In 1852, after the arrival of the Illinois Central Railroad, developers established a depot and platted a small agricultural village where the rail line crossed the Sauk Trail.  The railroad electrified its suburban lines, where Richton Park was the last stop.  Local residents renamed the area Richton Park and incorporated the village.

Richton Park is located in a south suburb of Chicago.  It is largely a residential village on the southern border of Cook County.  It has an interchange onto Interstate 57 for access to Chicago.

There are a substantial number of apartments in the village with one-third of the households made up of renters.  The majority of residents live in single-family homes.

Richton Park is served by a three  school districts and has several parks.