To schedule a block party, a petition signed by at least 10 separate addresses on the block, or a majority of residents on a smaller block, must be submitted to the Village to indicate support for the party on a given day. Approved petitions allow the neighborhood to close off a street to vehicle traffic for the entire day. Petitions must be returned two weeks before the date of the block party. For more information, visit block parties, call 708.358.5700 or email blockparty@oak-park.us.

Shopping, dining and entertainment options abound in Oak Park. With multiple distinct business districts, shoppers and diners can find just about anything they need or want within a short drive, bicycle ride or walk. The Village boasts scores of restaurants, many specialty shops and art galleries, coffee shops, and a mix of both national and local retail stores housed in accessible, attractive and often historic spaces. Visit Pick Oak Park to view a list of districts, a business directory and videos highlighting just some of the amazing local businesses. In addition, Visit Oak Park, the local visitors' bureau, provides information on Oak Park and 20 other communities in western Cook County. 

The citizen volunteers who serve on the Disability Access Commission compile and maintain a listing of programs and services available to people with disabilities. The listing focuses on services offered by the local governments and service agencies with offices in the Village or that provide services to Oak Park residents. 

Oak Park was one of the first municipalities in the country to make diversity a matter of public policy. Following each two-year election cycle since a Diversity Statement was first adopted in 1973, the Village Board demonstrates its support of the high ideals embodied in the statement by reaffirming its content via a formal resolution.

Oak Park Diversity Statement

Families with young children can look to the Collaboration for Early Childhood for information about early development and resources, finding child care or preschool and parenting support.& The organization, funded in part by the Village and local school districts, offers free coaching for parents of infants and toddlers and works with local organizations to find and enroll eligible children in pre-school and Head Start programs. Parents concerned about their child’s physical, social or emotional development also can look to the Collaboration for screening and referrals to additional services. In addition, the Collaboration publishes an early childhood resource directory that lists child care centers, preschools and family child care programs in the community .For more information on local early childhood resources, including eligibility for programs, call 708.613.6122, email info@collab4kids.org or visit www.collab4kids.org.

The ;Oak Park Public Library also has an array of early childhood literacy programs and resources for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. More information is at www.oppl.org/early.

Oak Park is located immediately west of Chicago, at 41° 53’ 6” north latitude, 87° 47’ 3” west longitude. The boundary between Oak Park and Chicago is Austin Boulevard on the east side of Oak Park and North Avenue on the north side. Along its southern border on Roosevelt Road Oak Park borders Cicero from Austin to Lombard Avenue, and Berwyn from Lombard to Harlem Avenue. On its west, Oak Park borders Forest Park along Harlem between Roosevelt and South Boulevard, and River Forest between North Boulevard and North Avenue. The total land area of Oak Park is approximately 4.7 square miles. The entire Village of Oak Park lies on the shore of the ancient Lake Chicago, which covered most of the city of Chicago during the last Ice Age and is today called Lake Michigan. Ridgeland Avenue in eastern Oak Park marks the shoreline of the ancient lake, and was once an actual ridge. One of North America’s four continental divides runs through Oak Park, approximately from North and Ridgeland avenues, through Taylor Park at Division Street, to Scoville Park at Lake Street, where it veers west to Harlem Avenue. This divide separates the St. Lawrence River watershed from the Mississippi River watershed.

The modern roots of Oak Park date back to 1835 when Joseph and Betty Kettlestrings came from Yorkshire, England and built a small frame house near Lake Street and Harlem Avenue. The Kettlestrings later sold parcels of their large land holdings to people who followed the first train to run west of Chicago - the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad built in 1848. The railway station was eventually named Oak Park to match the post office. Oak Park became the official name of the area, but was still unincorporated and officially part of Cicero Township until 1902, when it was incorporated as the Village of Oak Park(PDF, 2MB). More details on Oak Park’s history are posted on the Historical Society website.

The Oak Park Public Library has three sites. The Main Library is at 834 Lake St. The Maze Branch is at 845 Gunderson St. and the Dole Branch is at 255 Augusta St. Services are provided for residents of all ages. More information about library services is posted at oppl.org.

