<ARTICLE>                                            9
<LEGEND>
This  schedule  contains  summary  financial   information  extracted  from  the
quarterly unaudited financial  statements of Wintrust Financial  Corporation for
the quarter ended March 31, 1997,  and is qualified in its entirety by reference
to such financial statements
</LEGEND>
<CIK>                         0001015328
<NAME>                        Wintrust Financial Corporation
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000
       
                                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                         3-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                               DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                                  JAN-01-1997
<PERIOD-END>                                    MAR-31-1997
<CASH>                                               23,976
<INT-BEARING-DEPOSITS>                               15,001
<FED-FUNDS-SOLD>                                     46,319
<TRADING-ASSETS>                                          0
<INVESTMENTS-HELD-FOR-SALE>                          62,650
<INVESTMENTS-CARRYING>                                5,001
<INVESTMENTS-MARKET>                                  4,881
<LOANS>                                             566,894
<ALLOWANCE>                                           4,073
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                      764,571
<DEPOSITS>                                          682,193
<SHORT-TERM>                                              0
<LIABILITIES-OTHER>                                  12,344
<LONG-TERM>                                           6,503
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                     0
<PREFERRED>                                               0
<COMMON>                                              7,997
<OTHER-SE>                                           55,534
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES-AND-EQUITY>                      764,571
<INTEREST-LOAN>                                      11,230
<INTEREST-INVEST>                                     1,848
<INTEREST-OTHER>                                          0
<INTEREST-TOTAL>                                     13,078
<INTEREST-DEPOSIT>                                    7,481
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                    7,826
<INTEREST-INCOME-NET>                                 5,252
<LOAN-LOSSES>                                           679
<SECURITIES-GAINS>                                        0
<EXPENSE-OTHER>                                       6,354
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                        (189)
<INCOME-PRE-EXTRAORDINARY>                              729
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                           0
<CHANGES>                                                 0
<NET-INCOME>                                            729
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                          0.10
<EPS-DILUTED>                                          0.10
<YIELD-ACTUAL>                                         3.22
<LOANS-NON>                                             977
<LOANS-PAST>                                          1,956
<LOANS-TROUBLED>                                          0
<LOANS-PROBLEM>                                       1,338
<ALLOWANCE-OPEN>                                      3,636
<CHARGE-OFFS>                                          (265)
<RECOVERIES>                                             23
<ALLOWANCE-CLOSE>                                     4,073
<ALLOWANCE-DOMESTIC>                                  2,505
<ALLOWANCE-FOREIGN>                                       0
<ALLOWANCE-UNALLOCATED>                               1,568