Oak Park and River Forest are two unique communities sharing a spirit of cooperation and friendship. Both communities take pride in well-groomed neighborhoods, expansive parks, excellent school systems, architecturally significant homes and active local, Business communities, governments and citizens.
The rich history of Oak Park began with the 1839 settlement by Joseph Kettlestrings, a native of England, on a section of land now bounded by Lake Street, Chicago Avenue, Oak Park Avenue, and Harlem Avenue. The home he built on the southwest corner of that tract was the first house in Oak Park. In the mid-1800s, W.H. Scoville acquired 185 acres of land north of Chicago Avenue between Oak Park Avenue and Austin Boulevard. Other settlers moved in slowly. By 1870, the population of the Village was only about 500, but the Chicago Fire of 1871 caused an exodus of Chicagoans into Oak Park, giving the Village its first population boom. By 1902 the year of its incorporation as a Village, Oak Park was approximately 50 percent developed, predominantly by single-family residences mixed with large areas of apartment houses and fringed with commercial development. The people of Oak Park have chosen the community not so much as place to live, but as a way of life. A key ingredient in the quality of life is the diversity of these same people; a broad representation of various occupations, professions, lifestyles, age and income levels, a stimulating mixture of racial, religious and ethnic groups. Such diversity is Oak Park’s strength.
With Chicago to the east and the Forest Preserves to the west, you can imagine why we say that the two communities offer the perfect balance between urban and suburban lifestyles. Oak Park and River Forest offer commuters easy access to downtown Chicago. O’Hare International and Midway airports are easily reached by way of the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290), and the new Multi-Model transportation center is home to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra (Chicago Northwestern Railroad), and PACE bus service.
Schools:
| School | Address | Phone | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln Elem School | 1111 S Grove Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304 | (708) 524-3110 | Elementary Schools |
| Beye School | 230 N Cuyler Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302 | (708) 524-3070 | Elementary Schools |
| Horace Mann Elementary School | 921 N Kenilworth Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302 | (708) 524-3085 | Elementary Schools |
| Irving Elementary School | 1125 S Cuyler Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304 | (708) 524-3090 | Elementary Schools |
| Longfellow Elementary School | 715 Highland Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304 | (708) 524-3060 | Elementary Schools |
| Oliver W Holmes Elem School | 508 N Kenilworth Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302 | (708) 524-3100 | Elementary Schools |
| Whittier Elementary School | 715 N Harvey Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302 | (708) 524-3080 | Elementary Schools |
| William Hatch Elementary Schl | 1000 N Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302 | (708) 524-3095 | Elementary Schools |
| Fenwick High School | 505 Washington Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302 | (708) 386-0127 | High Schools |
| Oak Park & River Forest High | 201 N Scoville Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302 | (708) 383-0700 | High Schools |
| Percy Julian Junior High Schl | 420 S Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302 | (708) 524-3040 | Middle Schools |
| Ralph W Emerson Jr High School | 916 Washington Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302 | (708) 524-3050 | Middle Schools |