Carillon at Cambridge Lakes

Carillon at Cambridge Lakes is a gated, age-restricted 55+ enclave tucked inside the larger Cambridge Lakes master-planned community in Pingree Grove, Illinois — roughly 50 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and 35 miles west of O'Hare International Airport. Opened in 2007 and developed primarily by D.R. Horton (with early phases by Cambridge Homes), the Carillon section contains approximately 943 single-story homes, making it one of the larger 55+ communities in the northwest Chicago suburbs. Construction of new homes wrapped up around 2023, so buyers today are shopping the resale market. Housing options are unusually varied for an active adult community at this price point. Buyers can choose between single-family ranch homes, Composer Series duplexes (1,401–1,716 sq ft, two-bed/two-bath with attached two-car garages), and Bayside Series attached townhomes arranged in quad configurations (1,107–1,332 sq ft). Total living space across all product types ranges from roughly 1,100 to 3,570 square feet, with resale prices generally running from the high $200s for townhomes up to the mid-$400s for the larger single-family plans. Residents in the attached-home series enjoy a fully maintenance-free lifestyle — the association handles lawn care, snow removal, landscaping, and exterior maintenance of the homes themselves. Single-family owners get common-area maintenance and snow removal but are responsible for their own exteriors, which is reflected in the tiered HOA structure ($238–$392 per month depending on home type). Life inside Carillon revolves around a state-of-the-art clubhouse that functions as the social hub of the community. Residents have access to a fitness center, aerobics and dance studio, indoor pool with whirlpool spa, outdoor pool, grand ballroom, billiards room, card room, ceramics studio, arts and crafts studio, computer lab, and library. Outside the clubhouse, the community offers a 3-hole practice golf course, tennis courts, pickleball courts, bocce ball, and walking trails that connect into the broader Cambridge Lakes trail network. A full-time on-site activities director programs a steady rotation of events and maintains an active club roster — including Bingo, Book Club, Canasta, Euchre, Dominoes, Drawing, Computer Club, Carillon Singles, an Alternative Health Club, and regular arts and crafts showcases. Location-wise, Pingree Grove sits in Kane County along the I-90 Tollway corridor, giving residents straight-shot access to O'Hare and downtown Chicago while keeping them in a quieter, semi-rural setting with rolling hills, forest preserves, and working farms. Elgin (and its full slate of hospitals, big-box retail, Elgin Community College, and the Elgin Symphony) is about 15 minutes east. Everyday shopping at Jewel-Osco, ALDI, and Trader Joe's is just a few minutes away, and the surrounding area offers quirky local draws like Goebbert's Farm, Donley's Wild West Town, the Volo Auto Museum, and the Illinois Railway Museum. Annual property taxes average around $5,450. The community is not without trade-offs — some resale listings note clay-heavy soil, graded lots, and the usual Illinois winter realities — but its combination of price point, amenity depth, and single-level living has made it a long-running favorite in the Chicago-area 55+ market.