Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Orland Park

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
B−History
History · Orland Park

Orland Park dates to 1834, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 54% of U.S. towns · #369 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it

Its Register listings are the Twin Tower Sanctuary and the John Humphrey House. Most of Orland Park was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: maps from 1890 on and the census since 1900.

1834founded
2on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
13famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Orland Park began

When was Orland Park founded?

1834

Orland Park dates its founding to 1834 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 366 in 19002020 census: 58,703192 years

How historic is Orland Park?

B−

More historic than 54% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1851.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Orland Park’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Orland Park is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #369 of 768 in Illinois. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Orland Park’s overall grade.
Founding era1834, from Wikipedia: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19402.0% of homes (±0.8) · typical IL town 10.6% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register2 listings, 3 historic buildings, 0.5 per 10,000 residents · typical IL town 0.5 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 54%
NewerOlder
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 52%

Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Orland Park’s 0.5 sits near the middle of its state (60% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1834.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Orland Park’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Orland Park are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18908 editions of the USGS map, 1890 to 1993. Watch Orland Park change.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Orland Park, and 2 old place names are still on the map.Deep rootsEstablished in 1834: 192 years of Orland Park.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Orland Park’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Orland Park’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Orland Park on the map, 1890 to 1993

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Orland Park. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Orland Park on the 1890 USGS mapOrland Park on the 1900 USGS mapOrland Park on the 1928 USGS mapOrland Park on the 1953 USGS mapOrland Park on the 1963 USGS mapOrland Park on the 1973 USGS mapOrland Park on the 1980 USGS mapOrland Park on the 1993 USGS map1890Des Plaines sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Orland Park.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Orland Park’s post office has been open since 1927. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Orland
1851–1927
Alpine
1881–1913
Orland Park
1927–today
18501940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
AlpineFernway Park
Gone or out of use
Maue SchoolschoolSchool Number 141school
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Orland Park
Old German MethodistOrland Memorial Park Cooper

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Orland Park came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Orland Park.

Read it all →

Orland Park was first settled as "Orland" in 1834, with Henry Taylor being the area's first settler. Other original settlers include Ichabod and William Myrick, Jacob and Bernard Hostert, Thomas Cooper and John Humphrey. The Hostert brothers built log cabins for their families, which became some of the first homes built in Orland Park. In 1879, what would become the Wabash Railroad 6th district was constructed through Orland Park, leading way for the town's first train station, "Sedgwick Station." This development took the town from an agrarian society to a commercial hub that provides shipping services to local farms. The village was incorporated on May 31, 1892.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Orland Park, 1834 to 1994

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1834
    FoundingOrland Park is established
  3. 1851Post officeThe Orland post office opens
  4. 1881Post officeThe Alpine post office opens
  5. 1890On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 20th century
  7. 1913Post officeThe Alpine post office closes
  8. 1927Post officeThe Orland post office closes
  9. 1927Post officeThe Orland Park post office opens
  10. 1988Born hereTerry Broadhurst is born here
  11. 1992Born hereT. J. Tynan is born here
  12. 1993Born hereAlex Broadhurst is born here
  13. 1994Born hereConnor Carrick is born here
By decade

Orland Park, decade by decade

Today12 recent
Best Buy (Orland Park, Illinois) 12025Best Buy (Orland Park, Illinois) 1Walmart (Orland Hills, Illinois) 22024Walmart (Orland Hills, Illinois) 2Orland Park Police Vehicle (Illinois; August 2024)2024Orland Park Police Vehicle (Illinois; August 2024)Uncle Julio's (Orland Park, Illinois) 12023Uncle Julio's (Orland Park, Illinois) 1The Home Depot (Orland Park, Illinois) 12023The Home Depot (Orland Park, Illinois) 1Michaels (Orland Park, Illinois) 12023Michaels (Orland Park, Illinois) 1Meijer (Orland Park, Illinois) 12023Meijer (Orland Park, Illinois) 1Trader Joe's (Orland Park, Illinois) 12022Trader Joe's (Orland Park, Illinois) 1Darvin Furniture Store in 20182018Darvin Furniture Store in 2018Orland Park Station2016Orland Park StationOrland Park Station-153rd Street2016Orland Park Station-153rd StreetWalmart (Orland Hills, Illinois) 12007Walmart (Orland Hills, Illinois) 1
On the National Register

2 historic places in Orland Park

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
3
each building in a district counts
first listed
1988
Twin Tower Sanctuary
Twin Tower SanctuaryJohn Humphrey House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne1
Four-over-Four (modified)1
Twin Tower SanctuaryQueen Anne
John Humphrey HouseFour-over-Four (modified)

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Orland Park, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00065,000190019201940196019802000202058,703

Grew from 366 people in 1900 to 58,703 in 2020, more than tenfold.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Orland Park’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

13 famous people were born in Orland Park

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Alex BroadhurstAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1993
Connor CarrickAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1994
T. J. TynanAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1992
T
Terry BroadhurstAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1988
Dan FeeneyAmerican football player · b. 1994
Mary Therese McDonnellIrish footballer · b. 1986
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Orland HillsIts storyDTinley Park1 historic placeCOak ForestIts storyCPalos ParkIts storyC−Orland Township2 historic placesCHomer Glen1 historic placeC−Homer Township1 historic placeCFrankfort Township1 historic placeC+

Questions about Orland Park’s history

What year was Orland Park founded?

In 1834, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Orland Park’s post office opened in 1851, and the census of 1900 counted 366 people here.

How does Orland Park rank for history?

Orland Park is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #369 of 768 in Illinois. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Orland Park?

Two places: the Twin Tower Sanctuary (listed 1988) and the John Humphrey House (2005).

How old are the homes in Orland Park?

2% of Orland Park’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1989.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.