Located in Cook County, Illinois, Oak Lawn is a village that serves as a suburb of Chicago. Situated southwest of the city, Oak Lawn shares boundaries with the city in two sections, while the majority of its surroundings are made up of other suburban areas.

A tornado hit Palos Hills on April 21, 1967, at the intersection of 105th Street and Kean Avenue, which is located 5 miles west of Oak Lawn. Although there were no fatalities in Palos Hills, several houses were destroyed, and two transmission towers collapsed. The tornado then touched down again at the Starlite Drive-In Theater on West 95th Street. With winds estimated to exceed 200 miles per hour, the tornado ripped through Oak Lawn, throwing cars and buses into the air. It split Oak Lawn Community High School in half and caused damage to St. Gerald’s before moving on to 91st Street and Cicero Avenue. The Airway Trailer Park and Oak Lawn Roller Rink were heavily damaged before the tornado lifted off the ground. It touched down once more in nearby Hometown, Evergreen Park, and Chicago before dissipating over Lake Michigan. In just 16 minutes, the storm left a path of destruction spanning 16 miles and claimed the lives of over 30 individuals.

Based on the 2010 census data, Oak Lawn spans a land area of 8.59 square miles with no water coverage.

According to the 2020 census, the village had a population of 58,362 individuals, with 21,154 households and 13,544 families. The population density was 6,809.24 people per square mile. There were a total of 23,362 housing units, with an average density of 2,725.70 per square mile.

Oak Lawn has an extensive collection of parks, ranging from small play areas to the large 38-acre Centennial Park. In total, there are over 300 acres of parks, recreational facilities, and open land. These parks offer various amenities such as playgrounds, walking trails, baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts, as well as outdoor swimming pools, an indoor ice arena, two fitness centers, and an 18-hole golf course. Additionally, each neighborhood in Oak Lawn has its own designated recreational space, amounting to a total of 22 parks.

In Oak Lawn, there are several elementary schools that provide public education to children in grades K-5. These schools include Kolb, Lieb, Harnew, Columbus Manor, Covington, Hannum, Hometown, Kolmar, and Sward. Oak Lawn also has two public middle schools, namely Simmons Middle School and Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School.

In our community, we have two high schools that are open to the public, namely Oak Lawn Community High School and Harold L. Richards High School.

The village of Oak Lawn has a train station for commuters on the SouthWest Service line of Metra. This line provides transportation to downtown Chicago and Manhattan, Illinois. Additionally, the station offers connections to two Pace routes, while other routes run along the borders of the village.

Prominent individuals in Oak Lawn include Diandra Asbaty, a professional bowler who is a member of Team USA and serves as a spokesperson for USBC. Brian Bogusevic, a former outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, is also notable. Tim Byrdak, a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1998 to 2013, was born in Oak Lawn. David A. Johnston, a volcanologist, tragically lost his life during the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption. C.J. Kupec, a basketball player, achieved recognition as a star at Oak Lawn High School and went on to play for Michigan and the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. Rob Mackowiak, Bobby Madritsch, and Marc Rzepczynski are all noteworthy players in Major League Baseball. Rory Markham is known for his involvement in UFC and IFL mixed martial arts. Mike Mollo is a heavyweight boxer hailing from Oak Lawn. Dwyane Wade, a former NBA player and three-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat, attended Richards High School in Oak Lawn. Kanye West, a multi-talented artist known for his music, rap, singing, songwriting, record producing, and fashion designing, is also associated with Oak Lawn. Lastly, Juice WRLD, a rapper, tragically passed away in Oak Lawn in 2019.