Skokie, Illinois

Skokie (Template:IPAc-en; formerly Niles Center) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 67,824.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Skokie lies approximately Template:Convert north of Chicago's downtown Loop. The name Skokie comes from a Potawatomi word for 'marsh'.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> For many years, Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Skokie's streets, like that of many suburbs, are largely a continuation of the Chicago street grid, and the village is served by the Chicago Transit Authority, further cementing its connection to the city.

Skokie was originally a German-Luxembourger farming community, but was later settled by a sizeable Jewish population, especially after World War II. At its peak in the mid-1960s, nearly 60% of the population was Jewish, the largest proportion of any Chicago suburb.<ref name=Smilk>Smilk, Carin M. (24 September 2019). The power of young people’: Skokie teens take proactive steps to introduce Judaism to peers Jewish National Syndicate. Retrieved on 20 July 2025</ref> Skokie still has many Jewish residents (now about 30% of the population) and over a dozen synagogues.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> It is home to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, which opened in northwest Skokie in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Skokie has twice received national attention for court cases decided by the United States Supreme Court. In the mid-1970s, it was at the center of National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie, in which a Nazi group, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, invoked the First Amendment in an attempt to schedule a Nazi rally in Skokie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the time, Skokie had a significant population of Holocaust survivors. Skokie ultimately lost that case, though the rally was never held.<ref name="SkokievNzs">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Beginnings

A 1925 "Chicago"-style bungalow in Skokie

Skokie Village Hall

In 1888, the community was incorporated as Niles Centre.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> About 1910, the spelling was Americanized to "Niles Center". However, the name caused postal confusion with the neighboring village of Niles. A village-renaming campaign began in the 1930s. In a referendum on November 15, 1940, residents chose the Native American name "Skokie" over the name "Devonshire".

During the real estate boom of the 1920s, large parcels were subdivided; many two- and three-flat apartment buildings were built, with the "Chicago"-style bungalow a dominant architectural specimen. Large-scale development ended as a result of the Great Crash of 1929 and consequent Great Depression. It was not until the 1940s and the 1950s, when parents of the baby boom generation moved their families out of Chicago, that Skokie's housing development began again. Consequently, the village developed commercially, an example being the Old Orchard Shopping Center, currently named Westfield Old Orchard.

During the night of November 27–28, 1934, after a gunfight in nearby Barrington that left two FBI agents dead, two accomplices of notorious 25-year-old bank-robber Baby Face Nelson (Lester Gillis) dumped his bullet-riddled body in a ditch along Niles Center Road adjoining the St. Peter Catholic Cemetery,<ref>St. Peter Catholic Cemetery, 8115 Niles Center Rd., Skokie 60077</ref> a block north of Oakton Street in the town.<ref>"Trace Outlaw Nelson on Death Ride". Chicago Tribune. November 29, 1934. p. 1</ref>

The first African-American family to move to Skokie arrived in 1961, and open-housing activists helped to integrate the suburb subsequently.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Name

Historic maps named the Skokie marsh as Chewab Skokie, a probable derivation from Kitchi-wap choku, a Potawatomi term meaning 'great marsh'.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other Indigenous names include skoutay or scoti, an Algonquian words for 'fire'.<ref>Virgil Vogel, "Indian Place Names in Illinois", Illinois State Historical Society, 1963</ref> "Skokie Marsh" was used by local botanists, notably Henry Chandler Cowles, as early as 1901.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The village name was changed from "Niles Center" to "Skokie" by referendum in 1940.<ref>"Niles Center? No, It's Skokie Now; Kalamazoo Cited as Example by Illinois City", The Kalamazoo Gazette, August 11, 1940. Accessed October 30, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "After wrangling for two years about it, this Chicago suburb has finally agreed to change its name. A committee of village trustees and civic leaders decided the community, should Skokie (pronounced be Sko-Kee, accent on the first syllable). Citizens clamoring for a new name said Niles Center made the suburb sound like a hick town. Opponents cited Kalamazoo and Oshkosh as excellent examples of communities which found Indian names a civic asset. Skokie is an Indian name."</ref> The name change may also have been influenced by James Foster Porter, a Chicago resident, who had explored the "Skoki Valley" in Banff National Park in Canada in 1911 and admired the name; Porter supported the name "Skokie" in the referendum.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Jewish community

