Petition Jobs - Oak Park, Illinois - Population, History and Local Information
 
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Oak Park is a village located immediately west of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. With a population of 51,793 as of the 2020 census, Oak Park has developed a reputation as an architecturally significant inner ring suburb with many historic homes and buildings. The village is known for its connection to famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who built his home and studio in Oak Park and designed many structures in the area.

Population and Demographics

According to the 2020 census, Oak Park has a population of 51,793 residents. This makes it the 29th most populous municipality in Illinois. The racial makeup of the village is 66.8% White, 21.8% African American, 6.0% Asian, and 3.5% from other races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race make up 6.8% of the population.

Oak Park has seen its population decline slightly in recent decades after reaching a peak of 62,062 residents in 1970. However, it still retains its reputation as a diverse, thriving inner ring suburb that connects to Chicago via public transit while maintaining its own unique identity and community.

History of Oak Park

The Oak Park area was originally inhabited by the Potawatomi tribe. The first non-indigenous settler was Joseph Kettlestrings who came to the area in 1835. Oak Park Township was formally established in 1850. Early development was centered along Lake Street, which connected Chicago to the township via stagecoach.

In 1872, the Chicago and West Towns Railway connected Oak Park to Chicago with a streetcar line along Lake Street. This improved transportation access attracted residents to Oak Park, spurring the initial wave of suburban residential development. The population grew rapidly, from 700 in 1870 to 9,353 in 1900.

Many wealthy businessmen moved from Chicago to Oak Park to build grand Victorian homes in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Frank Lloyd Wright became Oak Park's most famous resident when he settled in the village in 1889. Wright built his home and studio in Oak Park and lived there until 1909. Over the next 20 years, he designed approximately 25 buildings within the village. This includes Unity Temple, the home of Wright's Unitarian Universalist congregation.

Oak Park's desirability as an accessible suburb continued to drive population growth into the 1950s. After reaching its peak population in 1970, Oak Park saw a period of decline as urban sprawl pushed many residents to outer suburbs. However, revitalization efforts in the 1990s focused on highlighting Oak Park's history, architecture and diversity have helped maintain its status as an attractive community.

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Attractions and Things to Do

Known for its many historic homes and buildings, Oak Park offers visitors the opportunity to take walking tours of architecturally significant sites. Key attractions include:

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

951 Chicago Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302 - (708) 848-1976

Tour the home where Frank Lloyd Wright lived and worked from 1889 to 1909. See examples of his early prairie style architecture with art glass windows.

Unity Temple

875 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60301 - (708) 383-8873

This famous Oak Park landmark designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is considered one of the earliest and best examples of modernist architecture. It continues to serve as a Unitarian Universalist congregation.

Pleasant Home

217 Home Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302 - (708) 383-2654

Built between 1876 and 1897, Pleasant Home is a restored Victorian mansion with original furnishings. It offers tours providing a glimpse into late 19th century life.

Oak Park-River Forest Museum of History

129 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 - (708) 848-6755

Learn about the history of Oak Park and River Forest at this museum housed in a restored carriage house. It contains permanent and temporary exhibits drawing from its collection of over 20,000 artifacts.

Oak Park Festival Theatre

418 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 - (708) 300-9396

This professional theatre company performs an annual summer outdoor series in Austin Gardens. The tradition started in 1976.

Green Line Oak Park Station

129 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302

Ride the CTA Green Line into downtown Chicago. The stations at Ridgeland, Austin and Harlem give Oak Park residents easy transit access to the Loop and all Chicago destinations.

Sports and Recreation

Oak Park provides many recreational opportunities to residents and visitors. Some highlights include:

Cheney Mansion

220 N. Euclid Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302 - (708) 725-2200

Set on 4 acres of land, this mansion estate owned by Park District of Oak Park offers gardens, a greenhouse and indoor recreation spaces available for rentals and events.

Oak Park Stadium

417 Lake St., Oak Park, IL 60302 - (708) 434-3780

This sports stadium completed in 1924 is home to Oak Park and River Forest High School athletic teams and hosts community events.

Chicago Huskies Athletics

Chicago Huskies

The Chicago Huskies are sponsored by Oak Park Youth Baseball / Softball. Teams for kids aged 4 to 14 play baseball, softball, basketball, and volleyball.

