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Oak Park, Illinois

Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 26th-most populous municipality in Illinois, with a population of 54,318 as of the 2020 census. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated in 1902, when it separated from Cicero. It is closely tied to the smaller town of River Forest sharing a chamber of commerce and a high school, Oak Park and River Forest High School.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his wife settled in Oak Park in 1889, and his work heavily influenced local architecture and design, including the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. Over the years, rapid development was spurred by railroads and streetcars connecting the village to jobs in nearby Chicago. In 1968, Oak Park passed the Open Housing Ordinance, which helped devise strategies to integrate the village rather than re-segregate.

Today, Oak Park remains ethnically diverse, and is known for its socially liberal politics, with 80% or higher voter turnout in every presidential election since 2000. Oak Park has several public transportation links to Chicago with Chicago Transit Authority access via the Green Line and Blue Line "L" train lines, as well as the Metra Union Pacific West Line Oak Park station downtown.

History
In 1835, Joseph and Betty Kettlestrings, immigrants from Yorkshire, England, staked out a farm and built a house near Lake Street and Harlem Avenue, west of Chicago. Once their children were born, they moved to Chicago for the schools in 1843, and moved back again in 1855 to build a more substantial home a bit east on their quarter section of land. More farmers and settlers had entered the area. Their land was called by several names locally, including Oak Ridge, Harlem, and Kettlestrings Grove. When the first post office was set up, it could not use the name Oak Ridge, as another post office was using that name in Illinois, so the post office chose Oak Park, and that name became the name for the settlement as it grew, and for the town when it incorporated in 1902.

By 1850, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (after that, the Chicago & Northwestern and now Union Pacific) was constructed as far as Elgin, Illinois, and passed through the settlement area. In the 1850s the land on which Oak Park sits was part of the new Chicago suburb, the town of Cicero. The population of the area boomed during the 1870s, with Chicago residents resettling in Cicero following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the expansion of railroads and streetcars to the area. "In 1872, when Oak Park received its own railroad depot on the Chicago and Northwestern Railway, its rapid emergence as a residential suburb of Chicago began. In 1877, the railroad was running thirty-nine trains daily between Oak Park and Chicago; in the subsequent year, more railroads and streetcar lines, with increased service, came to link Oak Park and Chicago. As Chicago grew from a regional center to a national metropolis Oak Park expanded – from 500 residents in 1872 to 1,812 in 1890, to 9,353 in 1900, to 20,911 in 1910, to 39,585 in 1920. Oak Park thus emerged as a leading Chicago suburb."

A review of Oak Park's history by Wiss, Janny, Elstner Associates in 2006 further explains the importance of railroads and streetcars in the development of Oak Park: As suburban residential development continued in the 1880s and 1890s, streetcars and elevated trains supplemented the original main line steam railroads to connect Oak Park commuters to jobs in downtown Chicago. One of the first streetcar lines was the Chicago, Harlem, & Batavia "dummy" line, which ran approximately along the present-day route of the Eisenhower Expressway. The "dummy" trains used a miniature steam locomotive with a false cladding designed to conceal most of the moving parts and avoid startling horses. This line first began operation in 1881, but did not provide direct commuter service to downtown Chicago until June 1888. A more extensive streetcar network throughout Oak Park was opened in 1890. In the future village of Oak Park, this system ran east-west on Madison Street and Lake Street, with a north-south connection on Harlem Avenue. Streetcar service was discontinued in 1947, to be replaced by buses.

The Lake Street Elevated Railroad (today’s CTA Green Line) was extended into Oak Park in 1899–1901, although the trains ran at ground level until the 1960s. The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad (today's CTA Blue Line) was extended into Oak Park in 1905, providing local service over tracks originally placed by the Chicago Aurora & Elgin electric interurban train. The "Met" line moved onto new tracks along the Congress (Eisenhower) Expressway in 1958.

The Village of Oak Park was formally established in 1902, disengaging from Cicero following a referendum. According to the local historical society, "The period 1892–1950 saw the construction of almost all of the housing stock in Oak Park, and most of the village's current buildings." The village population grew quickly, and "by 1930, the village had a population of 64,000, even larger than the current population," while cherishing a reputation as the "World's Largest Village". Chicago grew rapidly in the 19th century, recording 4,470 residents in the 1840 census, reaching 1,099,850 in 1890, and 1,698,575 in 1900. Chicago surpassed Philadelphia to be the second-largest US city, and in that year, the fifth-largest in the world. Chicago's location on the shores of Lake Michigan was good for transport; after the fire of 1871, Chicago rebuilt its center. Oak Park grew along with its neighbor to the east, having location and railroad and streetcar connections in its favor.

After World War II, "Oak Park was affected by larger developmental trends in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The construction of the Eisenhower Expressway cut through the southern portion of the Village in the mid 1950s. Starting in the 1960s and 1970s, Oak Park has made a conscious effort to accommodate changing demographics and social pressures while maintaining the suburban character that has long made the Village a desirable residential location. Beginning in the 1960s, Oak Park faced the issue of racial integration with effective programs to maintain the character and stability of the Village, while encouraging integration on racial basis. This included passage of The Open Housing Ordinance in 1968 which has helped maintain the ethnically diverse population seen in the village still today.

Oak Park has a history of alcohol prohibition. When the village was incorporated, no alcohol was allowed to be sold within its village limits. This law was relaxed in 1973, when restaurants and hotels were allowed to serve alcohol with meals, and was further loosened in 2002, when select grocery stores received governmental permission to sell packaged liquor. Today, alcohol, such as beer and wine, is easily accessible, with many bars and cocktail lounges around the village. In 1889, Frank Lloyd Wright and his wife settled in Oak Park. He built many homes and the Unity Temple, his own church, in the village, before he left in 1911 to settle in Wisconsin. Oak Park attracts architecture buffs and others to view the many Wright-designed homes found in the village, alongside homes reflecting other architectural styles. The largest collection of Wright-designed residential properties in the world is in Oak Park. A distinct focus on historic preservation of important architectural styles began in the 1970s and continues, with many buildings marked as historically significant, and so far, three historic districts defined. Other attractions include Ernest Hemingway's birthplace home and his boyhood home, the Ernest Hemingway Museum, the three Oak Park homes of writer and Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, Wright's Unity Temple, Pleasant Home, and the Oak Park-River Forest Historical Society.

Oak Park and River Forest High School is a comprehensive college preparatory school, with a long list of alumni who have made major or notable contributions to their fields of endeavor. Among these are Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway, writer and author Michael Gerber, the founder and editor-in-chief of Rookie magazine Tavi Gevinson, football Hall-of-Famer George Trafton, McDonald's founder Ray Kroc, city planner Walter Burley Griffin, comedian Kathy Griffin, basketball player Iman Shumpert, and the voice of cartoon character Homer Simpson, Dan Castellaneta.

Geography
Oak Park is located immediately west of the city of Chicago. The boundary between the two municipalities is Austin Boulevard on the east side of Oak Park and North Avenue/Illinois Route 64 on the village's north side. Oak Park borders Cicero along its southern border, Roosevelt Road/Illinois Route 38, from Austin to Lombard; and Berwyn from Lombard to Harlem Avenue. Harlem/Illinois Route 43 serves as its western border, where between Roosevelt and South Boulevard, it borders Forest Park and between North Boulevard and North Avenue to the west it borders River Forest.

The entire village of Oak Park lies on the shore of ancient Lake Chicago, which covered most of the city of Chicago during the last Ice Age, and was the forerunner to today's Lake Michigan. Ridgeland Avenue in eastern Oak Park marks the shoreline of the lake, and was once an actual ridge. As with the geographical setup of the Chicago River, which connects to the present day Lake Michigan just north of the city's Loop, the ancient Des Plaines river once emptied into glacial Lake Chicago, making prehistoric Oak Park a "Plains river Delta" system. One of North America's four continental divides runs through Oak Park. This divide, a slight rise running north–south through the village, separates the Saint Lawrence River watershed from the Mississippi River watershed, and is marked by one plaque on Lake Street at Forest Avenue and another in the northwest corner of Taylor Park.

According to the 2010 census, Oak Park has a total area of 4.7 sqmi, all land.

Public transit
Oak Park is accessible from Chicago by service on the Green Line and the Blue Line at five CTA stations in Oak Park. Oak Park also has a station for Metra's Union Pacific West Line. Bus transit service within Oak Park and to other suburbs is also provided by the CTA and Pace.

Streets, addresses, and expressways
The Eisenhower Expressway is the primary expressway between Chicago and Oak Park. The highway also provides connections to O'Hare International Airport. Major east–west streets in Oak Park continue east into Chicago.

The streets are laid out in a grid pattern, occasionally with local streets ending in a cul-de-sac to maintain local character. Oak Park has its own street-numbering system that begins, for east–west streets, at Austin Boulevard (no east or west designation), and for north–south streets, at the elevated train tracks located just south of Lake Street, which divides the numbers, getting larger going north or south from there, and requiring north or south designation on addresses. The border streets do not follow the Oak Park numbering system; rather, they match the address system with the cities sharing those border streets. For example, addresses on Austin Boulevard match the Chicago system, with the zero line at Madison Street, and along North Avenue, addresses match the Chicago system, with Austin Boulevard at 6000 W and Harlem at 7200 W. Additionally, Elizabeth Court, located within the Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District, maintains its original numbering. The houses on that cul-de-sac start at 1 and go up to 12.

