{{short description|Commuter rail station in River Forest, Illinois}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{update|date=January 2016}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox station | style=Metra | name={{Metra header|River Forest | icon={{ric|Metra|upw}}}} | type= | image=RiverForestILMetraStation.jpg | image_caption=River Forest station in September&nbsp;2006. | address=8001 West Central Street<br/>[[River Forest, Illinois]] 60305 | coordinates={{coord|41.8870|-87.8249|type:railwaystation_region:US-IL|display=inline,title}} | line= | other={{bus icon}} '''[[Pace (transit)|Pace]]''' | structure= | platform=1 [[side platform]] (formerly 2)<br/>1 [[island platform]] | levels= | tracks=3 (formerly 4) | parking= | bicycle= | passengers=448 (average weekday)<ref name=":0" /> | pass_year=2018 | pass_percent=2.3 | pass_rank=107 out of 236<ref name=":0" /> | pass_system= | opened={{start date and age|1915}} | closed= | rebuilt= | electrified= | accessible=No | code= | owned=Union Pacific | zone=2 | former= | services= {{Adjacent stations|system=Metra|line=Union Pacific/West|left=Maywood|right=Oak Park}} |other_services_header = Former services |other_services_collapsible=yes |other_services={{Adjacent stations|system=Chicago and North Western Railway|line1=Main Line|left=Bellwood|right1=Oak Park |line2=Galena Division|left2=Maywood|right2=Lathrop Avenue}} | map_state = collapsed | route_map = {{Routemap|legend=track|inline=y|map= \STR!~MFADEg\vSTR!~MFADEg\RP2!~MFADEg ~~ ~~ ~~ {{rint|Chicago|UPW}} west to {{stl|Metra|Elburn}} \STRg\vSTR!~v-NULf\RP2!~POINTERg@fq ~~ Central Ave. RP2+r!~POINTERg@fq\STR\vSTR\RP2 ~~ ~~ ~~ {{BSsplit|{{rmri|left}} Thatcher Ave.|{{rmri|down}} Hawthorne Ave.}} RP2eRP2\RP2w!~MSTR!~STR!~lhSTR(r)\vSTR!~lhvSTR(l)\RP2nRP2 ~~ Thatcher Ave. RP2\PSTR(L)\vSTR\PLTr RP2wRP2!~POINTERg@fq\PSTR(L)\vSTR\PLTr ~~ Gale Ave. RP2\PSTR(L)\vSTR\PLTr RP2eRP2\RP2w!~MSTR!~STR!~lhSTR(r)\vSTR!~lhvSTR(l)\RP2sRP1 ~~ Keystone Ave. RP2\STRg\vSTR!~v-NULf\RP1!~NULg!~POINTERg@fq ~~ Central Ave. RP2!~MFADEf\STR!~MFADEf\vSTR!~MFADEf\RP1!~MFADEf ~~ ~~ ~~ {{rint|Chicago|UPW}} east to {{stl|Metra|Ogilvie}} }} | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 15 | mapframe-marker-color = #ffb2b9 | mapframe-marker = rail | mpassengers= }}

'''River Forest''' is a [[Metra]] commuter [[railroad station]] in [[River Forest, Illinois]], [[United States]], a western suburb of [[Chicago]], on the [[Union Pacific West Line]]. Trains go east to [[Ogilvie Transportation Center]] in Chicago and as far west as [[Elburn, Illinois]]. Travel time to Ogilvie is 20 to 24 minutes. {{As of|2018}}, River Forest is the 107th busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations in the Metra system, with an average of 448 weekday boardings.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://metrarail.com/sites/default/files/assets/planning/ridership/2018_summary_results_report_final.pdf|title=Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018|date=April 2019|website=metrarail.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526034459/https://metrarail.com/sites/default/files/assets/planning/ridership/2018_summary_results_report_final.pdf|archive-date=26 May 2019|url-status=}}</ref> Unless otherwise announced, inbound trains use the north (side) platform and outbound trains use the south (island) platform.

As of September 8, 2025, River Forest is served by 43 trains (21 inbound, 22 outbound) on weekdays, by all 20 trains (10 in each direction) on Saturdays, and by all 18 trains (nine in each direction) on Sundays and holidays.

The station is at Central Avenue and Thatcher Avenue. The surrounding neighborhood is mostly characterized by single-family homes, baseball fields and tennis courts. [[Pace (transit)|Pace]] suburban buses stop one block to the north on Lake Street. To the east is an overpass that carries the [[Canadian National Railway]]'s Waukesha Subdivision into Forest Park where the line rechristens itself to the CSX Altenheim Subdivision ([[B&OCT]]).

The station building was originally built in 1915{{citation needed|date=March 2009}} by the [[Chicago and North Western Railway]] and is also the River Forest Park District headquarters.

The station has recently undergone renovations. The inbound platform was rebuilt along with the stairways.

==Bus connections== '''[[Pace (transit)|Pace]]''' *<nowiki> 309 Lake Street </nowiki> *<nowiki> 313 St. Charles Road </nowiki>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.metrarail.com/Sched/cnw_w/river_forest.shtml Metra - River Forest] *[https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.886927,-87.825437&spn=0.001026,0.002406&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=41.887015,-87.825444&panoid=D5Q1Y09qz2-kVeDU62aI8A&cbp=12,98.3,,0,-1.81 Thatcher Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View] {{Metra stations navbox}} {{River Forest, Illinois}}

[[Category:Metra stations in Illinois]] [[Category:Former Chicago and North Western Railway stations]] [[Category:Railway stations in Cook County, Illinois]] [[Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1915]] [[Category:River Forest, Illinois]] [[Category:Union Pacific West Line]]