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University Park, Illinois
University Park is a village of 7,306 people in Cook County, Illinois, founded in 1967.
Why visit University Park
Townapedia lists 22 parks and trails, 17 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Deer Creek Golf Course and Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 15°F, and about 28 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in University Park
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About University Park
University Park is a village in Will County with a small portion in Cook County in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a south suburb of Chicago. The village is one of the region's few planned communities; it was developed in the 1960s as Wood Hill, then Park Forest South, and finally University Park. Governors State University was established in the village in 1969.
From the Wikipedia article University Park, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Freedom Hall - Park Forest
Cinema and theater · 3.0 mi
410 Lakewood Boulevard, Park Forest
Parks, trails and playgrounds22
10 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes17
Baskin-Robbins
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 2.6 mi
3937 Sauk Trail, Richton Park
Mo-Sa 04:00-22:00; Su 05:00-22:00
Crow & Calico Tavern
Bar and pub · 2.9 mi
25956 S Egyptian Trail, Monee
Sa,Su
Burger King
Fast food · Burger · 2.5 mi
5801 West Monee-Manhattan Road, Monee
Mo-Sa 06:00-22:00; Su 07:00-22:00
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza · 2.7 mi
4767 Sauk Trail, Richton Park
Mo-Th 10:30-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-01:00; Su 10:30-24:00
Dunkin'
Fast food · Donut, Coffee Shop · 2.4 mi
5757 West Monee Manhattan Road, Monee
Mo-Sa 04:00-20:00; Su 05:00-20:00
Dunkin'
Fast food · Donut, Coffee Shop · 2.6 mi
3937 Sauk Trail, Richton Park
Mo-Sa 04:00-22:00; Su 05:00-22:00
5 more on the map.
Where to stay4
Terrace Monee Inn Motel
Motel and hotel · 0.9 mi
24142 South Governors Highway, University Park
History
In the late 1950s, Woodhill Enterprises purchased land south of Park Forest for a large subdivision. Building began in 1961, but by 1967 Wood Hill had only 240 homes. Residents created a homeowners association, which fostered a community identity.
In 1966, Nathan Manilow, one of the developers of Park Forest, started to purchase land around Wood Hill. Park Forest had been a model for planning in the 1940s, and Lewis Manilow, son of Nathan, formed New Community Enterprises (NCE) to build "a whole new town". Major partners included Illinois Central Industries and United States Gypsum Company.
NCE supported the incorporation of Park Forest South in 1967 with projections for 100,000 residents. Under the federal New Communities Act of 1968, Park Forest South was designated as one of 15 such "new communities". Planning included space for residential, commercial, and industrial development and addressed the needs of education, recreation, and faith communities. Racial integration was a goal from the beginning, and Park Forest South became a leader in support of open housing.
From the History section of University Park, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship18
First Baptist Church of University Park
Church · Baptist · 1.8 mi
450 University Parkway, University Park
Faith Movers Church
Church · Nondenominational · 2.4 mi
425 West Exchange Street, University Park
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 1.2 mi
701 South Kedzie Avenue, University Park
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging14
Schools, colleges and libraries56
Map of University Park
134 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 15°F | 2.5 in | 10.2 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 18°F | 2.1 in | 7.5 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 28°F | 2.6 in | 4.9 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 38°F | 4.0 in | 0.5 in |
| May | 71°F | 49°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 59°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 64°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 62°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 55°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 42°F | 3.6 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 31°F | 3.0 in | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 22°F | 2.5 in | 4.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Park Forest (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Cook County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-09-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng (Flood)
- 2023-11-20: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2023-08-15: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-05-10: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Park Forest 3 mi northeast, about 4 min by car
- Richton Park 3 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Monee 3 mi southwest, about 4 min by car
- Matteson 5 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Crete 5 mi east, about 7 min by car
- South Chicago Heights 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Olympia Fields 5 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Chicago Heights 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Country Club Hills 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Homewood 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- University Park Metra Station, Zol87 from Chicago, Illinois, USA, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Governors State University D Building, main entrance, TheCatalyst31, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 20160212 14 Last Run of Metra Electric Highliners (28741794826), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20160212 17 Last Run of Metra Electric Highliners (28668032122), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20160212 16 Last Run of Metra Electric Highliners (28668032502), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Monee township, victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Main Street in Monee, Illinois, Legimet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Richton Park station house and parking entrance, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Metra Electric southbound view at Richton Park station, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Richton Park station house interior, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Richton Park station platform (September 2024), AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Monee Township building front 2026-08-23, User:Visviva, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Metra Electric train at rail yard - Richton Park, IL - September 2024, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- 20130403 16 Pace bus, Park Forest (9252275448), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
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