Oak Brook is a big little village. It’s one of the largest commercial centers in the region, but has a residential population of just over 8,000 spread through historic and new neighborhoods mostly in the southern part of town. Population-wise, it’s one of the smallest villages in Chicago’s Western Suburbs, but it’s an economic powerhouse.
Ask most Illinoisans what they know about Oak Brook, and they’ll likely say two words: “The mall,” a reference to the sprawling Oakbrook Center, the best visited shopping center in the Chicago metropolitan region. Oak Brook is home to big corporations like Ace Hardware, Blistex, and Federal Signal, and is the former headquarters of global giant McDonald’s Corporation.
How did this little village become a corporate giant? A lot of it has to do with Del E. Webb, the well-known developer of retirement communities in the American Southwest. Paul Butler, a civic leader and landowner who first arrived in the area in 1898, entered into a joint venture with Webb in 1964—six years after Butler spurred Oak Brook’s incorporation—and together the two financed the construction of both residential and commercial property, including what would eventually become Oakbrook Center.
Located 20 miles due west of Chicago and convenient to downtown Chicago by train and expressway (Oak Brook sits at the intersection of I294 and I88), the village is a must visit for families looking for a vibrant cultural life close to Chicago.
Given its population size, Oak Brook presents a diverse set of neighborhood options with a surprising range of housing choices, including townhouses and condos, as well as single family homes and larger estates. The One Oak Brook Commons Neighborhood is surrounded by polo fields, lush parks, and five-star dining, all within walkable distance.
School-aged children from Oak Brook are served by Butler School District 53, which operates the U.S. Department of Education’s 2022 Blue Ribbon recipient Brook Forest Elementary School and Butler Junior High School, which won the Department of Ed’s 2021 Blue Ribbon Award. High schoolers have their choice between excellent schools in nearby Elmhurst, LaGrange, and Hinsdale.
Because of the daily business traffic Oak Brook attracts, it has no shortage of excellent dining options and nightlife. Oakbrook Center alone features dozens of restaurants, and the village is dotted with other fine restaurants, including local favorite York Tavern, renowned Chicago chain Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, legendary Chicago Bears Coach’s Ditka’s, and new burger sensation Shake Shack.
As for the great outdoors, Midwesterners who are fans of the sport of polo know that Oak Brook is the center for the sport in the region. The Oak Brook Polo Club is THE place to be during summer to watch the best play the sport and to gather for sumptuous afternoons in the sun.
Oak Brook is also the golf capital of the Western Suburbs, with award-winning courses like the world-renowned Butler National, Butterfield Country Club, Oak Brook Golf Club, and Willow Crest Golf Club.
The Graue Mill Museum and Graue House, located in Fullersburg Woods, is operated by the DuPage Forest Preserve District and offers a window into the past of DuPage County’s economic life. Situated along the beautiful Salt Creek with a wooden bridge and waterfall, it is the only operating waterwheel gristmill in Illinois and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Oak Brook Park District operates numerous facilities and programs in the village for both children and adults, and also hosts a summer concert series, movie nights, and a Pumpkin Swim and other events in the fall.
All in all, for potential homebuyers looking for a small town sensibility with a big town personality, Oak Brook should be on their list of communities to consider.
