About the Village

• 4.7 square miles
• Incorporated January 25, 1902
• Population 54,583 (2020 Census)
• Median age 36 (24.1% under 18; 10.7% over 65)

• - 67.7% white
  - 21.7% black
  - 5.8% Hispanic
  - 5.0% Asian, American and Alaskan Indians

• 10% sales tax rate (2.25% on qualifying food/drugs)
• 13.514% Property Tax Rate (2.062% municipal government share - or 15% of collections) - Tax year 2015
• Bond rating – Moody’s A1; Standard & Poor’s AA

More information about the Fire Department

• Main station located in lower level of Village Hall (123 Madison St.)
• Satellite stations throughout the Village
  More information about the Police Department

• Home Rule Authority
• Elected Village President, six Village Trustees and Village Clerk
• Appointed Village Manager

• 2 community hospitals, West Suburban Medical Center and Rush Oak Park Hospital
• Several social service agencies dealing with housing, economic development, mental health, health care, people with disabilities, youth and senior citizen services.

• 1 main facility and 2 neighborhood branches - more about the Oak Park Public Library

• 7 recreation centers
• 18 parks (2 outdoor swimming pools and 1 indoor skating rink)
• 1 plant conservatory

More about the Oak Park Park District 

• Electricity – ComEd
• Natural gas – Nicor Gas
• Local telephone service – AT&T and Comcast
• Lake Michigan water - Water & Sewer services
• Cable television – AT&T and Comcast

Find information about local tourism on the Visit Oak Park website.

The Community of Congregations is an interfaith organization serving the areas of Oak Park and River Forest, as well as surrounding communities. 

• 1 public high school - more about Oak Park and River Forest High School

• 8 elementary schools ( grades K – 5), 2 middle schools (grades 6 – 8) - more about Oak Park Elementary School District 97  
• 1 community college in the area - more about Triton Community College

• 10 miles to O’Hare International Airport 
• 8 miles to Midway Airport 
• 9 miles to Downtown Chicago

• 2 rapid transit lines (CTA Blue and Green Lines)
• CTA Blue Line goes through Chicago to O’Hare Airport
• Transfer to CTA Orange Line in the Loop/Downtown Chicago to go to Midway Airport
• 17 bus routes (PACE and CTA)
• Oak Park Township senior bus service
• 1 commuter rail line (Metra West Line)
• 2 taxicab companies (Blue Cab and Red Cab)

• 70 Landmarks, 3 Historic Districts
• Cheney Mansion
• Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum 
• Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio
• Oak Park Conservatory
• Percy Julian Statue
• Pleasant Home
• Scoville Park
• Unity Temple - UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic Landmark

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.