Bicycles
Augusta Boulevard through the village is part of the Grand Illinois Trail; the trailhead of the Illinois Prairie Path is less than a mile from Oak Park. With several cycle clubs and groups, Oak Park is considered a bicycle-friendly community, and the tree-lined streets of the community, as well as its proximity to trails in nearby communities, attract cyclists to Oak Park, easily accessed by the Green Line, Blue Line, or Metra. Bicycle lanes are marked on many streets throughout Oak Park, though no fully segregated cycle facilities have been put in place.

Divvy bike sharing, which serves the city of Chicago, came to Oak Park in 2016. Oak Park's Village Board cancelled the Divvy program in 2017, after the program was determined not to be cost-effective.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 54,583 people, 21,701 households, and 12,774 families residing in the village. The population density was 11,613.40 PD/sqmi. There were 25,953 housing units at an average density of 5,521.91 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 60.18% White, 18.69% African American, 0.05% Native American, 5.39% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 5.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.31% of the population.

There were 21,701 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.56% were married couples living together, 9.89% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.14% were non-families. 35.33% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.35% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 2.38.

The village's age distribution consisted of 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 27% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $96,945, and the median income for a family was $142,785. Males had a median income of $79,284 versus $54,639 for females. The per capita income for the village was $58,262. About 3.3% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

In the 1960s, Oak Parkers began a concerted effort to avoid the destructive racial housing practices occurring in nearby communities. Racial steering and block-by-block panic peddling caused rapid racial change on Chicago's west side, including the Austin Community Area adjacent to Oak Park. Whites left west-side neighborhoods based on concerns of property value losses and crime increases, and some businesses left, as well. The Village of Oak Park passed a fair housing ordinance in 1968 (in the same year as the federal Fair Housing Act) to ensure equal access to housing in the community. In 1972, the Oak Park Housing Center was founded by Roberta "Bobbie" Raymond to promote integration in the community, by ensuring equal access and discouraging white flight. Part of this effort included banning "for sale" signs on houses. Although this law became unconstitutional with the decision in Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Township of Willingboro, use of the signs is still strongly discouraged by local realtors.

An evaluation of the policy in Oak Park to promote integration, written in the early years of the 21st century, noted the gradual increase in the share of village population that is Black, at 22% in 2000, and further observed:"As late as 2000, there were no resegregated census tracts, with tracts ranging from 7% black to 36% black... this was not because the pattern of rapid westward resegregation had run its course, because events in neighboring suburbs showed that segregation trends were still operating. Instead, the pattern in a sense leaped over Oak Park to other suburbs farther west, including Bellwood and Maywood, which resegregated in a relatively short time."

Village
Since 1951, Oak Park has been organized under the council-manager form of municipal government. The village government includes an elected president and an elected village board, which hires a village manager to conduct the day-to-day affairs of the administration. Oak Park also has five additional governments which levy real estate taxes. These include the Oak Park Township, the high school district (which also levies from adjacent River Forest), the elementary school district, the library district, and the park district.

The United States Postal Service operates the main Oak Park Post Office at 901 Lake Street and the Oak Park South Post Office at 1116 Garfield Street.

Elections
Oak Park's village board, village president, and other elected officials are elected through a two-stage election process. A primary election is used to nominate party candidates, and a general election is used to elect government officials. Oak Park's election turnout varies greatly depending on whether it is a municipal or national election. In the 2012 presidential election, Oak Park had the highest voter turnout in suburban Cook County; 79.8% of registered voters cast a ballot. Municipal elections for the board of trustees and village clerk generally have much lower voter turnout, averaging around 20% and are held in spring, consistent with state law. The municipal elections are considered nonpartisan, as the national political parties do not put up the candidates. Candidates step forward, or are found by a citizens group that works to find people to have new candidates for each election cycle, encourage participation in local issues.

Schools
The public primary schools (Lincoln, Mann, Longfellow, Beye, Irving, Holmes, Whittier, and Hatch) and the middle schools, Percy Julian Middle School (formerly Nathaniel Hawthorne) and Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School (formerly Ralph Waldo Emerson) are operated by the Oak Park Elementary School District. These ten schools are part of elementary school District 97, which serves the entire city limits. There are also multiple private schools.

Performance ratings for schools in Oak Park (as evaluated by standardized statewide tests) are released periodically, known as the school report cards.

The renaming of the junior high schools, now middle schools, after prominent African-Americans rather than famous American literary figures was done in part to motivate minority students in their educational pursuits. A gap in school performance, referred to as "this intolerable and persistent inequity," remains, as of the date of the report.

Oak Park is the home of two high schools: Oak Park and River Forest High School, the sole school in educational District 200, which also serves the entire city, and Fenwick High School. Oak Park and River Forest High School is a public school with its district including both Oak Park and neighboring River Forest, and Fenwick High School is a Catholic college preparatory school run by the Dominicans, affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. Both high schools have a long history of high academic standards. Oak Park and River Forest High School bestows the Tradition of Excellence Award to distinguished alumni, including Ernest Hemingway, Ray Kroc, Dan Castellaneta, football Hall-of-Famer George Trafton, actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, astronomer Chad Trujillo, geochemist Wally Broecker, and environmental leader Phil Radford. Oak Park and River Forest High School is one of seven secondary educational institutions in Illinois with the ability to induct students into the Cum Laude Society.

Park District
The Park District of Oak Park was first organized in 1912 as the Recreation Department of the Village of Oak Park. Under the direction of Josephine Blackstock and her successor, Lilly Ruth Hanson, it embarked on a vigorous program of recreation for villagers. The playgrounds were named by Blackstock after famous children's writers.

In the late 1980s, the Recreation Department was dissolved, and the Park District of Oak Park was created as a separate tax-levying body. It comprises thirteen parks scattered throughout the village, for a total of 80 acre of parkland, a historic house available for functions with payment of fees, the Oak Park Conservatory, and two outdoor pools. The Park District also provides dog exercise areas where dog owners may bring their pets with payment of fees. A second outdoor pool, an official-sized ice rink, a green roof and synthetic-turfed playing fields are at Ridgeland Common at the corner of Lake Street and Ridgeland Avenue, originally built in 1962. It was completely renovated from March 2013 to June 14, 2014.

Public library
Founded as a public library in 1903, after electing its first board of trustees, the Oak Park Public Library has a rich and celebrated history. The library has a main campus overlooking Scoville Park at the corner of Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street, and two branches, the Dole Branch Library (at Dole Community Center) and the Maze Branch Library. As a member of the SWAN library consortium, the Oak Park Public Library offers its cardholders access to nearly 8 million items.

Fire
Providing fire protection and emergency medical services, the Oak Park Fire Department currently operates from three fire stations, located throughout the village, Fire Station #1 (headquarters), Fire Station #2 (north), and Fire Station #3 (south) under the command of a battalion chief per shift. The Oak Park Fire Department operates three ALS engines, one ALS truck, three ALS ambulances, one ALS paramedic squad, one command unit, and several specialized MABAS divisional apparatus.

Fire station locations and apparatus

Police
The village is protected by the Oak Park Police Department employing roughly 118 officers, with 23 sworn officers per 10,000 residents.

Crime
In 2019, Oak Park's reported violent crime rate per 100,000 residents was 298, 28% lower than that of Illinois as a whole. The reported property crime rate, at 3,047, was 50% higher. In 2020 the village experienced a ten percent increase in reported crimes, including more thefts, robberies, and aggravated assaults/batteries, but fewer burglaries, compared to 2019.

Arts and culture
Oak Park has an active arts community, resulting in part from its favorable location adjacent to Chicago (seven miles west of the "Loop") as well as the village's connections to international figures in the visual, literary, and performing arts such as Ernest Hemingway, Frank Lloyd Wright, Betty White, and Tymoteusz Karpowicz. This tradition continues into the present, as Oak Park is home to numerous theater, music, dance, and fine-arts professionals. The arts district on Harrison Street, bounded by Austin Avenue to the east and Ridgeland Avenue to the west, features boutique galleries, shops, and restaurants.

Oak Park is home to several professional dance and theatre companies, including Circle Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Laurel Theater, and Momenta resident dance company of The Academy of Movement and Music. Oak Park, with neighboring River Forest, also plays host to the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009.

Oak Park is also home to WEUR, broadcasting from the former Oak Park Arms Hotel at 1490 AM since 1950. Formerly WPNA and run by the Polish National Alliance, the station's programming serves the diverse linguistic and cultural communities in the Chicago metropolitan area (in the late-1960s, WPNA had the only "underground" disc jockey in Chicago, Scorpio). The Oak Park Art League (OPAL), a nonprofit visual arts center founded after World War I (renamed in 1970), provides classes, workshops, lectures, demonstrations, and exhibitions. Since 1921, OPAL has been providing opportunities for arts engagement and cultural enrichment. Over 4,500 artists participate in OPAL's events each year.

