PYRTPlan Your Road Trips
Create TripCommunityMerchandise
PYRTPlan Your Road Trips
Create TripCommunityMerchandise
US Census Bureau reference map of w:Oak Forest, Illinois.
Dunning inmates arriving at Oak Forest Infirmary, IL. (This photonegative taken by a Chicago Daily News photographer may have been published in the newspaper.)
Dunning inmates transferred to Oak Forest Infirmary, Oak Forest Illinois
Photo by United States Census Bureau
Destinations
Home›Destinations›Oak Forest
North AmericaUnited StatesIllinois

Oak Forest

Illinois, United States · North America

About Oak Forest

Oak Forest sits on the route: 10 minutes from Markham, 32km from Route 66 - Chicago Start.

Oak Forest is in Illinois, United States, with about 28,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Markham, about 4 km away.

Oak Forest is a train station located in Oak Forest, Illinois on Metra's Rock Island District line, which runs between Joliet, Illinois and LaSalle Street Station in downtown Chicago, Illinois. It is in Zone 3 according to Metra fare schedules based on distance from downtown Chicago. As of 2018, Oak Forest is the 42nd

Read more busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 1,091 weekday boardings. As of 2022, Oak Forest is served by 42 trains (21 in each direction) on weekdays, by 21 trains (10 inbound, 11 outbound) on Saturdays, and by 16 trains (eight in each direction) on Sundays and holidays. The station is located at 159th Street (U.S. Route 6) and Cicero Avenue (Illinois Route 50). There are several parking lots adjacent to the station, though they are being removed and relocated further away from the train station as part of Oak Forest Mayor JoAnn Kelly's Gateway Project. In 2011, Oak Forest, then the second-busiest station on the Rock Island line with 1,500 daily commuters and 23 trains, received a $1.3 million grant from the United States Department of Transportation for modernization.

Read more on Wikipedia

Where to Stay in Oak Forest

Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.

Filter presets

Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.

Booking.comExpediaTripAdvisorHotels.comAgodaAirbnb

Compare before you book!

Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Oak Forest.

Explore the Area

Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Oak Forest.

Loading map...
Open in Google Maps

Frequently Asked Questions

What is there to see near Oak Forest?

Within an hour or so of Oak Forest: Field Museum of Natural History (31 km), Shedd Aquarium (31 km), Willis Tower (Sears Tower) (32 km), Route 66 - Chicago Start (32 km).

Are there any good drives near Oak Forest?

The nearest famous roads are Route 66 - Chicago Start.

Where is Oak Forest?

Oak Forest is in Illinois, United States, about 4 km from Markham.

Road trip

Drive to Oak Forest

Add it as a stop and the planner works out the driving, the nights and what's worth seeing on the way.

Start planning

What's nearby?

Swipe through places to go

Places within a drive of Oak Forest. Keep the ones you like and add them to your trip.

Explore now

Quick Information

Population
28,074
Continent
North America
Country
United States
Region
Illinois
Timezone
America/Chicago
Coordinates
41.6028, -87.7439

Emergency & Services

Essential numbers in United States

Police
911
Ambulance
911
Fire
911
Driving side
right

AAA roadside assistance: 1-800-222-4357. Right turn on red is legal in most states unless signed otherwise.

Full driving guide for United States

Tags

North AmericaUnited StatesIllinoisTown

Worth the detour from Oak Forest

6 notable places within an hour's drive.

museum

Field Museum of Natural History

Home to Sue, the largest and most complete T. rex ever found, along with extensive anthropological and geological collections.

31 km · about 35 min drive

landmark

Shedd Aquarium

Iconic Chicago aquarium on the Lake Michigan waterfront housing over 32,000 animals from around the world.

31 km · about 35 min drive

landmark

Willis Tower (Sears Tower)

Iconic 110-storey Chicago skyscraper with a glass-floored Skydeck, once the tallest building in the world.

32 km · about 35 min drive

66 US ROUTE

historic highway

Route 66 - Chicago Start

The 'Begin Route 66' sign on Adams Street at Michigan Avenue marks the start of the 2,448-mile Mother Road to Santa Monica: the classic photo stop before heading west.

32 km · about 35 min drive

museum

Art Institute of Chicago

One of the oldest and largest art museums in the US, renowned for its Impressionist collection and Grant Wood's American Gothic.

32 km · about 35 min drive

cafe

Lou Mitchell's

Serving double-yolk eggs and free Milk Duds since 1923, this Chicago diner beside the start of Route 66 is the traditional first breakfast of the Mother Road journey.

32 km · about 35 min drive

Driving roads near Oak Forest

  • 32 kmRoute 66 - Chicago StartThe 'Begin Route 66' sign on Adams Street at Michigan Avenue marks the start of the 2,448-mile Mother Road to Santa Monica: the classic photo stop before heading west.

Nearby Destinations

Other places to explore near Oak Forest.

Tinley Park

🇺🇸 United States

5 km awayPop. 57,143

Robbins

🇺🇸 United States

6 km awayPop. 5,480

Alsip

🇺🇸 United States

7 km awayPop. 19,346

Blue Island

🇺🇸 United States

8 km awayPop. 23,652

Harvey

🇺🇸 United States

8 km awayPop. 25,194

Flossmoor

🇺🇸 United States

8 km awayPop. 9,478

Orland Park

🇺🇸 United States

10 km awayPop. 58,619

Riverdale

🇺🇸 United States

10 km awayPop. 13,536

Plan a trip around Oak Forest

North America road trip planner

Your trip starts here

Plan a road trip from Oak Forest.

Pick the days, drop in the stops, and share it with whoever's coming.

Start planning
PYRT

The ultimate road trip planning platform. Discover 150,000+ destinations worldwide, plan scenic routes, and create unforgettable adventures.

Inspiration

  • Discover Trips
  • Travel Guides
  • Community

The Product

  • Calendar Planner
  • Integrations
  • How It Works
  • Collaboration Mode
  • Get the App
  • Merchandise: PYRT Supply Co.
  • Become a Creator
  • Trip Marketplace

Plan Your Trip

  • Road Trip Planner
  • Famous Routes
  • Drive Times & Distances
  • Planners by Country
  • Best Road Trip Planner App
  • Discover Road Trips
  • Events
  • Travel Guides
  • How It Works
  • My Trips
  • Community Groups

Company

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • About PYRT
  • Support
  • Contact Us
  • Sign In
  • Create Account

© 2026 Plan Your Road Trips. All rights reserved.

•[email protected]
Data sources:GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)•Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)•Mapbox•Photography: George Lawrence