Fort Sheridan National Cemetery

Fort Sheridan National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Fort Sheridan National Cemetery

The Fort Sheridan National Cemetery was established in 1889, two years after Fort Sheridan was officially founded. The cemetery has interred in its grounds Veterans from the Civil War up to more recent conflicts. Interments also include World War II era German POWs who were held at both Fort Sheridan and nearby Camp Grant.

Directions

From O'Hare Airport: Take I-90E. Take exit 44A for Keeler Ave toward Irving Park Rd/IL-19 and turn left. Merge left onto I-90W/I-94W. Keep right at the fork to continue on I-94 W and follow signs for Milwaukee/Interstate 94 W/Edens Expwy. Continue onto US-41 N (signs for Waukegan). Continue straight onto Skokie Valley Rd. Take a slight right onto S Skokie Hwy (signs for Half Day Rd/IL-22). Turn right onto Half Day Rd. Turn left onto Summit Ave. Turn right onto Old Elm Rd. Turn left onto Sheridan Rd. Turn right then turn left (cemetery will be on the right).

Flowers and grounds rules

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Three floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave.

Who can be buried at Fort Sheridan National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Fort Sheridan National Cemetery?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Fort Sheridan National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Fort Sheridan National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Fort Sheridan National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Fort Sheridan National Cemetery directly at 224-610-7296.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Illinois law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Illinois and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Fort Sheridan National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Confederate Mound, Chicago, IL: 32 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Mound Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Racine, WI: 35 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Union Grove, WI: 37 mi, open for burials