Oak Park has been home to numerous festivals and holiday observances. The July 4 celebration featuring fireworks draws thousands to the Oak Park-River Forest High School football stadium. A Day in Our Village, held in June, allows local groups to set up tables to seek members.

Born an Abomination, an act in the depressive metal genre, originated from Oak Park. It disbanded in 2018. Their album Fires in the Night Hour... from the year 2016 includes a song titled 'Oak Park' in dedication to the band's home.

Architecture and historic districts
Frank Lloyd Wright spent the first 20 years of his 70-year career in Oak Park, building numerous homes in the community, including his own and the Walter Gale House. He lived and worked in the area between 1889 and 1909. One can find Wright's earliest work here, such as the Winslow House in neighboring River Forest, Illinois. Also, examples of the first prairie-style houses are in Oak Park. He also designed Unity Temple, a Unitarian-Universalist church, which was built between 1905 and 1908. Several well-known architects and artists worked in Wright's Oak Park Studio, including Richard Bock, William Eugene Drummond, Marion Mahony Griffin, and Walter Burley Griffin.

Many buildings in Oak Park were built by other Prairie School architects, such as George W. Maher, John Van Bergen, and E.E. Roberts.

Oak Park's housing stock reflects the decades of its rapid growth while it was part of the town of Cicero, and since 1902, when it became a village. Historic preservation has been a priority since an ordinance passed in 1972 and since revised. There are 2,400 historic sites in Oak Park, the majority of which are homes built in the Queen Anne, Prairie School and Craftsman styles of architecture. The Village of Oak Park displays these online on an interactive website. Three historic districts recognize the variety of styles often standing next door to each other. The three districts are Frank Lloyd Wright, Ridgeland-Oak Park, and Seward Gunderson, outlined on a map from the village. A fourth district is under consideration as of 2015, of 176 homes built by Thomas Henry Hulbert.

Ernest Hemingway spent the first six years of his life at 339 N. Oak Park Ave. The house was returned to its original 1890s Victorian heritage after restoration in 1992 and is open to the public for tours through The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park.

The Art Deco-style main post office on Lake Street was designed by White and Weber in 1933. It is part of the Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District.

Points of interest

 * Birthplace of Ernest Hemingway
 * Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
 * Unity Temple, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
 * Frank Lloyd Wright–Prairie School of Architecture Historic District
 * Ridgeland–Oak Park Historic District
 * Edgar Rice Burroughs homes
 * Oak Park Conservatory

title: Oak Park, Illinois


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Olympia Fields, Illinois

Olympia Fields is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,718 as of the 2020 census. It is a southern suburb of Chicago. The municipality grew up around the prestigious Olympia Fields Country Club, originally established in 1915.

Olympia Fields is noteworthy as one of the wealthiest and best educated, majority African-American communities in the United States. The village's zip code (60461) is one of three majority African American communities which rank among the top five percent in the U.S. for median household income and share of adults with college degrees, and Olympia Fields also has the highest black homeownership rate in the country among majority-black municipalities.

History
The area that comprises the village today was once farmland managed by immigrant families during the 1830s. The Illinois Central Railroad began serving the area in the 1850s, which fostered population and economic growth during that era.

In 1893, the Columbian Exposition opened in Chicago, and southern Cook County became an increasingly popular retreat for busy Chicagoans. By 1913, the area's lush woodlands and rolling terrain convinced a group of investors led by Charles Beach to establish a golf course catering to Chicago's wealthy elite. Beach and his friend James Gardner developed a magnificent 72-hole golf course and country club, chartered in 1915 as Olympia Fields Country Club. Amos Alonzo Stagg, the famed football coach of the University of Chicago, became the Club's first president. The name "Olympia" was proposed by Stagg. The word "Fields" was added because it aptly described the young community's pastoral terrain.

In the early 20th century, golf and the resort atmosphere in the area south of Chicago became so popular that some families lived in canvas-covered "cottages" during the summer months, while others built more permanent homes on the western side of the railroad tracks beginning as early as 1919. The clubhouse, built in 1924, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The golf course is considered one of the finest in the nation. It was home to the 1928 and 2003 U.S. Open, the 1925 and 1961 PGA Championship, the 1997 U.S. Senior Open, the 1927, 1933 and 1968 Western Open, the 2015 U.S. Amateur Championship, the 2017 Women's PGA Championship and the 2020 BMW Championship.

The country club's founder, Charles Beach, organized the effort to incorporate the residential areas around the Country Club as a municipality, and in 1927, the Village of Olympia Fields was created with Beach as its first president. His home, built to reflect the design and character of the Country Club, still stands at the southwest corner of Kedzie Avenue and 203rd Street. Today, the grounds of the Country Club remain unincorporated, outside the jurisdiction of the Olympia Fields village government.

Olympia Fields has received the Tree City USA award for many years of having demonstrated a commitment to caring for and managing the village's public trees.

Geography
Olympia Fields is located at 41.51833°N, -87.69278°W (41.518290, -87.692744).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Olympia Fields has a total area of 2.94 sqmi, of which 2.94 sqmi (or 99.86%) is land and 0.00 sqmi (or 0.14%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 4,718 people, 1,960 households, and 1,157 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,603.13 PD/sqmi. There were 1,929 housing units at an average density of 655.45 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 78.06% African American, 15.15% White, 0.34% Native American, 1.46% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.48% from other races, and 3.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.12% of the population.

There were 1,960 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.97% were married couples living together, 7.81% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.97% were non-families. 36.99% of all households were made up of individuals, and 31.94% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.43 and the average family size was 2.51.

The village's age distribution consisted of 20.3% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 15.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 31.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $93,350, and the median income for a family was $111,458. Males had a median income of $65,609 versus $36,773 for females. The per capita income for the village was $46,882. About 2.1% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Olympia Fields is in Illinois's 2nd congressional district. The current president is Sterling M. Burke.

Transportation
The Village of Olympia Fields is located between Vollmer Road and US Route 30 (Lincoln Highway), two miles east of Interstate 57.

Two stations on the Metra Electric Main Line are located in Olympia Fields, providing easy access to the Chicago Loop and the University of Chicago. The Olympia Fields station is located on 203rd St., two blocks east of Kedzie Avenue, in the northern part of the village while the 211th Street (Lincoln Highway) station is in the southern part. Express trains from these stations reach Millennium Station on Michigan Avenue in approximately 40 minutes. Both stations have daily parking facilities.

Pace provides bus service on Route 357 connecting Olympia Fields to destinations across the Southland.

Education
While the majority of the village is served by Arcadia Elementary School in Olympia Fields, a small portion of the village is served by Western Avenue Elementary School in Flossmoor.

Although most of Olympia Fields' students attend Arcadia (K-3) through third grade, school assignments get confusing from there. The Arcadia students head to Indiana School (grades 4-6) in Park Forest, O.W. Huth Middle School (grades 7-8) in Matteson, then back to Olympia Fields for high school. Students from Graymoor and The Greens neighborhoods go to school in Flossmoor. Students who live in the Greens attend Flossmoor schools until eighth grade, then attend Rich Central for High School. Students who live in Graymoor attend Flossmoor schools from kindergarten until twelfth grade. The Wysteria neighborhood students study in Chicago Heights.

Students from Olympia Fields attend six different public school districts: Elementary Districts 161, 162 and 170 and High School Districts 206, 227 and 233.
 * Flossmoor School District 161 (Western Avenue Elementary School) encompasses Graymoor and The Greens residents only
 * Flossmoor School District 161 (Parker Junior High School) encompasses Graymoor and The Greens residents only
 * Homewood-Flossmoor School District 233 (Homewood-Flossmoor High School) for Graymoor residents only. Homewood-Flossmoor High School is a three-time recipient of the U.S. Department of Education's Blue Ribbon Award for excellence. HF also owns WHFH 88.5, the highest powered high school radio station with 1,500 watts.
 * Matteson School District 162 (Arcadia and Indiana Elementary Schools) includes all of Olympia Fields, except for Graymoor, Wysteria and the Greens
 * Matteson School District 162 (O.W. Huth Middle School) includes all of Olympia Fields, except for Graymoor, Wysteria and the Greens
 * Matteson School District 162 (Illinois School) includes all of Olympia Fields, except for Graymoor, Wysteria and the Greens
 * Rich Township High School District 227 (Rich Central High School) includes all of Olympia Fields, except for Graymoor and Wysteria.
 * Rich Township High School District 227 (Southland College Preparatory Charter High School) includes all of Olympia Fields, except for Graymoor and Wysteria. Southland College Prep was formed in 2010 by Dr. Blondean Y. Davis. Southland College Prep is a public charter school open to any student in grades 9-12 who resides within Rich Township High School District 227. Southland College Prep operates on a European-Asian school model nine-hour school day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week. The college prep curriculum is rigorous with a strong emphasis on math, science, technology, language and fine arts. After-school extra-curricular activities include sports, speech and forensics, band, orchestra, chorus, dance and service projects. Students earn 30 credit hours; eight more than are typically required of traditional high school graduates.
 * Chicago Heights School District 170 (Kennedy School) for Wysteria residents only
 * Chicago Heights School District 170 (Chicago Heights Middle School) for Wysteria residents only
 * Bloom Township High School District 206 (Bloom High School) for Wysteria residents only

Nearby Private Schools
 * Marian Catholic High School is a co-educational, college preparatory 9-12 secondary school in Chicago Heights, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
 * Infant Jesus of Prague School is a co-educational, Roman Catholic K-8 school operated by the Infant Jesus of Prague Parish in Flossmoor. IJP, as the school is known, is a two-time winner of the U.S. Department of Education's Blue Ribbon Award.
 * Church of the Nazarene Nursery School and Kindergarten is a co-educational, Christian nursery school and kindergarten serving children from ages six weeks to six years during the normal school year and up to the age of twelve years during the summer program.

