A village about 19 miles west of the Loop, with wooded estates, the Oak Brook Sports Core, Fullersburg Woods and Oakbrook Center.
01 — At a Glance
Oak Brook is a village about 19 miles west of the Chicago Loop. The 2020 census counted 8,163 residents, and the village covers about 8.29 square miles. It incorporated in 1958, and most of it is residential subdivisions, with Oakbrook Center and office campuses along 22nd Street and the I-88 corridor on the north side. Ace Hardware, Portillo’s and Lions Clubs International all have their headquarters here.
Source: Wikipedia: Oak Brook, Illinois · Village of Oak Brook
02 — History
Oak Brook grew from a stagecoach-era settlement and a dairy farm into a village known for its shopping, golf and open space. Here are a few chapters behind the Oak Brook you see today.
1851
The area was first known as Brush Hill. It was renamed Fullersburg after Jacob Fuller and his son Benjamin, who platted the town in 1851. The nearby Ben Fuller House is one of the oldest balloon-frame buildings in Illinois.
Source: Forest Preserve District: Fullersburg Woods · Wikipedia: Oak Brook, Illinois
Living History
Graue Mill, on Salt Creek at York Road, is the only operating waterwheel gristmill in Illinois and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its milling, spinning and weaving programs show what life was like here in the mid-1800s.
1898
Paul Butler’s father moved to the area in 1898 and soon opened a dairy farm. Decades later Paul Butler became the driving force behind the village and its love of sport.
Source: Wikipedia: Oak Brook, Illinois
1958
Oak Brook incorporated in 1958, thanks in large part to Paul Butler. Residents had used the name for years to set their community apart from Hinsdale and Elmhurst.
Source: Wikipedia: Oak Brook, Illinois
1962
Oakbrook Center opened in 1962 on land annexed soon after incorporation, and the Oak Brook Park District was created the same year. The park district now cares for six parks covering 173 acres.
Source: Wikipedia: Oak Brook, Illinois · Oak Brook Park District: Central Park
1964
Paul Butler partnered with the Del E. Webb Corporation in 1964, and Webb’s company built dozens of homes and commercial buildings here into the late 1970s.
Source: Wikipedia: Oak Brook, Illinois
Long before there was an Oak Brook, the settlement on Salt Creek was called Brush Hill. Jacob Fuller and his son Benjamin platted Fullersburg in 1851, and Graue Mill, still turning today, ground grain for the farms around it.
Paul Butler’s father came here in 1898 and opened a dairy farm. Paul Butler grew into a civic leader and landowner, and residents were already calling their community Oak Brook to tell it apart from Hinsdale and Elmhurst.
The village incorporated in 1958, then annexed the land where Oakbrook Center opened in 1962. Butler’s 1964 joint venture with the Del E. Webb Corporation brought dozens of new homes and offices through the late 1970s.
Butler’s interest in sport lives on at the Oak Brook Sports Core, with its polo fields, golf course, swimming and tennis. The golf course once hosted the Western Open, and Fullersburg Woods, open to the public since 1920, protects 220 acres along Salt Creek.
Source: Forest Preserve District: Fullersburg Woods · Wikipedia: Oak Brook, Illinois · Oak Brook Park District: Central Park
03 — Shopping & Dining
Oak Brook’s shopping and dining center around Oakbrook Center, the open-air shopping center along 22nd Street, with a few well-loved favorites nearby.
Classic American steakhouse
Gibsons Prime Angus Beef in a classic American steakhouse on Spring Road, with private dining for special occasions.
2105 S. Spring Rd., Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit WebsiteSteakhouse & Bar 79
Fine dining at Oakbrook Center, with private dining rooms, car-side pickup and the Bar 79 lounge.
5 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit WebsiteSteaks, chops & seafood
Serving the community’s favorite steaks, chops and seafood at Oakbrook Center since 1998.
232 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit WebsiteSeasonal grill & wine bar
A seasonally inspired menu at Oakbrook Center, open daily for lunch and dinner, with a happy hour, too.
