Oak Park

Illinois, United States
Also known as: Oak Ridge

News

Chicago man charged in deadly shooting in Oak Park, Illinois Apr. 7, 2025, 4:02 AM ET (CBS)
6 arrested after deadly Oak Park shooting Apr. 4, 2025, 11:07 PM ET (CBS)
Dino takeover in Oak Park Apr. 3, 2025, 7:06 AM ET (CBS)

Oak Park, village, Cook county, northeastern Illinois, U.S. It is a suburb of Chicago, located about 10 miles (16 km) west of downtown.

The area was originally inhabited by Potawatomi, Sauk, and Fox Indians. First settled in the 1830s by English settlers Joseph and Betsy Kettlestrings, it was called Oak Ridge and served as a stopping place for farmers taking their produce into Chicago. Following the devastating Chicago fire of 1871, the population grew rapidly, and the village was renamed Oak Park.

Primarily residential, the village has the world’s largest collection of buildings designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who once lived and maintained his studio (now a national historic landmark) there. Wright’s Oak Park buildings include the Unity Temple (1905), which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019, and the Moore-Dugal Home (1895). The novelist Ernest Hemingway was born and grew up in what is now Oak Park; his birthplace is preserved, and the village has a museum devoted to him. Edgar Rice Burroughs, known for his Tarzan stories, resided in Oak Park during part of his writing career. Oak Park also features a children’s museum and a conservatory. Inc. 1902. Pop. (2000) 52,524; (2010) 51,878.

Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.
Britannica Quiz
Guess the City by Its River Quiz
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Jeff Wallenfeldt.
Britannica Chatbot logo

Britannica Chatbot

Chatbot answers are created from Britannica articles using AI. This is a beta feature. AI answers may contain errors. Please verify important information using Britannica articles. About Britannica AI.