Park District of Oak Park

ParkDistrictOakPark.org - (708) 725-2000

The park district operates over 60 parks, pools, ice rinks, golf courses, and recreation centers offering programming and classes throughout Oak Park.

Public Transportation

Oak Park has excellent public transit access via the CTA train and bus system:

The Village of Oak Park operates a local bus system to complement CTA routes. Learn more at VOP Transit Service.

Education

Oak Park lies within multiple school districts serving its K-12 student population:

Elementary School District 97

op97.org - 970 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 - (708) 524-3000

District 97 operates the elementary and middle schools located within Oak Park.

River Forest District 90

district90.org - 7776 Lake St., River Forest, IL 60305 - (708) 771-8282

Neighborhing River Forest School District 90 serves a section of northwest Oak Park.

Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200

www.oprfhs.org - 201 North Scoville, Oak Park, IL 60302 - (708) 434-3000

Operates Oak Park and River Forest High School, the sole public high school for both communities.

Triton College

triton.edu - 2000 Fifth Ave., River Grove, IL 60171 - (708) 456-0300

Located just a few miles west, Triton College is the local community college offering associate degree and certificate programs.

Healthcare

Oak Park's major medical facilities include:

West Suburban Medical Center

3 Erie Ct, Oak Park, IL 60302 - (708) 663-4400

Part of the Advocate Aurora Health system, West Suburban is a full-service medical and surgical hospital.

Rush Oak Park Hospital

520 S Maple Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304 - (708) 663-4000

A smaller community hospital that is part of the Rush University Medical Center network.

Economy and Major Employers

Oak Park has a robust local economy with low unemployment. Major private sector employers include:

Ascension Healthcare

1775 Dempster St, Park Ridge, IL 60068 - (800) 327-1428

Operates West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park and other regional healthcare facilities.

Fenwick High School

505 Washington Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302 - (708) 386-0127

Catholic preparatory high school with over 1,100 students.

Downtown Oak Park

www.downtownoakpark.net - (708) 383-4145

Businesses located across the Downtown Oak Park shopping district along Marion Street and Lake Street.

Oak Park School District 97

970 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 - (708) 524-3000

Public school district employs over 1,000 full-time teachers, staff and administrators.

Jewel-Osco

Multiple locations in Oak Park

Grocery store chain and subsidiary of Albertsons operates several supermarkets in the village.

Living in Oak Park

Known for its historic homes, architectural legacy and connection to Frank Lloyd Wright, Oak Park provides a vibrant inner-ring suburb experience minutes from downtown Chicago. See what life is like in Oak Park by following these local social media pages:

Facebook Pages:

Instagram:

GPS Coordinates for Oak Park Landmarks

Here are GPS coordinates for finding key landmarks and attractions in Oak Park:

Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio

41.8901° N, 87.7811° W

Unity Temple

41.8939° N, 87.7955° W

Oak Park-River Forest Museum

41.8940° N, 87.7936° W

Google Map of Oak Park

The embedded Google map above shows the full extent of Oak Park and its location just west of downtown Chicago.

Oak Park Addresses and Location

Here are a few key civic sites and their addresses within Oak Park:

Village Hall

Village Hall

123 Madison St, Oak Park, IL 60302

Oak Park Public Library

834 Lake St, Oak Park, IL 60301

Oak Park Post Office

958 Lake St, Oak Park, IL 60301

Oak Park Police Department

123 Madison St, Oak Park, IL 60302

Oak Park Fire Department Station 1

100 N Euclid Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302

Oak Park Location within Cook County

Oak Park is located entirely within Cook County, Illinois. Cook County offices are located at:

118 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60602

Phone: (312) 603-5000

Website: cookcountyil.gov

Oak Park lies approximately 10 miles directly west of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by the Cook County communities of Forest Park, River Forest, Elmwood Park, and Cicero.

Additional Local Resources

Here are some other useful resources for living in or visiting Oak Park:

Discover Oak Park - Visitor Information

www.visitoakpark.com - (888) 624-6348

Official tourism website for Oak Park attractions, events, restaurants and hotels.

Oak Park Chamber of Commerce

www.opcc.com - (708) 383-4145

Supports local economic development and Oak Park businesses.

Oak Park Public Library

www.oppl.org - (708) 383-8200

Public library system with a main branch and two smaller branches throughout Oak Park.

Village of Oak Park

www.oak-park.us - (708) 358-5700

Official website for the Village of Oak Park municipal government services and information.




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