Colleges & Universities
 * Prairie State College is a community college in Chicago Heights that offers associate degrees in several areas of study, including liberal arts, business, and vocational training.
 * Governors State University is also within a short drive from the village. GSU offers a wide variety of programs and curriculums.
 * Other nearby colleges and university include Joliet Junior College, South Suburban College, Trinity Christian College, Lewis University, as well as Chicago's many institutions of higher education.

The METRA train service has two stations in the Village which makes for easy access to many universities located in Chicago. The average commute to downtown Chicago from Olympia Fields is 45 minutes. From there, bus service is available to most locations.

Notable people

 * Lou Boudreau, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, died in Olympia Fields
 * Dee Dee Davis, actress and comedian best known for her role as Bryana "Baby Girl" Thomkins on The Bernie Mac Show
 * Kendall Gill, retired professional basketball player
 * Toi Hutchinson, a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate representing the 40th District
 * Rudolph Isley, singer-songwriter and a founding member of The Isley Brothers
 * J. Ivy, Grammy Award-winning poet
 * R. Kelly, R&B singer-songwriter and producer
 * Robert L. Martin, Tuskegee airman, WWII fighter pilot in Europe
 * Barbara McKinzie, Alpha Kappa Alpha's 27th international president, 2006–10
 * Nnedi Okorafor, a Nigerian-American writer of fantasy, science fiction, and speculative fiction; winner of World Fantasy Award for Best Novel and the Wole Soyinka Prize for African Literature
 * Jim Osborne, former defensive tackle for Chicago Bears

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Olympia Fields, Illinois


text:
Orland Hills, Illinois

Orland Hills (formerly Westhaven) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 6,893.

Geography
Orland Hills is located between Orland Park and Tinley Park. Orland Hills has two lakes: Lake Ashbourne and Lake Lorin. It is also home to Kelly Park.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Orland Hills has a total area of 1.15 sqmi, of which 1.15 sqmi (or 99.31%) is land and 0.01 sqmi (or 0.69%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 6,893 people, 2,386 households, and 1,804 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,978.32 PD/sqmi. There were 2,477 housing units at an average density of 2,148.31 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 73.73% White, 8.89% African American, 0.13% Native American, 4.92% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 3.89% from other races, and 8.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.39% of the population.

There were 2,386 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.62% were married couples living together, 10.52% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.39% were non-families. 22.05% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.95% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.49 and the average family size was 2.96.

The village's age distribution consisted of 20.1% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 32.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $82,337, and the median income for a family was $100,000. Males had a median income of $56,938 versus $36,944 for females. The per capita income for the village was $35,688. About 10.0% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.7% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over. ''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

Government
As of 2023, Orland Hills is a part of Illinois' 6th Congressional District which is represented by democrat Sean Casten. Orland Hills has a village board with a mayor. The current mayor of Orland Hills is Kyle R. Hastings, Sr. Hastings has been the mayor of Orland Hills since 1993.

As of 2023, Orland Hills will be represented by Tim Ozinga, a republican in the Illinois House of Representatives. Orland Hills is a part of the 37th legislative district.

Education
A majority of students from Orland Hills attend Victor J. Andrew High School (residents who live south of Meadowview Ave), while the rest attend Carl Sandburg High School (residents who live north of Meadowview Ave).

There are two elementary school districts that serve Orland Hills: Kirby School District 140 and the Orland School District 135.

Orland Hills is also home to Cardinal Joseph Bernadine Catholic School, or CJB for short. The school is run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.

Transportation
Pace provides bus service on Route 364 connecting Orland Hills to destinations across the Southland.

Notable people

 * Michael E. Hastings, Illinois legislator and lawyer

title: Orland Hills, Illinois


text:
Orland Park, Illinois

Orland Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Will County. It is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, Orland Park had a population of 58,703. Located 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Chicago, Orland Park is close to several interstate highways, with the I-80 east-west coast connector as its southern border. The Metra commuter rail system links it to the Chicago Loop and from there to O'Hare and Midway airports.

History
Orland Park was first settled as "Orland" in 1834, with Henry Taylor being the area's first settler. Other original settlers include Ichabod and William Myrick, Jacob and Bernard Hostert, Thomas Cooper and John Humphrey. The Hostert brothers built log cabins for their families, which became some of the first homes built in Orland Park. In 1879 the railroad was extended to Orland Park, leading way for the towns first train station, "Sedgwick Station." This development took the town from an agrarian society to a commercial hub that provides shipping services to local farms. The village was incorporated on May 31, 1892.

Orland Park’s growth since the mid-20th century has been largely driven by waves of white flight from Chicago’s South Side and inner-ring suburbs. Orland Square Mall opened in 1976.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Orland Park has a total area of 22.31 sqmi, of which 22.03 sqmi (or 98.72%) is land and 0.29 sqmi (or 1.28%) is water.

The main bodies of water in Orland are two lakes: Lake Sedgewick and McGinnis Slough.

Communities bordering Orland Park include Homer Glen (in Will County) to the west, Orland Hills and Mokena (also in Will County but Orland Hills is in Cook County) to the south, Tinley Park to the southeast, Oak Forest to the east, and Palos Park and Palos Heights to the north.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 58,703 people, 22,487 households, and 15,952 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,630.89 PD/sqmi. There were 23,746 housing units at an average density of 1,064.22 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 82.54% White, 3.42% African American, 0.21% Native American, 5.36% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.47% from other races, and 5.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 7.94% of the population.

There were 22,487 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.33% were married couples living together, 7.96% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.06% were non-families. 26.62% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.34% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 2.57.

The village's age distribution consisted of 20.9% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 23.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $84,676, and the median income for a family was $104,343. Males had a median income of $60,998 versus $41,224 for females. The per capita income for the village was $42,900. About 4.5% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Orland Park has the 5th-highest Palestinian-American population in the United States.

Economy
Orland Park's businesses and jobs include finance, retail, services and healthcare. Shopping complexes include Orland Park Crossing and Orland Square Mall.

, Orland Park planned to develop a new district, the Orland Park Downtown, previously called the Main Street Triangle, as well as the I-80 Business District.

Top employers
According to Orland Park's 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's top employers were:

Parks and recreation
Orland Park has a large Recreation and Parks Department. The village has over 60 parks, with plenty of options for recreation, from sports complexes to nature trails.

The Centennial Park Aquatic Center is a 192 acre park with a public pool. With six water slides, two large pools, and a children's play area, it is one of the largest public pools in the area. Since its debut in 1992, the Aquatic center has gone through multiple renovations. There have been several add-ons, including two new water slides, and two outdoor sand volleyball courts.

Just south of the Centennial Park Aquatic Center is the 95 acre Lake Segdewick. It has hiking paths, nature trails, boardwalks, boat ramps, and pedal boats and kayaks for rent. Fishing is allowed.

The Winter Wonderland Ice Rink is also in Centennial Park. Open from November to March, this outdoor ice rink is free of charge. There is a small warming hut where you can rent ice skates.

The Sportsplex, on 159th Street, is Orland Park's largest indoor recreational facility. It has three full-sized basketball courts, an indoor soccer field, and a full weight room with free weights, plenty of cardio options, and a ¼-mile indoor track. Personal trainers are available, along with fitness classes, including Pilates, yoga, cycling, and Zumba. The Sportsplex also has a 35 ft rock wall with six different routes for all skill levels.

The Recreation and Parks Department also helps organize many public events. Centennial Park hosts charity events and seasonal events, including the Orland Park Turkey Trot, a 5K run held on Thanksgiving morning at the John Humphrey Complex. These events are heavily advertised and supported by students of Carl Sandburg High School.

Orland Park is the touted "World's Golf Center". According to village lore, someone counted 1,089 golf holes within a 15-mile radius of the village, said Jodi Marneris, Orland Park's spokeswoman in 1996. The "World's Golf Center" concept was then proudly plastered on the village flag and painted on the town's seven water towers.

Government
Orland Park is contained in the Illinois's 6th congressional district, which is currently represented by Sean Casten (D).

