Until 1958, the area that is now Glendale Heights was largely rural, with the exception of small pockets of subdivisions, on the east side of Bloomingdale Road, north of North Avenue, and Glen Ellyn Countryside. In 1958, Midland Enterprises, operated by Charles and Harold Reskin, bought two farms on Glen Ellyn Road north of North Avenue. The first houses were built that year on Glen Ellyn Road and Larry Lane, near Fullerton Avenue.
By the summer of 1959, with a population of 104, a petition to incorporate was circulated and filed on June 16. On July 13, the court declared the village organized and the first election took place on August 2. The first meeting of the village board was held on September 1, 1959, at the home of newly elected Village President Anthony Larry.
Though incorporated as Glendale, the name was changed to Glendale Heights in March of 1960 because of a conflict with another Glendale in southern Illinois. The name is appropriate as “Glendale” reflects a close geographic identity with its two neighbors – Glen Ellyn to the south and Bloomingdale to the north. “Heights” describes the unique topography of the village, which rests on two distinct elevations with a 100-foot variation.
Today, Glendale Heights is a modern, residential, urban community. Its landscape is dotted with ranch homes, split-levels, apartments, condominiums, shopping centers, churches and an excellent school system. With a population of 34,208 at the time of the 2010 census, the Village of Glendale Heights continues to maintain a small-town atmosphere while offering its residents a variety of business and play areas within the village’s borders.