Skokie attracted Jewish residents as newcomers did not face the same level of hostility as they did in some other Chicago suburbs, where it wasn't supported to sell property to Jewish institutions.<ref name=reich/> In the post-World War II real-estate developers and builders that were often Jewish themselves, advertised Skokie in the older, urban Jewish neighborhoods in the South, West and North Sides of Chicago.<ref name=reich/> New arrivals were also drawn to the urban planning vision of the Skokie Villager Master Plan of 1946, with its focus on fostering single-family homes rather than apartment living.<ref name=reich/> By 1975, Jewish residents made up 57% of the suburb's population.<ref name=reich/>

An estimated 8,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors settled in Skokie in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, making up 10% of the Jewish community in 1978.<ref name=reich>Reich, Howard (May-June 2010). The Life and Times of Skokie Moment Magazine. Retrieved on 22 July 2025</ref><ref>Safire, William (27 March 1978). Marching Through Skokie The New York Times. Retrieved on 20 July 2025</ref><ref>Lichtenstein, Amanda Leigh (16 May 2018). Skokie, Ill., Has Great Bagels — And An Even Better Story Behind Them NPR. Retrieved on 22 July 2025</ref> Yiddish was widely spoken and the area developed a Jewish character with synagogues, Hebrew Schools, Jewish delis, kosher butchers, Israeli bakeries and Judaica stores.<ref name=reich/> Survivors mostly socialized among each other.<ref name=reich/>

In 1964, Joseph Neumann, a Skokie resident and survivor of Auschwitz, provided testimony at the trial of one of the concentration camp's guards.<ref>(30 November 1964). American Jew Testifies at Trial of Auschwitz Camp Guards in Germany Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved on 20 July 2025</ref>

In early 1960, Skokie Valley Traditional synagogue was one of four synagogues in the Chicago area that was attacked.<ref>(20 April 1960). Chicago Synagogue Set on Fire; Fourth Synagogue Under Attack Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved on 20 July 2025</ref> The synagogue, now known as Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue, has become the largest Orthodox Jewish congregation in Chicago.<ref>Flanders, Joshua (15 June 2021).A Chicago Orthodox rabbi reaches out to his Rohingya and Black neighbors Retrieved on 22 July 2025</ref>

In 1962, the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation held its annual conference in the suburb.<ref>(18 May 1962). Reconstructionist Convention Maps Plans for Jewish Community Standards Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved on 20 July 2025</ref>

In 1970, Dr. Korczak Terrace was dedicated in Skokie, honoring a Polish Jewish martyr, Janusz Korczak.<ref>(22 June 1970). Street in Skokie Named for Dr. Janusz Korczak, a Jewish Polish Martyr Killed by Nazis Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved on 20 July 2025</ref> In June 1987, the suburb's Holocaust memorial was vandalised.<ref>(3 June 1987). Skokie, Ill., Holocaust Memorial Vandalized Early Monday Morning Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved on 20 July 2025</ref>

Supreme Court rulings

Twice in its history, Skokie has been the focal point of cases before the United States Supreme Court. National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie, 432 U.S. 43 (1977), involved a First Amendment issue. Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 531 U.S. 159 (2001) touched upon the Commerce Clause.

