Oak Park

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Oak Park: Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

Read Next

Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting

Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?

What State Is Washington, D.C. In?

The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.

14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered

Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)

All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

Combo image of Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner to be used in high engagement content only

Was there a feud between William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway?

Discover

Saint Lucia Day. Young girl wears Lucia crown (tinsel halo) with candles. Holds Saint Lucia Day currant laced saffron buns (lussekatter or Lucia's cats). Observed December 13 honor virgin martyr Santa Lucia (St. Lucy). Luciadagen, Christmas, Sweden

7 Winter Solstice Celebrations From Around the World

Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that

America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)

Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer

Was Santa Claus a Real Person?

Confucius statue at a Confucian Temple in Shanghai, China. Confucianism religion

What is the Difference Between Daoism and Confucianism?

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.

10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci

Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

Oak Park

Illinois, United States

Also known as: Oak Ridge

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Nov 24, 2024 • Article History

News •

Person killed in shooting, rollover crash in Oak Park • Nov. 22, 2024, 9:04 PM ET (CBS)

Possible shooting, rollover crash in Oak Park prompts police investigation • Nov. 22, 2024, 9:04 PM ET (CBS)

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

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

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

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Jeff Wallenfeldt.