A city named for two roads
Northlake gets its name from North Avenue and Lake Street, which meet at its western edge, and the Tri-State Tollway slices through the middle of town. For a tow truck coming off the tollway, that’s an easy approach. Northlake is also a small place, about 3.2 square miles and under 13,000 people at the 2020 Census.
One thing that trips people up is the mail. Northlake has no ZIP code of its own. Homes here use 60164, which the Postal Service officially calls Melrose Park. When you book a pickup, say Northlake and give the full street address so there’s no mix-up.
The 2 a.m. street ban
Northlake bans parking on any public street from 2 to 6 a.m. If you need an exception, the police department handles emergency requests by phone or through its online Frontline portal. That works for a night or two, but it isn’t a home for a car that won’t start.
So where does a dead car go? About 63% of Northlake homes are detached houses, per recent Census figures, and a private driveway or garage is the easiest place for us to pick a car up. About a third are in apartment or condo buildings with at least five units; if your car is in an apartment lot, tell us the building, the spot and whether the car rolls.
Selling with a loan, a lost title or neither
The cleanest sale is a title in your name with no lender listed. If a lender still appears on it, the loan has to be paid off and the lien released first; our guide on selling a car with a lien in Illinois walks through that. If the title is simply lost, that’s a separate issue from a loan, and the answer depends on the papers you still hold. Illinois sets the standard for scrapping a car without its title; we walk through it with you on the phone.
Once it’s settled, the tow costs nothing and payment is made at pickup. Same-day appointments are often available.
Close to Northlake
Across the 60164 line, Melrose Park shares Northlake’s ZIP. Next door, we also tow in Berkeley, and the complete list of towns covers the rest of the west suburbs.
Selling a car in Northlake: common questions
My Northlake address uses a Melrose Park ZIP. Will that confuse the pickup?
No. ZIP 60164 is officially a Melrose Park ZIP, and Northlake is an accepted alternate name for it. Give us the full street address and say you're in Northlake; we cover both towns, and the tow is free either way.
I still owe money on the car. Can I junk it in Northlake?
Usually, but the lien has to be dealt with first: the loan is paid off and the lender releases its lien before ownership can pass. Tell us the lender when you call and we'll explain how the payoff fits with the sale.
Do I have to cancel a Northlake vehicle sticker after the car is gone?
Northlake doesn't issue residential vehicle stickers, so there's no city sticker to cancel for a personal car. Commercial vehicles are different: they need an annual city sticker, so a business selling a work van should check with the City Clerk.