Municipal

The Village of Oak Park government operates under the Village Manager form of government. An elected Village Board, consisting of a president/mayor and six trustees, hires a professional manager to oversee the day-to-day operation of government services and programs. All Village of Oak Park elected officials serve four-year terms, on a staggered cycle, with a municipal election held the first Tuesday in April of years ending with an odd number. The Village Board of Trustees meets in regular sessions on the first and third Monday of each month. Regular meetings are streamed live and archived online. In addition, regular meetings are simulcast and rebroadcast on VOP-TV available to Comcast customers on channel 6 and AT&T customers on channel 99.

Library

Oak Park Public Library Board of Trustees typically meet the fourth Tuesday of the month. Members of the the independently elected seven-member board each serve four-year terms.

Park District

The Park District of Oak Park is overseen by an independently elected board of five commissioners. Park Board meetings generally are held at 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the John L. Hedges Administrative Building, 218 Madison St.

Public Schools

Oak Park has two public school districts. Elementary School District 97 provides education services for students from kindergarten through eighth grade. High School District 200 provides education services for students in grades nine through 12. Each public school district is governed by an independently elected school board, which hires a superintendent for each district.

Township

The Oak Park Township administers a range of programs focused primarily on social services, including those for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, at-risk youth and the mentally ill. An independently elected Township Board consisting of a supervisor and four trustees governs Oak Park Township.

The Park District of Oak Park provides more than 3,000 recreation programs and special events annually. The district offers two outdoor pools, an indoor ice rink, the Oak Park Conservatory, historic Cheney Mansion and Pleasant Home, a gymnastics center, seven recreation centers and 13 parks on 80 acres of parkland. Visit www.pdop.org for more details.

Parking is prohibited from 2:30 to 6 a.m. on most Oak Park streets except by pass or permit. Unless you have a garage or private off-street parking space, you likely need a parking pass or permit issued by the Village. All vehicles owned by Oak Park residents also need a vehicle license, which must be renewed annually by July 15. The Parking & Mobility Services Department manages all public parking spaces, issues parking permits and passes, and sells vehicle licenses, which vary in cost by type of vehicle.

Parking and Vehicle Services Information

All dogs and outdoor cats in Oak Park are required to display a current animal license, which must be renewed annually by May 1. New licenses must be obtained in person at Village Hall, but annual renewals can be completed online. New residents must provide current rabies vaccination information to license their pets. Proof of spaying and neutering means a reduced license fee. Village ordinance also limits the number of animals by type of residence, requires owners to pick up their pets’ waste and requires dogs to be on a leash no more than nine feet long at all times, except in designated dog parks operated by the Park District of Oak Park.

Animal Care and Control Information

The Village of Oak Park’s provides a comprehensive solid waste disposal program for residential buildings of five or fewer units. Owners of larger multifamily dwelling and commercial buildings must contract directly with private refuse haulers. The municipal program offers mobile refuse carts, available in two sizes, and large recycling containers, that allow residents to choose the level of service that best fits their needs. Collections are made once every week in each of five designated geographic areas. The Village also offers seasonal leaf pickups and at-your-door collection of electronics and common household waste items that are not accepted by Illinois landfills. Composting of organic materials also is available for a fee.

Elementary School District 97 provides education services for students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The district’s eight neighborhood elementary and two middle schools serve more than 5,600 students. The district employs more than 1,000 certified and non-certified staff members.

High School District 200 provides education services for the villages of Oak Park and River Forest at its Oak Park campus at 201 N. Scoville Ave. With an enrollment of about 3,300 students, OPRF High School offers more than 200 courses in academic divisions, 90 clubs and activities and 29 competitive sports. 

Oak Park Township offers a wide range of senior and social services in its facilities at 105 S. Oak Park Ave. and 130 S. Oak Park Ave. Programs include those for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, at-risk youth and the mentally ill.