National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie

Template:Main In 1977 and 1978, Illinois neo-Nazis of the National Socialist Party of America (NSPA) attempted to hold a march in Skokie, far from their headquarters on Chicago's south side. Originally, the neo-Nazis had planned a political rally in Marquette Park in Chicago. The park is located in what was then a predominantly all-white neighborhood, similar to the situation in 1966, when a crowd of 4,000 Marquette Park residents gathered to watch Martin Luther King Jr. lead a march, some waving Confederate flags or throwing bottles, bricks and rocks at the protesters; King was knocked to his knees when struck by a rock.<ref name=Wilkerson>Template:Cite book</ref> However, the Chicago authorities thwarted the NSPA's plans.<ref name="SkokievNzs" />

Seeking another free-speech political venue, the NSPA group chose to march on Skokie. Given the many Holocaust survivors living in Skokie, the village's government thought the Nazi march would be disruptive, and refused the NSPA permission to hold the event. The NSPA appealed that decision, and the American Civil Liberties Union interceded on their behalf, in National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie. An Illinois appeals court raised the injunction issued by a Cook County Circuit Court judge, ruling that the presence of the swastika, the Nazi emblem, would constitute deliberate provocation of the people of Skokie. However, the Court also ruled that Skokie's attorneys had failed to prove that either the Nazi uniform or their printed materials, which it was alleged that the Nazis intended to distribute, would incite violence.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Moreover, because Chicago subsequently lifted its Marquette Park political demonstration ban, the NSPA ultimately held its rally in Chicago. The attempted Illinois Nazi march on Skokie was dramatized in the television film Skokie in 1981. It was satirized in the film The Blues Brothers in 1980.

Migratory bird rule

Template:See also In 2001, the decision by Skokie and 22 other communities belonging to the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County to use an isolated wetland as a solid waste disposal site resulted in a lawsuit. Ultimately, the case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, and resulted in an overturn of the federal migratory bird rule.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Skokie has a total area of Template:Convert, all land.<ref name="census-g001">Template:Cite web</ref> The village is bordered by Evanston to the east, Chicago to the southeast and southwest, Lincolnwood to the south, Niles to the southwest, Morton Grove to the west, Glenview to the northwest, and Wilmette to the north.

The village's street circulation is a street-grid pattern, with a major east–west thoroughfare every half mile: Old Orchard Road, Golf Road, Church Street, Dempster Street, Main Street, Oakton Street, Howard Street, and Touhy Avenue. The major north–south thoroughfares are Skokie Boulevard, Crawford Avenue, and McCormick Boulevard; the major diagonal streets are Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center Road, East Prairie Road and Gross Point Road.

Skokie's north–south streets continue the street names and (house number) grid values of Chicago's north–south streets – with the notable exceptions of Cicero Avenue, which is renamed Skokie Boulevard within Skokie, and Chicago's Pulaski Road retains its original Chicago City name, Crawford Avenue. The east–west streets continue Evanston's street names, but with Chicago grid values, such that Evanston's Dempster Street is 8800 north in Skokie addresses.

Climate

Skokie is in the Hot-summer humid continental climate, or Köppen Dfa zone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The zone includes four distinct seasons. Winter is cold with snow. Spring warms up with precipitation and storms, some of which can be severe and include tornadoes. Summer has high precipitation and storms. Fall cools down.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Weather box

Demographics

Template:US Census population As of the 2020 census<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> there were 67,824 people, 22,503 households, and 16,206 families residing in the village. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 25,256 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the village was 51.36% White, 7.94% African American, 0.48% Native American, 27.78% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.61% from other races, and 7.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.59% of the population.

There were 22,503 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.68% were married couples living together, 11.23% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.98% were non-families. 25.48% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.28% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.37 and the average family size was 2.78.

The village's age distribution consisted of 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $74,725, and the median income for a family was $93,491. Males had a median income of $46,915 versus $37,025 for females. The per capita income for the village was $37,827. About 7.5% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Skokie village, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	41,549	35,955	33,697	65.59%	55.50%	49.68%
Black or African American alone (NH)	2,798	4,566	5,256	4.42%	7.05%	7.75%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	65	70	56	0.10%	0.11%	0.08%
Asian alone (NH)	13,425	16,437	18,726	21.19%	25.37%	27.61%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	15	13	23	0.02%	0.02%	0.03%
Other race alone (NH)	119	185	424	0.19%	0.29%	0.63%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	1,757	1,830	2,457	2.77%	2.82%	3.62%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	3,620	5,728	7,185	5.71%	8.84%	10.59%
Total	63,348	64,784	67,824	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Skokie is approximately 28% Jewish<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and has over a dozen synagogues.<ref name=":0" />

