Town file
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois (Cook County, Illinois) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 553, "Dreaming Of Murder" (12 December 2024). In October 1980 Karen Ann Phillips was 24 and living alone in a studio apartment at 324 North Austin in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb on Chicago's western edge.
- Town
- Oak Park
- County
- Cook County
- State
- Illinois
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 553
- Approximate location
- 41.887, -87.790
Episode 553 / 12 December 2024 / 174 min / full
Dreaming Of Murder
"This is Oak Park, Illinois, which is a Chicago suburb... This is in Cook County, just like Chicago." about 0:04:59
The case: Murder of Karen Ann Phillips (October 1980). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2024
- Population
- 54,100
- Median age
- just about 40
- Median household income
- $98,081 a year
- Two-bedroom rent
- $1,510
- Cost of living
- 105.7
- Religious
- 60%
- Property crime
- ▲ slightly above the average
- Violent crime
- ▼ about one-third under
History, in brief
- The area was originally part of the town of Cicero. about 0:06:22
- The population boomed in the 1870s as Chicago people resettled in Cicero after Chicago burned down in 1871. about 0:06:32
- When the village was incorporated, no alcohol was allowed to be sold within the village limits. about 0:07:22
- The alcohol ban was not relaxed until 1973, when restaurants and hotels were finally allowed to serve alcohol with meals. about 0:07:28
- In 2002 select grocery stores were given permission to sell packaged liquor. about 0:07:49
- Today beer and wine are easily accessible and there are a lot of bars. about 0:08:03
The reviews read out
4 stars
"Truly a lovely suburb of Chicago, 20 minutes to the lakefront, great food, a great school system and an amazing library system."about 0:08:11
3 stars
"There isn't a lot for people to do except go downtown or to Chicago or smoke weed somewhere."about 0:08:35
1 star
"Genuinely the worst place the reviewer has lived: staring neighbours, dogs jumping on you, no apologies, terrible parking and slow drivers."about 0:09:09
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Chicago, Illinois6.4 miles
- Villa Park, Illinois9.7 miles
- Elk Grove Village, Illinois13 miles
- Palos Park, Illinois15 miles
- Bloomingdale, Illinois16 miles
- Arlington Heights, Illinois18 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.