Skokie

Skokie is a village in Cook County lying just north of Chicago, made up of flat terrain with residential streets, shopping centers, and parks. The main roads run in straight lines from east to west and north to south, with a village hall at the center and several libraries spread across the area.

The settlement began in 1833 under the name Niles Center as a farming community and grew with the arrival of the railroad. Residents voted in 1940 to adopt the new name to avoid confusion with the neighboring town of Niles.

The Illinois Holocaust Museum serves as a place where visitors confront difficult chapters of the past through exhibits and survivor testimonies. Many storefronts and restaurants along the main streets carry signs reflecting the heritage of families who settled here after the Second World War.

The village hall on Oakton Street handles administrative matters and public services, while libraries are distributed throughout the area. Most facilities can be reached by car or public transit from Chicago.

A court case from 1977 reached the Supreme Court and dealt with free assembly rights when a radical group planned a march here. The ruling became a precedent in American constitutional law and is still taught in law schools today.

Location: Cook County

Inception: 1833

Elevation above the sea: 185 m

Shares border with: Wilmette, Glenview, Evanston, Chicago, Lincolnwood, Niles, Morton Grove

Website: http://skokie.org

GPS coordinates: 42.03361,-87.73278

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:03