The village maintained an Aa2 bond rating from Moody's and an AA+ rating from Standard and Poor's. These are among the best bond ratings in the Chicago suburbs.(Page 12)

The elected Board of Trustees makes local legislation for the village. The elected officials include the village president (who also serves as mayor), village clerk, and six village trustees, each of whom is elected at large to a four-year term.

Politics
Both main US political parties are competitive on the local level with Keith Pekau defeating longtime mayor Dan Mclaughlin (D) in 2017. In recent years, the GOP has been able to flip the village board and other elected positions in the village.

Covid-19 pandemic
Orland Park and its mayor, Keith Pekau, were defiant against state and county mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. When Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered a lockdown of businesses and social activities, Pekau led the village in a lawsuit against Pritzker in federal court. Although the court ruled in favor of Pritzker's orders, leading Pekau to drop the lawsuit, Pekau and his fellow village trustees remained opposed to mask mandates. When Cook County passed a mandate requiring restaurants, gyms, and other businesses to verify the vaccination status of customers, the board passed a resolution opposing the mandate and refusing to enforce it in Orland Park.

Education
Orland Park is served by four grammar school districts, Orland School District #135 (7 primary schools, 3 middle schools: Century Junior High, Jerling Junior High, and Orland Junior High), Community Consolidated School District #146 (4 primary schools, and Central Middle School), Palos School District #118 (2 primary schools, and Palos South Middle School), and Kirby School District #140 (5 primary schools, 2 middle schools: Prairie View Middle School, and Virgil I Grissom Middle School). A majority of Orland Park is within Orland School District #135.

St. Michael School is in Orland Park. A number of other parochial schools in the region provide bus service for Orland Park students.

Orland Park's major high schools are Carl Sandburg High School, Victor J. Andrew High School and Amos Alonzo Stagg High School. CSHS has a little less than 4,000 students. Sandburg has won several Regional, Sectional, and State sports titles over the years. Sandburg's ACT composite score for 2007-08 was 22.7 with SAT scores averaging 635, 644 and 630 for Critical Reading, Math and Writing, respectively.

A number of higher education facilities are in the village. St. Xavier University operates a satellite campus in Orland Park, as did the ITT Technical Institute until its closing in September 2016. Robert Morris University (Illinois) has both an Orland Park campus as well as a second facility in the village, the culinary arts school. Community college education is offered at Moraine Valley Community College, in nearby Palos Hills.

Sixty percent of Orland Park households have someone with at least a bachelor's degree, with a significant number of residents having completed postgraduate work.

Media
Local cable television channel Orland Park TV can be viewed on AT&T UVerse Channel 99 and Comcast Channel 4.

Transportation
Orland Park has three stops on Metra's SouthWest Service, which provides weekday and weekend rail service between Manhattan, Illinois, and Chicago Union Station): 143rd Street, 153rd Street, and 179th Street.

Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Orland Park to destinations throughout the Southland.

Major highway transportation corridors are:

 * southern border of Orland Park
 * major north–south thoroughfare
 * near the eastern border of Orland Park
 * major east-west thoroughfare
 * another major north-south thoroughfare
 * (167th Street) located entirely in Orland Park.

Notable people

 * Alex Broadhurst, professional hockey player
 * John Cangelosi, outfielder for seven Major League Baseball teams
 * David Gust, right-wing for the Rockford Icehogs
 * Connor Carrick, defenseman for the New Jersey Devils
 * Pat Fitzgerald, former head football coach for Northwestern University
 * Buddy Guy, blues singer and guitarist
 * Dan Hampton, defensive end and tackle for Chicago Bears; Super Bowl champion (XX)
 * Justin Hartley, actor (Passions, Smallville, This Is Us)
 * Sarah Kustok, sports reporter for the YES Network and Fox Sports
 * Steve Martinson, right-wing for the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and Minnesota North Stars
 * Tim McCarthy, Orland Park police chief; Secret Service agent, took bullet meant for Ronald Reagan during assassination attempt on March 30, 1981
 * Michael McDermott (musician), folk/rock singer/songwriter, guitarist
 * Mary Therese McDonnell, defender for the Republic of Ireland women's national football team
 * Shannon McDonnell, midfielder for the Republic of Ireland women's national football team
 * Hemant Mehta, atheist and author (I Sold My Soul on eBay)
 * Bill Rancic, winner of The Apprentice season 1
 * Ken Rutkowski, syndicated radio talk show host, Business Rockstars
 * Michael Schofield, offensive tackle for Los Angeles Chargers and Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos
 * Robin Tunney, actress (The Mentalist, The Craft, Vertical Limit, Prison Break)
 * Lukas Verzbicas, long-distance runner and triathlete; first runner to win both FLCC and NXN in the same year; alum of Carl Sandburg High School (2011)

title: Orland Park, Illinois


text:
Palatine, Illinois

Palatine is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a northwestern residential suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 67,908. As of the 2010 Census, it was the seventh-largest community in Cook County and the 18th-largest in Illinois.

History
The first European-American to settle in Palatine is generally thought to be George Ela, who built a log cabin in the area now called Deer Grove. Ela was one of the first of a wave of pioneers to migrate to northern Illinois following the Black Hawk War. A road that passes through the western edge of Palatine is called Ela Road in his honor. Palatine is thought to be named after a town in New York.

The Village of Palatine was founded in 1866. It was built around a station on the new Chicago and North Western Railway. Joel Wood surveyed and laid out the village, earning him the title of Palatine's founder. One of Palatine's original downtown streets is named after Wood.

In 1920, the Indian Fellowship League held its first American Indian Day celebration at Camp Reinberg, in Palatine. According to the Daily Herald, the festivities were attended by 60,000 people, which packed the highways leading to the camp with motorists.

A shortline railroad, the Palatine, Lake Zurich and Wauconda Railroad, was built in 1911, and began full passenger service to Wauconda, Illinois, in 1912. The line was closed in 1924 after a series of financial misfortunes and the improvement of roads in the area. The PLZ&W provided transportation to Dr. Wilson's Deer Grove Park, just north of Dundee Road in Palatine.

Palatine's first suburb-style subdivision was called Palanois Park, built shortly after World War II. The town has experienced rapid growth since the 1970s, part of Chicago's growing suburban sprawl. Palatine was home to the Cook County Fair from 1914 to 1931. The fairgrounds are now a subdivision, Fairgrounds Park, whose name pays tribute to Palatine's former fairgrounds.

During the early 1990s, Palatine along with neighboring Rolling Meadows and far northern suburb Zion were sued by atheist activist Rob Sherman over its village seal and seal-defaced flag, which had a Christian cross, among other things, inside an outline of an eagle. A 1992 advisory referendum to keep the seal passed, but another referendum to use public funds to defend the seal failed, leading the village to drop the seal. While Rolling Meadows and Zion developed new seals with the crosses removed, Palatine has since been without an official seal or flag, and is Illinois' largest city or village to be so. The French tricolor reflecting the village's sister city relationship with Fontenay-le-Comte, France, has flown at times on the flagpole meant for the village flag outside the village hall.

In 1993, a multiple homicide, the Brown's Chicken massacre, received national attention.

Palatine has been in the process of revitalizing its downtown area since December 1999. This process has spawned a new passenger train station, a nearby parking garage, and several new condominiums, rowhouses, and commercial buildings.

In 2008, Palatine made news by threatening to secede from Cook County over the latter's sales tax hike; as a result of the tax hike, Palatine's sales tax is 9.0%. In 2009, residents of Palatine Township (which includes the village of Palatine) overwhelmingly voted to pass an advisory referendum stating that they would like to secede from Cook County.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Palatine has a total area of 14.28 sqmi, of which 14.11 sqmi (or 98.87%) is land and 0.16 sqmi (or 1.13%) is water. Palatine's shape resembles that of the head of an axe.

Palatine is in a wooded marshland where several streams rise around the village. Most of these streams meet up with Salt Creek which rises at Wilke Marsh on the village's east side. The most notable exception is the northeast side, where its streams lie in the Buffalo Creek watershed. A small part of the east and southeast sides lies in the McDonald Creek watershed.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 67,908 people, 26,804 households, and 17,120 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,756.79 PD/sqmi. There were 29,058 housing units at an average density of 2,035.44 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 63.88% White, 12.95% Asian, 3.11% African American, 0.85% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 9.79% from other races, and 9.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.59% of the population.

There were 26,804 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.00% were married couples living together, 11.57% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.13% were non-families. 28.32% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 2.52.

The village's age distribution consisted of 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $83,495, and the median income for a family was $108,166. Males had a median income of $55,157 versus $39,378 for females. The per capita income for the village was $43,978. About 7.2% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

The village is home to a large Sikh gurdwara on its northwest side that is visited by Sikhs from across the country.

Economy
Weber-Stephen Products, manufacturer of the Weber grill, is headquartered in Palatine.