Skokie also contains a sizeable Assyrian population. Some Assyrian American organizations, such as the Assyrian Universal Alliance Foundation, report that Assyrians make up the largest ethnic group in Skokie, with the population estimate being upwards of 20,000. The population of the local high school district, Niles Township High School District 219, is reported to be about 30% Assyrian, making them the largest ethnic group at the school district as well.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Economy

The village's AAA bond rating attests to strong economic health via prudent fiscal management. In 2003, Skokie became the first municipality in the United States to achieve nationally accredited police, fire, and public works departments, and a Class-1 fire department, per the Insurance Services Office (ISO) ratings. Likewise, in 2003 Money magazine named Skokie one of the 80 fastest-growing suburbs in the U.S.

Besides strong manufacturing and retail commerce bases, Skokie's economy will add health sciences jobs; in 2003, Forest City Enterprises announced their re-development of the vacant Pfizer research laboratories, in downtown Skokie, as the Illinois Science + Technology Park, a Template:Convert campus of research installations—Template:Convert of chemistry, genomics, toxicology laboratories, clean rooms, NMR suites, conference rooms, etc.). In 2006, NorthShore University HealthSystem announced installing their consolidated data center operations at the park, adding 500 jobs to the economy. Map maker Rand McNally is also headquartered in Skokie. More recently, the village has focused heavily on the revitalization of both the downtown and central business districts, incorporating Transit Oriented Development principles in the process.

Top employers

According to the Village's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the top employers in the village are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	NorthShore University HealthSystem	2,410
2	Federal-Mogul	1,279
3	Niles Township High School District 219	950
4	Macy's	910
5	Georgia Nut Company	815
6	Nordstrom	618
7	Village of Skokie	498
8	Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County	465
9	Skokie Park District	432
10	Generation Brands	417

Notable corporations

• Peapod, online grocer
• FelPro, now Tenneco
• Mayfair Games
• Rand McNally
• USRobotics
• Bell & Howell
• G.D. Searle, now Pfizer

Arts and culture

Westfield Old Orchard, an upscale shopping center, is one of the country's first and is the third largest mall by total square footage in Illinois.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fountain at Westfield Old Orchard

The Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park is situated along the North Shore Channel between Dempster Street and Touhy Avenue on the east side of McCormick Boulevard. The first sculptures were built in the park in 1988 and it now has over 70 sculptures. Three areas are toured May through October of each year, on the last Sunday of the month with a presentation by a docent.<ref>Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park</ref> Just north of the sculpture garden is a statue to Mahatma Gandhi with five of his famous quotations engraved around the base. This was dedicated on October 2, 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In addition to municipally-managed public spaces, the village is also home to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, encompassing Centre East, Northlight Theatre and the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra. The facility celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie

The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center opened in Skokie on April 19, 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Skokie's founding and early days were the subject of the 2023 documentary, Holy Ground.

Library

On October 7, 2008, the Skokie Public Library received the 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> notably for its cultural programming and multilingual services.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Parks and recreation

North Shore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie

The Skokie Park District maintains public spaces and historical sites within its more than Template:Convert of parkland and in its ten facilities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Skokie Valley Trail is a multi-use trail connecting the northwest side of Chicago to the communities of Lincolnwood and Skokie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2023, the Village announced plans to extend the Valley Line Trail from its current terminus at Dempster-Skokie Station to its northernmost boundary at Old Orchard Road. The result will be a continuous trail from the City of Chicago to the northern suburbs beyond Skokie. The project is estimated to be completed by 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The North Shore Channel Trail also passes through town.

Education

Public schools

Primary school districts include:

• Skokie School District 68
• Skokie/Morton Grove School District 69
• Fairview South School District 72
• East Prairie School District 73
• Skokie School District 73.5

Niles Township High School District 219 operates public high schools.

