Bel-Air Estates Airpark Home for Sale: Exquisite 4,976 Sq Ft Luxury Estate with Hangar at Popular Grove Airport C77

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C77 - FAA Link

A truly exceptional aviation lifestyle property has arrived at Bel-Air Estates in Popular Grove, Illinois. This stunning five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath custom home at 2748 Stearman Street sits on 1.1 acres within the gated Bel-Air Estates residential airpark at Popular Grove Airport (C77), offering 4,976 square feet of meticulously appointed living space, a 52' x 50' heated hangar with a 42-foot door, an in-ground pool, a pergola-covered patio, and direct taxiway access to one of the finest general aviation airports in northern Illinois. Every detail of this property has been considered, refined, and executed at the highest level.

A Home That Sets the Standard for Airpark Living

The moment you step through the front door of this 2014-built residence, the level of craftsmanship becomes immediately clear. A gorgeous staircase rises through a dramatic two-story living room with soaring ceilings, creating an entrance that sets the tone for everything that follows. The coffered ceiling detail visible from the main living space, the aviation-inspired artwork on the walls, and the warm hardwood floors flowing throughout the main level combine to create an atmosphere that is refined, welcoming, and distinctly personal.

The kitchen is nothing short of extraordinary. Anchored by a large island and outfitted with a professional-grade Sub-Zero refrigerator with illuminated glass-front display cabinetry, a Wolf range with double oven and pot filler, a built-in Wolf steamer, a Miele dishwasher, and granite countertops throughout, this is a kitchen that any serious home chef will immediately recognize as exceptional. The adjacent sunroom brings the outdoors in with walls of windows overlooking the landscaped grounds, and its warm stone accent wall, barn door built-in, and ceiling fan create a cozy, light-filled retreat perfectly suited for morning coffee or evening unwinding.

The main level primary suite delivers a true sanctuary experience, complete with heated bathroom floors that make early morning departures for the airport considerably more comfortable. Pella windows and Hunter Douglas plantation shutters on the main level, along with Hunter Douglas blinds on the upper and lower levels, ensure every room balances natural light with privacy. A dedicated home office on the main level provides quiet, separated workspace for those who work from home between flights.

Upstairs, three generously sized bedrooms provide comfortable accommodation for family members and guests. New carpeting has been installed throughout the upper and lower levels. The fully finished basement extends the living footprint considerably, housing a large recreation room with a wet bar, a fifth bedroom, a grandchild suite, a full bathroom, and egress stairs connecting directly to the garage, an ideal configuration for multigenerational living or hosting extended visits. Two furnaces and two air conditioning units ensure consistent comfort across all three levels year-round.

The laundry room has been thoughtfully remodeled and expanded, with a designer vessel sink, marble countertops, custom cabinetry, and a stacked washer-dryer unit that make what is usually the most utilitarian room in the house feel like an intentional, beautifully designed space.

Outdoor Living That Rivals Any Resort

The exterior of this Bel-Air Estates airpark home for sale is as impressive as the interior. Professionally landscaped grounds with a full irrigation system and professional lighting frame a backyard environment that centers on a 32' x 16' in-ground pool featured on Houzz, with water jets, bubblers, a swim shelf, a baby shelf, an automatic cover, automatic vacuum, and auto-fill, all surrounding a spacious paver patio and a substantial pergola structure perfect for outdoor dining and entertaining. The pool heater was replaced in 2023. A separate pool house anchors one end of the pool area, completing an outdoor lifestyle package that would be extraordinary at any price point.

Bel-Air Estates Airpark Home for Sale: The Hangar

The 52' x 50' hangar matches the quality and intentionality visible throughout the rest of the property. In-floor radiant heat keeps the space warm through Illinois winters without the noise and uneven heating of forced-air systems, creating a genuinely comfortable working environment year-round. Water is plumbed to the hangar, and the 42-foot door provides excellent aircraft access for a wide range of general aviation aircraft. The hangar's exterior complements the home's cedar siding and gray color palette, giving the property a cohesive, architecturally considered appearance that stands out within the community. A large paved apron connects the hangar directly to the community taxiway network and on to the runway.

