Lake Forest station (Milwaukee District)
| Company type | Commuter rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Headquarters | Lake Forest, Illinois , United States |
Area served | Lake Forest, Illinois |
| Products | Passenger rail services |
Lake Forest station, situated in Lake Forest, Illinois, operates on the Milwaukee District North Line managed by Metra. Positioned at 10205 North Waukegan Road (IL 43), it lies from the southern endpoint at Chicago Union Station. Within Metra's zone fare structure, this station falls under zone 4. In 2018, it held the 82nd position among 236 non-central city stations, averaging 607 boardings on weekdays.
By February 15, 2024, the station is served by a total of 45 trains on weekdays—21 inbound and 24 outbound. On Saturdays, all 20 scheduled trains stop here with an equal split of 10 in each direction. Sundays and holidays see all 18 trains servicing the station, nine inbound and nine outbound. Weekday operations include four inbound departures originating from this station and four outbound arrivals terminating here; Saturdays feature one inbound start and one outbound end.
Another station located eastward on the Union Pacific North Line results in this facility occasionally being referred to as West Lake Forest to avoid confusion. There are no connecting bus services or links to the East Lake Forest station. Parking facilities are available along Telegraph Road on the track's west side, accessible via Settler's Square from North Waukegan Road on the east.
As the northernmost Metra stop along the C&M Subdivision, Lake Forest also functions as an emergency halt for Amtrak services including the Empire Builder, Borealis, and Hiawatha routes. Although Amtrak has considered adding scheduled stops for Hiawatha trains at this location since 2010, these plans have yet to be implemented. Metra has suggested installing track crossovers here to facilitate better train turnarounds and enable reverse-commute options.