Des Plaines is located in northeastern Illinois in Cook County along Interstate 294 north of Chicago about 15 miles west of Lake Michigan. It lies directly north of Chicago - O'Hare International Airport. The town is the home of Oakton Community College and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. The population is about 60,000.
Ray Kroc, of "McDonald's" fame, flipped his first hamburger here in 1955 and his first store has been restored to its original condition and is now a museum.
One of the highlghts of summer comes in the first part of June at the "Taste of Des Moines"--a food extravaganza.