Top employers
According to Palatine's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Arts and culture

 * Streetfest: Similar to Taste of Chicago, this event includes lines of food vendors down the streets of Downtown Palatine, with music playing and games and other fun activities going on at the same time. This happens at the end of every summer (August) every year and is meant for families and friends to enjoy.
 * Fourth of July Celebration: Another tradition of Palatine is the schedule of Fourth of July events that occur every year. From an annual parade, to fireworks which traditionally occur on the third of July, to the carnival that comes into town, Palatine is full of the traditional celebration of every Fourth of July holiday. Events are for members of all ages, and are things that occur every year.
 * Oktoberfest A newer tradition, this celebration started in 2008 and is hosted by the Rotary Club of Palatine. Live German music, craft and imported beer, and local food vendors celebrate Palatine's German roots. This is an all-ages celebration, but Family Day on Saturday morning has activities geared toward younger folks.  The event begins Friday night on the third weekend in September.

Parks and recreation
The Palatine Park District serves 85,000 residents within the Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights, Inverness, Hoffman Estates and Barrington communities. It is governed by five elected park commissioners who oversee a professional staff.

The Palatine Park District operates swimming pools at Family Aquatic Center, Birchwood, and Eagle, as well as recreational centers at its Community Center, Birchwood, and Falcon Park – which opened in January 2010. The district purchased Palatine Stables in 1989, and the facility is home to approximately 70 horses.

Government
Palatine operates under the Council–manager form of local government. Six councilmen are elected from their respective districts, while the entire village elects the Village Clerk and the Mayor. The council then hires a Village Manager to oversee the town's day-to-day operation. The current mayor is Jim Schwantz.

Public schools
Palatine is part of Community Consolidated School District 15 for public elementary schools and Township High School District 211 for public high schools. Schools located in Palatine include:
 * Gray M. Sanborn School
 * Hunting Ridge School
 * Jane Addams School
 * Lake Louise School
 * Lincoln School
 * Marion Jordan School
 * Pleasant Hill School
 * Stuart R. Paddock School
 * Virginia Lake School
 * Walter R. Sundling Junior High
 * Winston Campus Junior High
 * Palatine High School
 * William Fremd High School
 * District 211 Academy-North

Private schools

 * Saint Theresa (Catholic) (Preschool-8)
 * Saint Thomas of Villanova (Catholic) (Preschool-8)
 * Immanuel Lutheran (Lutheran) (Preschool-8)

Independent schools

 * Quest Academy (Preschool-8)
 * Acton Academy (K-12)
 * The Chicago Northwest Suburban Chinese School holds its classes at William Fremd High School. The school serves students in grades preschool through 10.

College

 * William Rainey Harper College

Transportation
The Palatine station provides Metra commuter rail service along the Union Pacific Northwest Line. Trains travel southeast to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago, and northwest to Harvard station or McHenry station.

Pace provides bus service on Routes 604 and 697 connecting Palatine to the Northwest Transportation Center in Schaumburg, and other destinations.

Notable people

 * Michael Bradley, midfielder with the US National Team and Toronto FC; lived in Palatine
 * Perry Caravello, actor and comedian, lived in Palatine as a child
 * J. Michael Durnil – president of the Simon Youth Foundation, former senior vice president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, and former administrator at Roosevelt University
 * Mauro Fiore, Academy Award-winning cinematographer; attended Palatine High School
 * Gudy Gaskill, mountaineer, driving force behind the creation of the Colorado Trail
 * John Gegenhuber, actor
 * Belle C. Greene, novelist, spent summers here from 1910 until her death in 1926
 * Vicki Gunvalson, cast member of The Real Housewives of Orange County
 * Stanley M. Hough, thoroughbred racehorse trainer
 * Todd Hundley, catcher with the Mets, Cubs, and Dodgers; attended William Fremd High School
 * Liz Johnson, professional bowler and USBC Hall of Famer; moved to Palatine in 2017 (originally from Cheektowaga, New York)
 * Wendell E. Jones, educator, businessman, and politician
 * Thymme Jones, drummer for Cheer-Accident
 * Elinor Levin, member of the Iowa House of Representatives
 * Larry Lujack, radio personality; lived in Palatine while hosting on WLS
 * Carol Marin, journalist (NBC 5 Chicago, Chicago Tonight); attended Palatine High School
 * Christina Moore, actress (MADtv, Jessie)
 * Richard A. Mugalian, lawyer and politician
 * Kris Myers, drummer for Umphrey's McGee
 * Ted Nugent, guitarist and singer; grew up in Palatine
 * Bernard E. Pedersen, businessman and Illinois state legislator
 * Frederik Pohl, science-fiction writer and critic
 * John Ratcliffe, member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 4th congressional district from 2015 to 2020.
 * David Saunders, wide receiver and linebacker with several arena football teams
 * Jim Schwantz, linebacker with the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Dallas Cowboys; mayor of Palatine
 * Mike Tauchman (born 1990), outfielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball
 * Scott Tolzien, quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers and former quarterback of the Wisconsin Badgers
 * Taylor Hill, Victoria's Secret model; born in Palatine.
 * Rollin S. Williamson, state politician and judge

Sister cities

 * 🇫🇷 Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendée, France

Musical group

 * Born of Osiris, Metal band; most of the members attended William Fremd High School.

title: Palatine, Illinois


text:
Palos Heights, Illinois

Palos Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a southwest suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 12,068.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Palos Heights has a total area of 3.87 sqmi, of which 3.77 sqmi (or 97.47%) is land and 0.10 sqmi (or 2.53%) is water.

2020 Census
As of the 2020 census there were 12,068 people, 4,625 households, and 3,407 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,116.74 PD/sqmi. There were 5,114 housing units at an average density of 1,320.76 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 90.25% White, 1.91% Asian, 1.67% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.32% from other races, and 4.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.35% of the population.

There were 4,625 households, out of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.46% were married couples living together, 9.04% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.34% were non-families. 21.75% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.16% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 2.55.

The city's age distribution consisted of 17.3% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 19.2% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 30.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $90,995, and the median income for a family was $105,134. Males had a median income of $64,583 versus $44,342 for females. The per capita income for the city was $44,721. About 3.8% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census
As of the 2000 census, there were 11,561 people, 4,123 households, and 3,133 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,978.6 /mi2. There were 4,268 housing units at an average density of 1,129.0 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 96.39% White, 0.44% African American, 0.09% Native American, 2.06% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.43% of the population.

The top five ancestries reported in Palos as of the 2000 census were Irish (27.2%), German (20.5%), Polish (14.1%), Italian (10.5%) and Dutch (9.1%).

There were 4,123 households, out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.0% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 18.6% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 25.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $69,907, and the median income for a family was $81,100. Males had a median income of $61,786 versus $37,188 for females. The per capita income for the city was $32,895. About 2.6% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

Neighborhoods
Palos Heights has the following neighborhoods, each with distinct characteristics:
 * Lake Katherine
 * Colonial Heights/Old Palos
 * Downtown
 * Ishnala
 * Laurel Glen
 * Navajo Hills
 * Oak Hills Country Club Village
 * Old Westgate
 * Palos Pines
 * Westgate Valley

Government
Palos Heights is divided between three congressional districts. Most of the city, including all the area in Worth Township, is in Illinois's 1st congressional district; most of the area in Palos Township, excepting some of the southern portions (generally south of 131st Street) are in the 3rd district; an area under 0.05 sqmi northeast of 131st Street and 80th Avenue, along with a small area around Palos Community Hospital, is in the 13th district. The City Council is made up of a mayor, city clerk, city treasurer and eight aldermen from wards:
 * Bob Straz (mayor)
 * Tom Kantas (city clerk)
 * James Daemicke (treasurer)
 * Aldermen Jeffrey Key & Don Bylut (1st Ward)
 * Aldermen Bob Basso & Jack Clifford (2nd Ward)
 * Aldermen Alan Fulkerson and Dolores Kramarski (3rd Ward)
 * Aldermen Michael McGrogan and Jerry McGovern (4th Ward)

The City Administrator is Dan Nisavic.

Primary and secondary schools
Palos Heights is served by four school districts. The four districts are: Palos Heights School District 128, Palos Community Consolidated School District 118, Community High School District 218, and Consolidated High School District 230.

District 128 operates one pre-school (Indian Hill), two elementary schools (Chippewa and Navajo Heights), and a junior high school (Independence). District 118 also operates two elementary schools (Palos East and Palos West) and a middle school (Palos South). The district's Palos East elementary is situated within the city's boundaries.

Community High School District 218's Alan B. Shepard High School serves Palos Heights and several neighboring communities. Students can choose from more than 200 different courses, including advanced placement courses, foreign language, computer programming, computer-aided design, robotics, graphic design, and desktop publishing. In addition, students can participate in a full roster of sports.

Consolidated High School District 230's Amos Alonzo Stagg High School, located in Palos Hills, serves Palos Heights students living west of Harlem Avenue (Illinois Route 43). It also offers more than 200 courses designed to meet the academic needs of college-bound students and the training needs of career-oriented students.

Several private and parochial schools in Palos Heights offer alternatives to public school education. Among the schools are St. Alexander Catholic School, Palos Evangelical Lutheran Elementary School, Elim Christian School, Chicago Christian High School, and Stone Church Christian Academy. The latter offers the full range of college preparatory, business, and technology courses. Kennedy School is in nearby Palos Hills. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago operates the Catholic schools. Incarnation Catholic School closed in 2018.

