Oak Brook, Illinois

Oak Brook was originally known as Fullersburg, named after Ben Fuller, an early settler.[5]

Oak Brook was incorporated as a village in 1958, due in large part to the efforts of Paul Butler, a prominent civic leader and landowner whose father had first moved to the vicinity in 1898 and opened a dairy farm shortly thereafter. Prior to incorporation, the name Oak Brook was used by local residents to distinguish their community from neighboring Hinsdale and Elmhurst, going back to the founding of the Oak Brook Civic Association almost two decades earlier.[6]

The original boundaries were smaller than the present extent of the village, but a considerable amount of land was annexed soon after the founding of the village, including the land that is now the site of the Oakbrook Center shopping mall, which opened in 1962.

In 1964 Butler entered a joint venture with the Del E. Webb Corporation of Phoenix, Arizona to increase development of the area. Webb's construction company constructed dozens of buildings in Oak Brook both commercial and residential. The Webb Corporation's involvement in the development of the village lasted into the late 1970s.[7]

Paul Butler's interest in sport was reflected in the Oak Brook Sports Core, which features polo fields, a golf course (which was at one time the venue for the Western Open), swimming and tennis facilities, and other recreational facilities not commonly found in a village of this size.[8]

According to the 2010 census, Oak Brook has a total area of 8.279 square miles (21.44 km²), of which 7.95 square miles (20.59 km²) (or 96.03%) is land and 0.329 square miles (0.85 km²) (or 3.97%) is water.[9]

Oak Brook is located about 19 miles (31 km) west of the Chicago Loop (downtown Chicago) and is served by a network of major federal, state, and county roads, including the Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 294), the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (Interstate 88), and the Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290). Although Oak Brook is not directly served by any CTA or Metra trains, the commercial corridor along 22nd Street is served by several Pace bus routes, and train stations in neighboring villages offer commuter train access to downtown Chicago.

Most of Oak Brook consists of residential subdivisions, with the exception of the Oakbrook Center shopping mall and other retail and office properties along 22nd Street and the Interstate 88 corridor in the northern part of the village.

The village's adjacent neighbors are Elmhurst to the north, Hillside to the northeast, Westchester to the east, Hinsdale and Westmont to the south, Downers Grove to the southwest, and Lombard and Oakbrook Terrace to the northwest.

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,883 people, 2,939 households, and 2,363 families residing in the village. The population density was 991.6 people per square mile (382.9/km²). There were 3,188 housing units, at an average density of 401.0 per square mile (154.8/km²). The racial makeup was 71.8% White, 2.0% African American, 23.2% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% some other race, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.3% of the population.[4]

There were 2,939 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.6% were headed by married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63, and the average family size was 2.99.[4]

In the village, the population was spread out, with 17.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 13.8% from 25 to 44, 33.6% from 45 to 64, and 29.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.[4]

For the period 2007–11, the estimated median annual income for a household in the village was $132,389, and the median income for a family was $152,209. Male full-time workers had a median income of $104,981 versus $71,961 for females. The per capita income for the village was $79,711. About 1.1% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.[11]

In 2011, 23.2% of Oak Brook's residents were Asian, making it the Chicago suburb with the second highest percentage of Asians.[12]

Equalized Assessed Valuation:

• 2010 – $1,608,622,320 (8.05% decrease from 2009)
• 2009 – $1,749,470,588 (2.65% decrease from 2008)
• 2008 – $1,797,238,113 (6.12% increase from 2007)
• 2007 – $1,693,581,172 (7.31% increase from 2006)
• 2006 – $1,578,273,201 (6.50% increase from 2005)
• 2005 – $1,482,432,467 (3.96% increase from 2004)
• 2004 – $1,425,867,144(7.44% increase from 2003)
• 2003 – $1,327,099,526(2.57% increase from 2002)

Median Home Value: $635,400*

2011 Municipal Operating and Capital Expense Budget: $49.4 million

Village Employees: 134 full-time employees

Village Government: president, village clerk, six trustees, and village manager

McDonald's Plaza, the former headquarters of McDonald's

While many Oak Brook residents commute to jobs scattered throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, Oak Brook is also the home of many corporate offices. The world headquarters of McDonald's Corporation was in Oak Brook from 1971, when McDonald's moved into the Oak Brook facility from an office within the Chicago Loop, until 2018, when it moved back to Chicago.[14] Other corporations include Ace Hardware,[15] Blistex,[16] Crowe Horwath, TreeHouse Foods, Federal Signal,[17] Sanford, CenterPoint Properties, Dantech Information Technology,[18] Hub Group and Follett Higher Education Group.[19] Global non-profit organizations such as Lions Clubs International,[20] Zonta International[21] and Institute in Basic Life Principles[22] are also based in Oak Brook.

Oak Brook is a predominantly Republican village in presidential elections. Unlike most of DuPage county, it voted for Republican nominees Donald Trump, and Mitt Romney in each of the past three presidential elections.

• Chris Chelios, Stanley Cup-winning defenseman with the Detroit Red Wings, who also played for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, and Atlanta Thrashers
• William J. Cullerton, World War II flying ace, former host of "Great Outdoors" on WGN Radio[27]
• Bill Gothard, founder of "The Institute In Basic Life Principles", IBLP
• Stan Mikita, Stanley Cup-winning center with the Chicago Blackhawks
• Dick Portillo, founder of the Portillo Restaurant Group
• Ed Rensi, a former CEO of McDonald's
• Frank Thomas, first baseman with several Major League Baseball teams; lived in Oak Brook (1996–2003)[28]
• Ty Warner, founder of popular toy company, Ty
• Doug Wilson, defenseman with the San Jose Sharks
• Frank Calabrese, Sr., made man and caporegime of the Chicago Outfit[29]

In the medical drama series ER, John Carter's parents are said to live in Oak Brook, referencing it as a rich area. The show filmed a funeral scene in Oak Brook's Bronswood cemetery in its 267th episode, "Twenty-One Guns".

In a popular ad campaign by Hanes, Michael Jordan is asked by an irreverent yet likable "everyman" to join him at a conference in Oak Brook, Illinois, explaining to Jordan that, "...it would mean a lot to the people of Oak Brook."

In the TV series "The X-Files" Oak Brook, IL is the setting for the episode titled "Folie a Deux."

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oak Brook, Illinois.

• Village of Oak Brook official website
• Oak Brook Village Profile
• Oak Brook Historical Society
• Oak Brook Public Library
• Butler School District 53
• Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce