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The Highland Park and first area schools were built in 1856, the earliest known then as Port Clinton School. In 1893 Port Clinton School was replaced by a large two-story brick building which is known as Elm Place School. During 1869 to 1961 the local school system of Highland Park continued to grow as a result of academic innovation and an involved community, and in 2011 there were eleven schools in the North Shore School District 112 of Highland Park, Illinois. These schools are Elm Place School, Ravinia School, Lincoln School, Oak Terrace School, Braeside School, Edgewood School, Indian Trail School, Red Oak School, Wayne Thomas School, Northwood School, and Sherwood School. There is also Highland Park High School which is in District 113.

The Highland Park Public Library its doors on April 6, 1888.
Less than a year earlier, at the July 7, 1887 City Council meeting, residents had presented a petition for a public library in Highland Park. On September 14, 1887 the Highland Park City Council adopted an ordinance for the establishment of a tax-supported public library and appropriated $260 annually for its maintenance. The Library collection included 400 books and was housed at the same space the City Council rented on the first floor of the Charles A. Kuist Hardware Store on the Northside of Central. Marsalene Green served as the first librarian.
In July 1889, Library moved to the newly constructed City Hall building on Central Ave. and Green Bay. As the collection continued to grow, library moved to the former Young Men's Club House on Sheridan Road in 1900 where it remained for five years. Plans for a new library were proposed in 1903. The Highland Park Woman's Club led a fundraising campaign for the participation of Andrew Carnegie, who donated $12,000 in its construction. The A. C. Thompson family donated the land with the caveat it be used exclusively in perpetuity for a public library.
Highland Park and its public library collection continued to grow. In 1927 the board of trustees and the newly hired librarian, Cora Hendee, the library's first professionally trained librarian, proposed a new library building.
Holmes and Flinn were charged with designing the space, and chose a gothic style with limestone. The finished library was dedicated on September 20th, 1931. The first renovation to this library came in 1960, when the children's collection outgrew its space and was given a new wing on the building's west side, designed by Bertram Weber. In 1976 a modern adult wing was also added to the south side by Wendt, Cedarholm, and Tippens. A series of renovations stretched from the late 1980s to 2000, focusing on access for people with disabilities, heating, ventilation, electrical, lighting and layout redesign. Several renovations have occurred in the 21st century.

The Highland Park Music Club for women held its first meeting dedicated to the formal organization and creation of the club on February 14, 1928 in the home of Emma Smoot Nolting. The club held its first official meeting on March 25, 1928 in the home of Edna (Mrs. Marshall) Sampsell. The founding members were mostly young mothers with young children. Its purpose was to provide the women continuing study of music and to foster community interest in music. Members performed for one another. A Chorale Ensemble was also formed that performed for club members as well as locally and in neighboring communities. Meetings including performances were held monthly (except for summers) in a selected club member's home. Membership grew quickly to 100 members, active and associate. Associate members did not perform but were welcomed due to their interest in music. A board of directors emerged with officers such as president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and chairman for areas including programs, hospitality, membership, publicity, choral ensemble, trial board, and scholarship. The Board sometimes also included a member of the club at large. In 2022, the Club remains active.

  The Club was a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs.
 The Club sponsored a youth scholarship contest for high school students from Highland Park. The winners received a monetary award and performed at a concert to raise money for the following year scholarship. Scholarship money was also raised via a Spring Auction.

On March 11, 1869, the Illinois legislature granted a charter to the City of Highland Park. The city was laid out in four wards, and a mayor and eight aldermen were elected on April 13. Highland Park’s first city council comprised Mayor Hawkins and Aldermen George Hammer, Thomas S. Dickerson, Milton H. Baker, Henry Mowers, George Grussing, William Osterman, Jacob S. Curtis and A.O. Fay. Mr. Fay was the first city treasurer; George Williams served as city clerk; Lucius Field, police magistrate and Jonas Steers, city assessor.

Highland Park was within the district designated in 1831 as Cook County. By March, 1837, the northern section of the county comprised the 350 inhabitants required for independent government. Highland Park was included in Lake precinct of McHenry County until March 1, 1839 when Lake County was established east of the Fox River. Early settlers, primarily Irish and German began arriving in the early 1840s, establishing farms in the open countryside west of Green Bay Road. The construction of the Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad in 1856 brought new opportunities. The financial panic of 1873 brought a halt to the area’s development, and not until the 1880s the City restarted expanding economically. The population, however, continued growing from 1,154 inhabitants in 1880 to 2,163 in 1890. The creation of a literary society in 1874 that would lead weekly lectures on current issues warranted the necessity for a reading room and a library. In 1887 the city council favored a petition for a public reading room. Miss Marsalene Green was appointed the first librarian in April, 1888. The Andrew Carnegie Library served Highland Park from 1906 until 1931 when the limestone building at Laurel and St. Johns Avenues was opened to the public.