3 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit WebsiteItalian café & wine bar
A cozy Italian café and wine bar from Lettuce Entertain You, right at Oakbrook Center.
118 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit WebsiteSeasonal, health-forward kitchen
Seasonal, vegan-friendly and gluten-friendly dishes, plus weekend brunch and catering.
105 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit WebsiteOpen-air shopping center
The open-air shopping center that opened in 1962, with department stores, luxury boutiques, restaurants and a movie theater.
100 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit WebsiteLuxury department store
A renowned specialty store known for designer fashion, beauty and superior customer service.
Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit WebsiteFashion & beauty
Designer and everyday fashion, shoes and beauty, plus a spa and an e-bar for a coffee break.
10 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit WebsiteFurniture & home décor
Furniture, kitchenware and home décor, with free design services and a wedding registry.
35 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit WebsiteApple Store
The latest Apple products, with Genius Bar appointments, demos and in-store pickup.
70 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit WebsiteLuxury fashion & leather goods
Louis Vuitton’s Oakbrook Center boutique, open seven days a week, with collect-in-store service.
196 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Visit Website04 — Education
Oak Brook is served by several elementary districts, including Butler School District 53, Community Consolidated School District 181 and Salt Creek School District 48. High school students attend Hinsdale Township High School District 86 or DuPage High School District 88, depending on address.
Boundaries follow the address. Confirm school assignment for each address with the district before you buy.
Search HomesPublic · PreK–8
Oak Brook’s own elementary district, with Brook Forest Elementary on Regent Drive and Butler Junior High on York Road.
Public · PreK–8
Part of Oak Brook attends Community Consolidated School District 181, which feeds into Hinsdale Central.
Public · PreK–8
Another elementary district serving part of the village, feeding into DuPage High School District 88.
Public · Grades 9–12
The zoned high school for students in the Butler and District 181 areas, part of Hinsdale Township High School District 86.
Public · Grades 9–12
The high school district for the Salt Creek area, with Willowbrook and Addison Trail high schools.
Library
The village library on Oak Brook Road, with book clubs, museum passes, study rooms and family programs.
05 — Lifestyle
Oak Brook packs a lot of open space into a small village, from forest preserve trails to polo fields and golf. Here’s where people spend their time.
The park district’s hub, home to the Tennis Center, Family Recreation Center, indoor aquatic center, athletic fields, a universal playground and a community ice rink.
Park DetailsA 220-acre forest preserve along Salt Creek, with trails, a nature education center, canoeing, fishing and historic Graue Mill.
Preserve DetailsThe village’s 18-hole course at the Sports Core, with a driving range and online tee times.
Course DetailsOak Brook’s premier summer community festival, with local restaurants, live entertainment, family activities, a beer garden and fireworks.
Event DetailsDuring the holiday season, the park district lights up Central Park every evening.
Event DetailsA beloved annual tradition, with all-you-can-eat pancakes served by Oak Brook firefighters.
Event DetailsYouth basketball, Tae Kwon Do, fencing, Pee Wee sports and sports camps from the Oak Brook Park District.
Program DetailsEight indoor tennis courts, three racquetball courts and youth tennis programs, including adaptive tennis for juniors.
Facility DetailsThe village club at the Sports Core, with a summer swim team, swim lessons and tennis programs.
Club DetailsAn extraordinary collection of gems, hardstone carvings and lapidary art, which moved to Oak Brook in 2019. Walk-ins are welcome.
Museum WebsiteIllinois’ only operating waterwheel gristmill, open mid-April to mid-November, with free admission and weekend milling demonstrations.
Museum DetailsBook clubs, holiday programs and museum passes for families, at the library on Oak Brook Road.
Library WebsiteThe Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) runs along the north side of the village, and the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) is close by on the east.
Roads OverviewJust south of the village, BNSF trains stop at 21 E. Hinsdale Avenue in fare zone 3.
Station DetailsNorth of the village on York Road, Union Pacific West trains stop at 128 W. 1st Street in fare zone 3, with Pace connections.
Station DetailsPrivate Client Representation