Cottage Hills, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cottage Hills, Illinois
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 Cottage Hills, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Cottage Hills, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Madison |
| Elevation | 512 ft (156 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 3,604 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
62018
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| Area code(s) | 618 |
| GNIS feature ID | 406618 |
Cottage Hills is a small place in Madison County, Illinois, United States. It's called an unincorporated community, which means it doesn't have its own city government like a town or city. Instead, it's governed by the county.
In 2018, about 3,604 people lived in the area covered by the Cottage Hills ZIP Code. It's located near other towns like Bethalto, Rosewood Heights, and East Alton. Cottage Hills is also part of the larger Greater St. Louis area. It has its own post office with the ZIP Code 62018.
About Cottage Hills
Cottage Hills is often called a "bedroom community." This means many people who live there travel to nearby cities for work, like St. Louis or Alton. They come home to Cottage Hills to sleep, making it a quiet place to live.
For many years, a railway called the St. Louis Division Old Line ran through the community. This railway was active between 1915 and 1980.
A Look at Its Past
Cottage Hills has a long history, probably settled around the same time as other parts of Madison County. In its early days, the area was mostly used for farming. Because of this, a train station was built in the late 1800s. This station was important for loading grain from local farms onto trains.
From Farmland to Community
Originally, Cottage Hills was known as Possum Ridge. This name came from its location on the edge of the Mississippi Bluffs, which are high cliffs near the Mississippi River.
A big change happened in 1934 when a family's farm was bought. This led to the start of building a new suburban area. Many people began moving to Cottage Hills from nearby Bethalto. From 1934 to the 1950s, Cottage Hills grew a lot. A post office was opened in 1941, and a movie theater called the Rio Theater also opened, though it closed in 1956. By the late 1950s, Cottage Hills had grown into a community of about 4,000 people.
Changes Over Time
Over the next few decades, Cottage Hills saw some changes. The railway that once passed through the community eventually closed down and was removed. In 2018, a bike path was built where the old railway used to be.
The local economy of Cottage Hills also changed. Many people started going to Bethalto or Alton for shopping, entertainment, and food. However, some industries, like the motor industry, grew stronger in Cottage Hills. The main road, MacArthur Drive (also known as Route 140), became a busy area for businesses related to cars. These businesses provided jobs for about half of the people working in the community.
