About the Village

• 4.5 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

• Class 2 rating – three fire stations

• Main station located in lower level of Village Hall (123 Madison St.)
• Satellite stations throughout the Village
• Eight Residential Beat Officers

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

• 2 community hospitals
• 1 kidney dialysis center
• 1 mental health center
• Several social service agencies dealing with housing, economic development, mental health, health care, people with disabilities, youth and senior citizen services.

• 1 main facility
• 2 neighborhood branches

• 7 recreation centers
• 16 parks (2 outdoor swimming pools and 1 indoor skating rink)
• 6 private athletic clubs
• 1 plant conservatory

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

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

• 4 Jewish congregations (1 temple and 3 meet in homes)
• 45 Protestant and non-denominational churches (23 denominations)
• 5 Roman Catholic parishes
• 4 Buddhist communities

• 1 public high school
• 8 elementary schools ( grades K – 5)
• 2 middle schools (grades 6 – 8)
• 1 community college in the area (Triton)

• 6 elementary schools
• 1 Catholic co-ed high school
• 1 Catholic girls’ high school in the area
• 2 colleges in the area

• 23,723 housing units (10,029 single-family; 759 two-flats; 116 three-flats; 375 townhomes)
• 23,079 occupied housing units (10,093 rented; 12,986 owned)
• 12,980 families (2 or more related persons)
• Average 2.26 persons per household
• 441 rental buildings (6,400 units)
• 251 condo buildings (2,373 units)

Rental Rates (parking, electricity, telephone and cable usually not included)

• Studio $575 - $700
• 1 Bedroom $650 - $950
• 2 Bedrooms $900 - $1400+
• 3 Bedrooms $1100 - $1600+
• Homes $1500 - $2200+

Vacancy Rates

• 6.5% renter
• 2.0% owner

• 10 miles to O’Hare International Airport (25 minutes)
• 8 miles to Midway Airport (28 minutes)
• 9 miles to Downtown Chicago (20 minutes via Eisenhower Expressway or public transportation)

• 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)

• 28 Landmarks
• Three Historic Districts
• Cheney Mansion
• Ernest Hemingway Birthplace
• Ernest Hemingway 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.