Colleges and universities
Palos Heights students can readily commute to Moraine Valley Community College in nearby Palos Hills. Moraine Valley serves the local residents through classes, seminars, lectures, concerts, plays, and other activities. Trinity Christian College is also located in Palos Heights.

Public library
Palos Heights Public Library serves the community.

History
Palos Heights was incorporated on April 11, 1959, on its fourth attempt at the ballot with the results 850 to 684. It officially became a city on April 16, 1959. Shortly thereafter, Z. Erol Smith was elected its first mayor and was re-elected three times, serving until 1973.

In 1965, a group of scholars met in Palos Heights to discuss the need for a contemporary translation of the Bible. The necessity of the project was agreed upon, and shortly thereafter, the New International Version (NIV) was initiated in Palos Heights.

Notable people

 * Brian Bogusevic, outfielder with Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs
 * Peter Brown, singer-songwriter, co-wrote Madonna's "Material Girl", was raised in Palos Heights
 * Kendall Coyne Schofield, ice hockey Olympic gold medallist and forward with the PWHPA
 * David Dombrowski, president, CEO, and general manager of Boston Red Sox
 * Brendan Houlihan, former member of the Cook County Board of Review
 * Jim Hughes, pitcher with Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox
 * Arlene Kotil, professional baseball player
 * Jennifer Lien, actress (Star Trek: Voyager)
 * Christine Magnuson, two-time Olympic swimming medalist
 * Ryan Murphy, USA Olympic swimmer
 * Ed Olczyk, member of USA hockey team at 1984 Olympics, NHL player, coach and broadcaster
 * Tony Pashos, retired professional football player
 * Quentin Richardson, forward and guard with the Miami Heat
 * Herb Schumann, former Cook County commissioner
 * Robin Tunney, actress (The Craft, The Mentalist)
 * Paul Vallas, candidate in 2023 Chicago mayoral election, lists a home in Palos Heights as his primary residence.

Transportation
Palos Heights has a station on Metra's SouthWest Service, which provides daily rail service between the village of Manhattan and Chicago Union Station. Palos Heights is served by three Pace bus routes.

title: Palos Heights, Illinois


text:
Palos Hills, Illinois

Palos Hills is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a southwest suburb of Chicago. The city was established in 1958 and had reached a population of 18,530 in the 2020 census. It is named after Palos de la Frontera, Spain, from which Christopher Columbus set sail to North America. Moraine Valley Community College as and Amos Alonzo Stagg High School are its main schools.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Palos Hills has a total area of 4.29 sqmi, of which 4.25 sqmi (or 98.97%) is land and 0.04 sqmi (or 1.03%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 18,530 people, 7,247 households, and 4,209 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,319.35 PD/sqmi. There were 7,697 housing units at an average density of 1,794.17 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 81.70% White, 5.77% African American, 0.18% Native American, 2.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.39% from other races, and 6.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.19% of the population.

The top reported ancestries as of 2020 where Polish (29.3%), German (12.7%), Irish (12.6%), Arab (9.6%), and Italian (8.3%).

There were 7,247 households, out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.63% were married couples living together, 10.17% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.92% were non-families. 36.35% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.01% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 2.34.

The city's age distribution consisted of 18.1% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $64,364, and the median income for a family was $81,045. Males had a median income of $57,339 versus $37,926 for females. The per capita income for the city was $34,564. About 9.3% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Palos Hills is in Illinois's 3rd congressional district.

The City of Palos Hills operates under a Mayor/Council form of government with a Mayor, Clerk and City Treasurer elected at large and 10 Aldermen elected from 5 dual member wards.

Aldermen:
 * Mayor Gerald R. Bennett
 * City Clerk Rudy Mulderink
 * City Treasurer Kenneth Nolan.
 * Ward 1: Martin Kleefisch and Michael Price
 * Ward 2: Pauline Stratton and Mark Brachman
 * Ward 3: A.J. Pasek and Michael Lebarre
 * Ward 4: Joseph Marrotta and Phil Abed
 * Ward 5: Dawn Nowak and Donna O'Connel

North Palos Fire Protection District operates Station 1 and Station 2 in Palos Hills.

Education
Elementary school districts serving Palos Hills:
 * North Palos School District 117
 * Palos School District 118
 * All sections are zoned to Palos South Middle School in Palos Park. Currently sections of Palos Hills in District 118 are divided between Palos East Elementary in Palos Heights and Palos West Elementary in Palos Park. Prior to 2016-2017 all of the District 118 portion of Palos Hills was in the Palos East zone.

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School of the Consolidated High School District 230 serves Palos Hills.

Moraine Valley Community College is the area community college.

Transportation
Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Palos Hills to destinations across the Southland.

Notable people

 * Nick Drnaso
 * Christian Dvorak, professional ice hockey player
 * Matthew Haag
 * T. J. McFarland, professional baseball pitcher
 * Herb Schumann, former Cook County commissioner
 * Ben Skora

title: Palos Hills, Illinois


text:
Palos Park, Illinois

Palos Park is a village in southwestern Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 4,899.

Geography
Palos Park is located at 41.66556°N, -87.83667°W (41.665682, -87.836633).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Palos Park has a total area of 6.57 sqmi, of which 6.45 sqmi (or 98.16%) is land and 0.12 sqmi (or 1.84%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 4,899 people, 2,104 households, and 1,370 families residing in the village. The population density was 746.12 PD/sqmi. There were 2,023 housing units at an average density of 308.10 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 88.32% White, 1.43% African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.10% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.14% from other races, and 5.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.06% of the population.

There were 2,104 households, out of which 18.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% were married couples living together, 4.13% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.89% were non-families. 33.08% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.91% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 2.21.

The village's age distribution consisted of 15.9% under the age of 18, 2.9% from 18 to 24, 13.2% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 34.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 58.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $114,020, and the median income for a family was $135,625. Males had a median income of $101,420 versus $35,625 for females. The per capita income for the village was $63,500. About 0.7% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.0% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government
The Village Council is composed of Nicole Milovich-Walters (Mayor), G. Darryl Reed (Commissioner of Accounts & Finances), Rebecca Petan (Commissioner of Streets & Public Improvements), Dan Polk (Commissioner of Police and Public Safety), and Mike Wade (Commissioner of Building and Public Property). Marie Arrigoni is the elected Clerk.

At the federal level, Palos Park is in the Illinois 6th congressional district. At the state level, it is divided among the 14th, 18th, and 41st Illinois Senate districts and the 26th, 35th, and 82nd Illinois House districts.

Education
Residents in eastern portions are in Palos School District 118:
 * Palos South Middle School
 * Palos East Elementary School (in Palos Heights)
 * Palos West Elementary School

High school students in eastern portions are served by Consolidated High School District 230's Amos Alonzo Stagg High School.

Southwest Suburban Montessori School is located in Palos Park.

Palos Park Public Library was founded in 1936 and has been part of the village government since 1945.

Transportation
Palos Park has a station on Metra's SouthWest Service, which provides rail service to Chicago's Union Station on weekdays and Saturdays. Pace provides bus service on Route 379 connecting Palos Park to destinations across the Southland.

Notable people

 * Jane M. Barnes, Illinois state politician
 * Sean M. Morrison, Cook County commissioner and chair of the Cook County Republican Party
 * Lee Roupas
 * Zay N. Smith, columnist and author known for his work at the Chicago Sun-Times including the Mirage investigative series in 1978 and the QT column which ran from 1995 to 2008. Smith was raised in Palos Park.

title: Palos Park, Illinois


text:
Park Forest, Illinois

Park Forest is a village located south of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, with a small southern portion in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village was originally designed by Loebl Schlossman & Bennett as a planned community for veterans returning from World War II. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 21,687.

Park Forest is bordered by Olympia Fields to the north, Chicago Heights to the east, University Park to the south, and Richton Park and Matteson to the west. The village has multiple public and private schools. In addition to the arts and culture scene including Tall Grass Arts Association and the Illinois Theatre Center, residents also have access to a myriad of recreational opportunities for both children and adults such as the Park Forest Aqua Center.

History
Developers Nathan Manilow, Carroll F. Sweet and Philip M. Klutznick held a press conference in the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago on October 28, 1946, to announce the planned development of a new self-governing community in Chicago's south suburbs. This project, soon to be referred to as Park Forest, was to be developed by American Community Builders (ACB). The village of Park Forest was partly designed by town planner Elbert Peets in the tradition of planned communities around the nation to provide housing for veterans returning from World War II.

Studs Terkel, in his oral history of World War II, The Good War, says Park Forest and other such middle-class suburbs grew out of the new prosperity after the war. First he quotes an unnamed GI, "The war changed our whole idea of how we wanted to live when we came back. We set our sights pretty high.  . . . I am now what you'd call middle class." Terkel goes on: "The suburb, until [about 1946], had been the exclusive domain of the 'upper class.'  It was where the rich lived.  The rest of us were neighborhood folk.  At war's end, a new kind of suburb came into being. . . . Thanks to the GI bill, two new names were added to American folksay: Levittown and Park Forest.