Something is always going on in Oak Park, as a wide range of groups, organizations and business districts sponsor special events every year. The Village of Oak Park sponsors the following major community events:

A Day in Our Village

Each year, on the first Sunday in June, the Village sponsors A Day in Our Village, a festival that provides an opportunity for current and prospective residents to discover the diversity and variety of civic, cultural, social service, business, educational and religious organizations/groups in the Village. Activity and information booths fill in Scoville Park near Lake Street and Oak Park Avenue, and local restaurants sell food nearby. To learn more, email community@oak-park.us.

Oak Park Farmers’ Market

The Oak Park Farmers’ Market offers high quality, locally grown produce in an open air venue at 460 Lake St., just one block west of Ridgeland Avenue. The Market is a step back into simpler times – buying things from the farmers who grow them. Live bluegrass music, and freshly made donuts are featured as well. The Market is open the second to last Saturday of May through October. Market hours are 7 a.m. - 1 p.m.

July 4th Parade 

The many dimensions of diversity in Oak Park are on display when the annual July 4th parade steps off at 10 a.m. from Longfellow Park at Ridgeland Avenue and Adams Street. For more information on the parade, email community@oak-park.us.

Halloween Trick or Treating

Each year, the Village Board sets the official hours for Halloween trick or treating. Typically, the hours are 4 to 8 p.m., Oct. 31. Parents are urged to accompany young children, especially after dark, and inspect all treats.

The Village of Oak Park 's Office of Adjudication hears a wide range of cases involving violations of municipal ordinances that were once heard in the Cook County Circuit Court. The process strives to expedite resolutions, reduce litigation expenses and offer greater convenience for residents and visitors who wish to contest a ticket or other citation via an administrative hearing. Hearings are held at Village Hall, 123 Madison St.

The Oak Park Township administers a range of programs focused primarily on social services, including those for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, at-risk youth and the mentally ill. An independently elected Township Board consisting of a supervisor and four trustees governs Oak Park Township. Click here for more information.

Electric

ComEd maintains the electricity distribution system for Oak Park and is responsible for all maintenance, service and billing. However, electricity may be provided by other companies authorized by the Illinois Commerce Commission. The Village participates in a community aggregation program, an initiative authorized by state law that allows municipalities to seek alternate suppliers of electricity for residents and business owners whose properties use fewer than 15,000 kWh per month.

Gas

Cooking and heating gas is provided to Oak Park by Northern Illinois Gas (NICOR). Call 888.642.6748 or visit www.nicorgas.com for more information.

Water

The municipal water supply and delivery system is managed by the Village of Oak Park. Residents and property owners are billed quarterly for their water usage, which includes sewer services. The bill also includes refuse and recycling collection charges. Payment may be made via a return envelope included with each bill, through an account debit, online or in person at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. Payment also can be electronically debited from a checking or savings account, or charged to a credit card.

Oak Park Finance Department

All municipal government operations except the Fire and Public Works departments are housed in Village Hall located at 123 Madison St.

When it comes to citizen involvement in the process of making public policy, few communities can match the opportunities offered in Oak Park, where volunteers serve on nearly 20 separate advisory boards, commissions and committees. As part-time lawmakers, the Village president and trustees rely on the boards and commissions to do much of the investigative work associated with particular issues. These citizen volunteers conduct in-depth studies, evaluate research and hold meetings that create the public record so critical to Village Board actions. A varied group of volunteers is sought to represent the Village’s diversity, and renters as well as homeowners are encouraged to apply.

State law requires an individual to register to vote at least one month prior to the date of the election to be eligible to participate. The same time requirements apply to transferring to a new address if a registered resident moves within Oak Park. Residents can register to vote in local, state and federal elections during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Office of the Village Clerk in Village Hall, 123 Madison St . Voter registration requires two types of identification, at least one with the current address. A driver's license or picture ID is preferred, along with an additional item such as a lease or utility bill. More information about elections, voter registration, absentee voting, filing for candidacy for local office and the electoral process are available from the Cook County Clerk at www.cookcountyclerk.com.