The police force was established as one of the first departments in 1869 when James Ayres was appointed marshal and Peter Hoffman was employed as the lone patrolman. During the extensive service of Chief Edward Moroney, 1919-1940, a police station was established at the City Hall; a radio system was installed at the station, and squad cars were equipped with two-way radio sets.

Highland Park’s first fire department consisted of six volunteers selected in 1889 by H. H. Edwards. The first official chief was Andrew Bock, appointed in 1889. A volunteer department at Ravinia was formed in 1910 and supervised by Lawrence Buck and George Wallace Carr.

The second city department originated in the 1870s when John Duffy was named superintendent of streets. The first paved streets, 1893, were Sheridan Road, Laurel and Prospect Avenues. Incandescent lamps were introduced in June of 1889 at Elisha Gray’s state. To illuminate the grounds, the men employed a wiring system consisting of paraffin and other materials which Professor Gray had been using for experiments with an electric printer.

Despite problems encountered by summer draughts and epidemics, citizens hesitated to undertake the expense of a water plant until 1893 when Archibald Fletcher was elected mayor. The sanitary sewer system has grown from three units, installed in 1893, to 60 miles of sewer mains which connect with five disposal plants. Prior to 1919 the collection and disposal of sewage was handled by separate sewer districts which employed such methods as partial treatment and the dumping of raw sewage into Lake Michigan.

Highland Park’s Board of Health originated in 1879 when a special meeting was called to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. James McDonald, a merchant, and Dr. Warren Sweetland, a pharmacist, were among the first board members. By March, 1837, the northern section of the county comprised the 350 inhabitants required for independent government. Highland Park was included in Lake precinct of McHenry County until March 1, 1839 when Lake County was established east of the Fox River. Early settlers, primarily Irish and German began arriving in the early 1840s, establishing farms in the open countryside west of Green Bay Road. The construction of the Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad in 1856 brought new opportunities. On March 11, 1869, the Illinois legislature granted a charter to the City of Highland Park. The city was laid out in four wards, and a mayor and eight aldermen were elected on April 13. Highland Park’s first city council comprised Mayor Hawkins and Aldermen George Hammer, Thomas S. Dickerson, Milton H. Baker, Henry Mowers, George Grussing, William Osterman, Jacob S. Curtis and A.O. Fay. Mr. Fay was the first city treasurer; George Williams served as city clerk; Lucius Field, police magistrate and Jonas Steers, city assessor. The financial panic of 1873 brought a halt to the area’s development, and not until the 1880s the City restarted expanding economically. The population, however, continued growing from 1,154 inhabitants in 1880 to 2,163 in 1890. The creation of a literary society in 1874 that would lead weekly lectures on current issues warranted the necessity for a reading room and a library. In 1887 the city council favored a petition for a public reading room. Miss Marsalene Green was appointed the first librarian in April, 1888. The Andrew Carnegie Library served Highland Park from 1906 until 1931 when the limestone building at Laurel and St. Johns Avenues was opened to the public.

The second city department originated in the 1870s when John Duffy was named superintendent of streets. The first paved streets, 1893, were Sheridan Road, Laurel and Prospect Avenues. Incandescent lamps were introduced in June of 1889 at Elisha Gray’s state. To illuminate the grounds, the men employed a wiring system consisting of paraffin and other materials which Professor Gray had been using for experiments with an electric printer.
Despite problems encountered by summer draughts and epidemics, citizens hesitated to undertake the expense of a water plant until 1893 when Archibald Fletcher was elected mayor. The sanitary sewer system has grown from three units, installed in 1893, to 60 miles of sewer mains which connect with five disposal plants. Prior to 1919 the collection and disposal of sewage was handled by separate sewer districts which employed such methods as partial treatment and the dumping of raw sewage into Lake Michigan.

Highland Park’s Board of Health originated in 1879 when a special meeting was called to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. James McDonald, a merchant, and Dr. Warren Sweetland, a pharmacist, were among the first board members.