A portion of the city is served by the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Evanston Township High School.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

High schools

Niles North High School in Skokie

• Niles North of District 219
• Niles West of District 219
• Niles Township District 219, known for its fine arts program, was awarded the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts Top program for fine arts education in the United States on April 27, 2007.
• Niles East High School closed in 1980 after community efforts to save the school failed.

Junior high schools

• Oliver McCracken Middle School (formerly Oakview Junior High) of District 73.5
• East Prairie School (Pre-K through 8th) of District 73
• Fairview South School of District 72
• Lincoln Junior High of District 69
• Old Orchard Junior High of District 68
• Chute Middle School in Evanston serves a small portion of Skokie residents of Evanston/Skokie District 65

Elementary schools

See the same map as middle schools.

• Jane Stenson School, (K through 5th) of District 68
• Devonshire School, (K through 5th) of District 68
• Highland School, (K through 5th) of District 68
• Madison School, (pre-K through 2nd) of District 69
• Edison School, (3rd through 5th) of District 69
• Fairview North formerly of District 72
• Fairview South School, (K through 8th) of District 72
• Elizabeth Meyer School, (pre-K and K) of District 73.5
• John Middleton School, (1st through 5th) of District 73.5
• East Prairie School, (Pre-K through 8th) of District 73
• Walker Elementary School, (K through 5th) of Skokie/Evanston District 65
• Dr. Bessie Rhodes Magnet School, (K through 8th) of Skokie/Evanston District 65, formerly Timber Ridge Magnet School (may be attended by Skokie students in District 65)

Religious day schools

Jewish:

• Arie Crown Hebrew Day School (pre-K through 8th), boys and girls
• Cheder Lubavitch Hebrew Day School (pre-K through 8th), separate boys and girls programs
• Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School (pre-K through 8th), boys and girls
• Ida Crown Jewish Academy (9th through 12th), boys and girls
• Fasman Yeshiva High School (9th through 12th), boys only
• Solomon Schechter Day School Ginsburg Early Childhood Center.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 1978 to 2012 the day school had a campus in Skokie. After 2012 day students were moved to Northbrook, and the building is now MCC Academy's elementary school. The closure of the Skokie facility occurred as fewer Jewish people lived in Skokie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Muslim:

• MCC Academy (Pre-K through elementary are in Skokie, with secondary students in Morton Grove)<ref name=About>Template:Cite web</ref>

Roman Catholic:

• St. Joan of Arc School (K-8), of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago

Post-secondary education

• Oakton College (Ray Hartstein Campus) This is the site of the old Niles East High School. The original structure, built in the 1930s, was demolished in the 1990s.
• Hebrew Theological College, a private university. It was chartered in 1922 as one of the first Modern Orthodox Jewish institutions of higher education in America.
• National-Louis University has a campus near the Skokie Courthouse.
• Orchard Academy a postsecondary school for transition students graduating at age 22.

Infrastructure

Public transportation

The Chicago "L"s Yellow Line terminates at the Dempster Street station in Skokie. Construction has been completed on a new Yellow Line train station at Oakton Street, to serve downtown Skokie. It opened on April 30, 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Additionally, the CTA is commissioning an alternatives analysis study on the extension of the Yellow Line terminal to Old Orchard Road for Federal Transit Administration New Start grants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The New Starts program allows federal funds to be used for capital projects provided that all extensions for a given problem (i.e., enabling easy transportation for reverse commuters to Westfield Old Orchard) are considered. The extension recommended by the CTA, is the elevation of the Yellow Line to a new terminal south of Old Orchard Road. This extension was canceled.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Although the Yellow Line is the fastest transportation to and from the city, the village also is served by CTA and Pace bus routes. The Pace Pulse Dempster Line opened through the village in 2023, which provides a high-frequency limited stop bus service between O'Hare Airport and the city of Evanston with sheltered stops adjacent to the Yellow Line. However, Greyhound Bus service to the Dempster Street train station has been discontinued. For automobile transport, Interstate 94, the Edens Expressway, traverses western Skokie, with interchanges at Touhy Avenue, Dempster Street, and Old Orchard Road.

