Braidwood, Illinois

About Braidwood

Braidwood is a close-knit town in northeastern Illinois counting 6,245 people who proudly call it home.

Officially, Braidwood is an incorporated city with its own municipal government. The community covers 5.3 square miles, giving it a balanced suburban layout with room to breathe at roughly 1,178 residents per square mile.

📰 Braidwood News Today

• Myra Parrish Obituary (1959 - 2026) - Braidwood, IL - Herald-News Legacy | Obituary · Oct 8
• Constellation and Google announce plan to increase nuclear capacity in Illinois, tout cost savings for residents Chicago Tribune · Oct 6
• Braidwood Air Quality Index (AQI) and USA Air Pollution IQAir · Jun 22
• Donna Jean Calhoun Obituary Aug 14, 2026 - Reeves - Baskerville - Fruland Reeves & Baskerville Funeral Home · Aug 14
• Braidwood, Illinois, man wins $1 million jackpot from 40th birthday gift lottery ticket CBS News · Sep 4

Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.

📰 Local News

Read the latest Illinois headlines on our news site, Bless News Daily.

What Makes Braidwood Unique

• The only place in America named Braidwood — a truly one-of-a-kind name among 32,000+ US communities.
• Positioned in northeastern Illinois, convenient to the region's corridors and crossings.
• Part of the fabric of Illinois — one of 1,461 recognized communities statewide.

Why People Love It Here

• The sweet spot: real amenities without big-city congestion.
• Local businesses and schools anchored by a stable resident base of 6,245.
• Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 4 miles.

📍 Neighborhoods in Braidwood

Click a neighborhood to see it on the map.

🍽️ Where to Eat in Braidwood

• Jones-Eez Bar-B-Que
• Main Street Pizzeria & Grille — pizza
• Polk-A-Dot Drive In

Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · click a restaurant to read or write reviews.

🎡 Fun Things to Do

• Braidwood Area Historical Society · Museum
• Braidwood Zoo Animal Sculptures · Attraction
• Elvis · Attraction

Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.

🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Braidwood

• Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Reserve · Nature reserve reviews ★
• Braidwood City Park reviews ★
• Lions' Kiddie Park reviews ★
• Luke H. Goodrich Park reviews ★
• Old Smokey City Park reviews ★

Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.

🏫 Schools in Braidwood

• Reed-Custer Elementary School
• Reed-Custer High School
• Reed-Custer Middle School
• SOWIC-EC Reed Custer
• SOWIC-Educ & Life Skills-Reed Cus

Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.

⚡ Quick Facts

🌤️ Current Weather

Full forecast →

Source: National Weather Service

🗺️ Map of Braidwood

🏘️ Nearby Communities