Grove Picnic Area 1

About forestry service, 60423, Frankfort, IL, US, Illinois

Mokena ( moh-KEE-nuh) is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. It is a southwest suburb of Chicago. The population was 19,887 at the 2020 census. The Census Bureau's 2019 estimate found that the population had increased to 20,159. == Etymology == Mokena is a name apparently derived from a Native American language meaning "mud turtle". While the particular language from which the name originates is not documented, likely candidates are Anishinaabemowin, whose word for "snapping turtle" is mikinaak, and its close sister language Potawatomi, in which the same animal is called mkenak. Both languages were once spoken in the area now occupied by the town. Mokena is located at 41°32′4″N 87°52′37″W. According to the 2010 census, Mokena has an area of 8.893 square miles (23.03 km2), of which 8.89 square miles (23.02 km2) (or 99.97%) is land and 0.003 square miles (0.01 km2) (or 0.03%) is water. It is bordered by Tinley Park to the northeast, Orland Park to the north, Homer Glen to the northwest, Frankfort to the south, and New Lenox to the west. == Education == Elementary school services are provided by one of four school districts: Mokena School District 159, New Lenox School District 122, Frankfort School District 157C, and Summit Hill School District 161.