Major highways

Major highways in Skokie include: Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break Interstate Highways

• Interstate 94

Template:Col-break US Highways

• US 41

Template:Col-break Illinois Highways

• Route 50
• Route 58

Notable people

• Rob Ambrose, former head coach of Towson Tigers football team of Towson University
• Bushra Amiwala, First Gen Z Elected Official in the United States
• Louie Belpedio, NHL player for the Minnesota Wild
• Mike Byster, mathematician, mental calculator and math educator
• Jovita Carranza (born 1949), 26th Administrator of the Small Business Administration (2020–present). She is a past resident of Skokie.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Bobby Ciraldo, filmmaker and web-based artist
• Bart Conner, Olympic gymnast, 1984 gold medalist
• David Cromer, theatre director and stage actor
• David Draiman, lead singer of Disturbed
• Robert Feder, media blogger, former columnist for Chicago Sun-Times
• Brenda A. Ferber, author of children's literature
• Ken Goldstein, singer and author
• Woody Goss, musician
• Joel Pollak, politician and journalist
• Nancy Lee Grahn, actress
• Phil Handler (1908–1968), NFL football player and coach
• Erin Heatherton, fashion model and actress
• Amanda Jones, 1973 Miss USA
• Shelly Kagan, philosopher
• David Kaplan, columnist, radio and television personality
• Jonathan Kite, actor and comedian
• George Kotsiopoulos, magazine editor, fashion consultant, TV personality
• Ken Kramer, former Congressman
• Lou Lang, politician
• Rashard Mendenhall,<ref name="Skokie Review: A Look back at Rashard Mendenhall">Template:Cite news</ref> former running back in the National Football League
• Abdel Nader (born 1993), professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association<ref>"Sweet 16 a homecoming for Cyclone starter", KCCI, March 24, 2016. Accessed October 30, 2025. "Starting for a Sweet 16 team, Nader's road to success has been an uncharted one. It started in Skokie, Illinois, a short drive from Friday night's game at the United Center."</ref>
• Brent Novoselsky, NFL tight end
• Noam Pikelny, banjo player, known for association with string quintet Punch Brothers
• Esther Povitsky, standup comedian, actress and podcast host
• Matt Reichel, politician
• Eric Rosen (born 1993), chess player and Twitch streamer<ref>Isaacs, Mike. "Chess champ from Skokie earns rare international title", Chicago Tribune, September 29, 2015. Accessed October 30, 2025. "Chess champion and Skokie resident Eric Rosen, who recently was awarded a rare international title from the U.S. Chess Federation, analyzed his future in chess."</ref>
• Clarke Rosenberg (born 1993), American-Israeli basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League
• Jessy Schram, actress
• John Gideon Searle, businessman
• Randy Suess, co-founder of CBBS, the first Bulletin Board System (BBS) ever brought online
• Calvin Sutker, politician and lawyer
• Azhar Usman, Indian-American Muslim standup comedian, actor, writer, and producer.
• Wesley Willis, visual artist and musician

In popular culture

An image of Oakton Street in Skokie portrayed the fictional town of Mayfield in television show Leave it to Beaver.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/eye-on-chicago-for-dec-13/</ref>

Further reading

• When the Nazis Came to Skokie: Freedom for Speech We Hate, Philippa Strum, University Press of Kansas (Mar 31, 1999), Template:ISBN
• Skokie, 1888–1988: A centennial history, Richard Whittingham, Village of Skokie (1988), ASIN B00071EORW
• Steven J. Heyman (ed.), Controversies in Constitutional Law: Hate Speech and the Constitution (New York and London: Garland Publishing Inc., 1996, Vol. II)
• The industrialization of the Skokie area, James Byron Kenyon, University Of Chicago Press (1954), ASIN B0007DMRX8

External links

• Template:Official website
• Brief history of Skokie