"A new middle class had emerged. Until now, the great many, even before the Depression, had had to scuffle from one payday to the next. . . . [Before there had only been one] car on the block.  Now everybody was getting a car.  Oh, it was exciting.  (Terkel, p. 12)"

Park Forest was honored in 1954 as an "All-America City" for its citizens' help in the creation of Rich Township High School, on Sauk Trail. It was awarded this same honor again in 1976 for open housing and racial integration and initiatives. A village landmark was the Park Forest Plaza, an outdoor regional shopping center of over 50 stores and restaurants which included Sears, Marshall Fields and Goldblatt's.

In 1956, William H. Whyte, an editor at Fortune magazine, published a book called The Organization Man that defined the nature of corporate life for a generation. The book described how America (whose people, he said, had "led in the public worship of individualism") had recently turned into a nation of employees who "take the vows of organization life" and who had become "the dominant members of our society". Park Forest was one of the communities that figured most prominently in Whyte's study of the home life of "the organization man," and should be read by anyone seeking an insight into early Park Forest.

By 1949, the village was home to a chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women, a B'nai B'rith lodge and a Hebrew school (Sunday School). By 1955, a second Hebrew school had opened and three new women's groups had formed, including chapters of Hadassah, the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods (later renamed Women of Reform Judaism) and a B’nai B’rith Auxiliary. In 1951 and 1957, synagogues opened in Park Forest as Jews became 15% of the population. By 2013, both synagogues had moved outside the town. Although officially desegregated from its inception, Park Forest's first African-American family took residence there in 1959.

Park Forest is known for the "Scenic 10", a 10 mi race held annually on Labor Day that attracts runners from around the globe. In 2008, the race was shortened to a 5 mi course to attract more local runners and renamed the "Scenic Five".

On March 26, 2003, a meteor exploded over the Midwest, showering Park Forest with dozens of meteorite fragments. These fragments are currently on display at the Field Museum in Chicago. For further reading see Park Forest (meteorite).

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Park Forest has a total area of 4.96 sqmi, all land.

The village is generally bounded by U.S. Highway 30 on the north, Western Avenue on the east, Central Park Avenue on the west and Thorn Creek on the south. Parts of Park Forest are east of Western Avenue, however, including a subdivision called "Eastgate". Park Forest is bisected by the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (now the Canadian National Railway) double-track main line, which was paralleled a little further north by the Michigan Central (New York Central) railroad. That rail line has been converted to a nature trail called Old Plank Trail. The beginning of the trail is at Western Avenue, and it runs through Park Forest west to Joliet.

Transportation
Metra operates commuter railroad service to downtown Chicago. Stations bordering Park Forest include Richton Park (Sauk Trail at Governor's Hwy./Crawford Ave./Pulaski Rd.,) 211th Street (Lincoln Highway) and Matteson stations on the Metra Electric Line, which runs parallel to the Illinois Central Railroad Company (owned by Canadian National Railway Company) but on its own closely adjacent tracks

Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Park Forest to destinations throughout the Southland.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 21,687 people, 8,179 households, and 4,738 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,371.50 PD/sqmi. There were 9,701 housing units at an average density of 1,955.45 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 70.18% African American, 18.83% White, 0.25% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.39% from other races, and 6.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.76% of the population.

There were 8,179 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.32% were married couples living together, 23.13% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.07% were non-families. 39.47% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.91% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38 and the average family size was 2.46.

The village's age distribution consisted of 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $56,393, and the median income for a family was $65,507. Males had a median income of $41,744 versus $40,219 for females. The per capita income for the village was $26,078. About 5.8% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Park Forest is in Illinois's 2nd congressional district.

Local Government:

Presidents/Mayors of Park Forest:

 * Dennis O'Harrow	       04/23/1949-10/10/1950
 * Henry X. Dietch	               10/10/1950-04/26/1955
 * Robert A. Dinerstein	       04/26/1955-04/22/1961
 * Bernard G. Cunningham	04/22/1961-04/00/1971
 * Ralph G. Johnson	       04/00/1971-04/00/1975
 * Mayer Singerman	       04/00/1975-04/00/1981
 * Ronald Bean	               04/00/1981-09/02/1986
 * Jerry Mathews	               09/29/1986-04/00/1991
 * F. Patrick Kelly	               04/00/1991-04/00-1999
 * John Ostenburg	               04/00/1999–05/06/2019
 * Jonathan Vanderbilt           05/06/2019–2023
 * Joe Woods 2023–Present

Education
School districts serving Park Forest include:

 * Matteson School District 162
 * Park Forest Chicago Heights School District 163
 * Rich Township High School District 227
 * The Rich Township High School District 227 have voted to close Rich East High School. The students would be relocated to the other two Rich high schools Central and South.
 * Crete-Monee School District 201U

Schools

 * 21st Century Primary Center
 * Michelle Obama School Of Technology And The Arts (Middle School)
 * Blackhawk Primary Center
 * Mohawk Primary Center
 * Illinois School
 * Indiana School
 * Talala Elementary Center-Closed
 * Algonquin Pre-Kindergarten Center
 * Illinois Montessori Children's House-Closed
 * South Suburban Sda Christian School
 * Rich Township High School
 * Rich East High School
 * Rich South High School
 * Rich Central High School

The Illinois Theatre Center
The Illinois Theatre Center was established in 1976 by Steve and Etel Billig. At its inception, it was located in Park Forest's public library but was later moved to Downtown Park Forest in 1999. In addition to the main stage series of six plays, the theatre offers programs like The Drama School which provides acting classes for children, teens and adults.

Freedom Hall Performing Arts Theatre
Freedom Hall Performing Arts Theatre is a performing arts theatre and concert hall situated in Park Forest, Illinois. It offers a variety of concerts and theatre performances. Since the opening of Park Forest’s Cultural Arts Center in 1976, Freedom Hall Nathan Manilow Theatre has presented performance arts in the form of theater groups, recitals, lecture events, etc.

The Nathan Manilow Theatre has 287 seats. This theatre has presented a variety of events of all genres for more than thirty years. Such shows include Tom Dreessen, C.J Chenier, The Chicago City Ballet, The National Theatre of the Deaf, Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre, Tom Chapin, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, Corky Siegel, George Winston, The Second City Touring Company, John Houseman, Peter Mayer and many other performances. The goal of such performances is to present the finest cultural events for the Park Forest community and other residents of the Chicago area.

Museum Home
The 1950s Park Forest House Museum is meant to replicate an original home. It was built in 1947-1949 and now stands as a house has remained furnished the same way it originally was back in the years of 1948-1953, just as it was during the first five years that it was occupied by tenants. Visiting this site provides people with the ability to uniquely experience the history of Park Forest, a suburb built after the conclusion of World War II. Initially designed to help veterans and their families returning from the war, it would later become an attraction for enthusiasts of the era.

Visitors can open drawers, cupboards, and closets containing period treasures. Consistent with the way the house was furnished, dolls, toys, built-in bookcases and even a collection of clothes from that period may be found. One of the rooms even recreates a classroom from the very first school in the town.

Tall Grass Arts Association
Tall Grass Arts Association is located in downtown Park Forest Cultural Center; the Tall Grass Arts Association operates a regional art gallery where juried artists are invited to participate in the annual fine arts fair held in September in downtown Park Forest. Artists can display their work in the gallery at least once a year in addition to including their work in the Tall Grass Gift Shop.

Recreations
Park Forest offers a variety of recreational services to its residents and surrounding neighborhoods including the Park Forest Aqua Center, the Park Forest Tennis and Health Club, and park district classes and sports teams.

Park Forest Aqua Center
Park Forest Aqua Center has been a neighborhood institution since 1952. Both seasonal memberships and daily passes are available. Patrons can enjoy a beach pool for toddlers, the 160-foot water slide, 2 drop slides, a 15-foot aquatic climbing wall, and the East Pool, which is designed for adults to swim laps. Additionally, the Aqua Center also has a sand area and a concession stand.

Summer season opens to the public in the beginning of June and ends on Labor Day. Throughout the season, the Aqua Center offers special events, such as Members Only Kickoff, Hawaiian Night, Glow Swim, and Carnival Night, as well as multiple swim lesson programs:

Park Forest Tennis and Health Club
For over thirty years, the Park Forest Tennis and Health Club has offered residents a place to play tennis and workout. In addition to six indoor tennis courts and a fitness area, the Club also has saunas in the locker rooms, a courtside lounge, professional tennis instructors, racquet stringing, and a pro shop.

The Tennis and Health Club offers multiple types of tennis lessons. Group lessons are available for children and adults. The Club also offers private lessons and the Junior Excellence program, which is available to junior high and high school students who are interested in competing.

Park District Programs
The Park Forest Park District runs seasonal programs open to both residents and non-residents and includes a variety of programs for all ages. The Park District offers sports, health & wellness, and dance programs, in addition to special day trips and art classes.

Architecture
In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, the Park Forest was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places by the American Institute of Architects Illinois component (AIA Illinois).

title: Park Forest, Illinois