kenilworth Company continued their sales activities until 1904, at which time Sears acquired the existing stock and became the sole owner of the remaining property.

[10] The Kenilworth Company coordinated every aspect of this planned community to ensure the highest quality implementation and adherence to Joseph Sears’ vision.

To maintain the country atmosphere, the plan required large lots and setbacks, tree plantings along roadways, and generous park lands.

[12] The first African American family to move to Kenilworth, the Calhouns, was met with resistance by many in the community, such as a cross burning in 1966 and racially charged vandalism, while others voiced shock over the offenses.

[13] Speaking of his friends and neighbors, Walter Calhoun, a young student and athlete at the time, recalls "They bent over backwards to make sure I was never left out.

"[14] Four years after the shocking incident, two teenagers visited Harold Calhoun in his downtown office where they confessed and apologized for the cross burning.

The Village of Kenilworth maintains a Public Works Department for maintenance of streets, trees, village-owned buildings, and traffic signals.

Kenilworth is a part of New Trier Township High School District, which maintains campuses in the neighboring communities of Northfield (for freshmen) and Winnetka (for upperclassmen).