Popular Grove Airport C77: An Aviation Community Unlike Any Other

Popular Grove Airport is not just a runway with houses nearby. It is one of the most celebrated general aviation communities in the Midwest, named 2015 Illinois Private Airport of the Year by the Illinois Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics. The airport sits on 500 acres three miles south of Popular Grove at 857 feet MSL and is home to approximately 400 based aircraft, 202 hangars, and 100 residential homes with runway access through the Bel-Air Estates community. The primary paved runway 12/30 stretches approximately 4,000 feet by 50 feet, and two grass runways measuring approximately 2,500 feet each serve tailwheel and grass-strip enthusiasts in the community. A full-service FBO, maintenance facility, and flight school operated by Popular Grove Airmotive serve the based aircraft population, providing fuel, maintenance, avionics work, and instruction without ever leaving the property.

One of the most unique features of the Popular Grove Airport campus is the Popular Grove Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum, housed in a majestic four-story pre-World War II Art Deco WPA airport hangar relocated and restored from Waukesha, Wisconsin. The museum preserves a stunning collection of vintage aircraft and automobiles and stands as one of the most distinctive aviation museum experiences in the Midwest, with a 16-foot bronze statue of aviation legend Elrey B. Jeppesen anchoring the campus. For residents of Bel-Air Estates, this extraordinary piece of aviation history is quite literally in the backyard.

Northern Illinois: Four Seasons and Everything Within Reach

The Popular Grove area sits in the heart of Boone County in northern Illinois, offering the kind of genuinely livable, four-season Midwest lifestyle that draws families from Chicago and Rockford who want more space, more quiet, and more sky without sacrificing access to everything a major metropolitan area provides.

Rock Cut State Park, just 15 minutes south in Rockford, delivers 3,092 acres of outdoor recreation anchored by two lakes totaling 162 acres, with outstanding fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and channel catfish, plus 40 miles of hiking and horse trails, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and camping throughout the year. Severson Dells Forest Preserve provides additional nature trail access and wildlife observation just minutes from the airpark. Edwards Apple Orchard, a beloved Boone County institution, offers U-pick apples, a petting zoo, tractor-pulled hayrides, and a farm market with cider donuts that draw families from across the region each fall.

DC Estate Winery in Popular Grove brings a refined wine country experience to northern Illinois, with award-winning wines, a scenic vineyard setting, and a tasting room that hosts live music events throughout the warmer months. Alpaca Pines Farm and Fiber Mill offers a uniquely local experience with farm tours, fiber arts, and direct interaction with the property's resident alpacas, llamas, and sheep. The Garden Prairie Cafe is a community dining institution known for its scratch cooking and warm, genuine small-town character.

Rockford, just 15 miles to the southwest, provides the full infrastructure of a mid-size city. Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens delivers a stunning botanical experience along the banks of the Rock River. The Coronado Theatre, a magnificently restored 1927 atmospheric movie palace, hosts concerts, Broadway touring productions, and community performances throughout the year. The BMO Center and Hard Rock Live at Hard Rock Casino Rockford add major concert and entertainment capacity to a city that takes its cultural calendar seriously. The Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford is consistently ranked among the finest Japanese gardens in North America, providing a serene and visually stunning destination just 20 minutes from the airpark.

Chicago, 75 miles to the southeast via Interstate 90, places world-class museums, restaurants, professional sports, and O'Hare International Airport within easy range by car, and the flight from C77 to Chicago Executive or Midway is measured in minutes rather than hours. Milwaukee, Wisconsin sits approximately 60 miles to the northeast, providing another major metropolitan option for residents who want variety in their day trips and weekend destinations.

For pilots, the northern Illinois airspace provides outstanding cross-country flying access to the entire Midwest corridor. Door County, Wisconsin, the Indiana dunes, Lake Michigan's eastern shore, and the Mississippi River bluffs of the Galena area are all compelling destinations within easy range of C77, and the flat, open terrain of the region ensures consistently good VFR flying conditions across the majority of the year.

This is a property that requires a showing to be fully appreciated. The photography captures the quality, but the scale, the craftsmanship, and the lifestyle that comes with living at Popular Grove Airport truly have to be experienced in person.

Contact Natasha Wagner at 815-289-1329 or nw.xtreme2@gmail.com for showings and more details.

Disclaimer: Runway lengths, aviation details, and airstrip information are deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified with the FAA.