Dahlgren, Illinois Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Dahlgren, Illinois
Village
The Dahlgren railroad depot in 2019
Nickname(s): DLG / dubbed by Colby Flannigan & Adam Crump
Location of Dahlgren in Hamilton County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Hamilton
Township	Dahlgren
Founded	March 29, 1872
Post Office Established	December 11, 1871
Government
• Type	Village President (Mayor) and Board of Trustees
Area
• Total	1.02 sq mi (2.63 km²)
• Land	1.02 sq mi (2.63 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	515 ft (157 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	504
• Density	495.58/sq mi (191.31/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	62828
Area code(s)	618
FIPS code	17-18303
GNIS ID	2398669
Wikimedia Commons	Dahlgren, Illinois

Dahlgren is a small village located in Hamilton County, Illinois, United States. In 2020, about 504 people lived there. It is part of the larger Mount Vernon area.

Exploring Dahlgren's Location and Size
- How to Get Around Dahlgren
Dahlgren's Past: A Look at Its History
- The Railroad and the Village Name
- Founding of the Village
Who Lives in Dahlgren? A Look at the Population
- Age and Income in Dahlgren
Dahlgren's Economy and Travel Options
- Getting Around and Shipping Goods
- Airports and Bus Services
Staying Connected in Dahlgren
- Television and Internet
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Dahlgren's Location and Size

Dahlgren is a small village in Illinois. It covers an area of about 1.02 square miles (2.63 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

How to Get Around Dahlgren

Illinois Route 142 is a main road that goes through the village. If you drive southeast for about 11 miles (18 km), you'll reach McLeansboro. This town is the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices for Hamilton County are located. If you drive northwest for about 15 miles (24 km), you'll get to Mount Vernon.

Dahlgren's Past: A Look at Its History

The area where Dahlgren is now was once known as the Shelton Precinct in the 1860s. This was before townships were officially created.

The Railroad and the Village Name

In 1869, people surveying for a new railroad called the St. Louis & South-Eastern Rail Road (which later became part of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad) called the future town site "Little Prairie." The railroad construction began in 1870 and was finished in this area by late 1871.

Railroad officials wanted to open a post office in the new town. They first suggested the name "Cottonwood," but it was already used in Illinois. So, on December 11, 1871, the name "Dahlgren" was chosen, and the post office opened. The village was named after John A. Dahlgren, a U.S. naval officer who was important during the American Civil War.

Founding of the Village

The official founding date of Dahlgren is March 29, 1872. On this day, a person named A. M. Sturman set aside one square mile of land to create the town. This land was centered around what are now Main and 3rd Streets. All the land ownership in Dahlgren comes from this original plan. The first part of Dahlgren stretched from the railroad depot south to Sturmman Street and from 1st Street west to 5th Street. This covered 12 square blocks.

Who Lives in Dahlgren? A Look at the Population

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	205	—
1890	301	46.8%
1900	452	50.2%
1910	654	44.7%
1920	693	6.0%
1930	625	−9.8%
1940	595	−4.8%
1950	609	2.4%
1960	480	−21.2%
1970	487	1.5%
1980	508	4.3%
1990	512	0.8%
2000	514	0.4%
2010	525	2.1%
2020	504	−4.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2020, the village of Dahlgren had 504 residents. There were 273 households, and 194 of these were families. The population density was about 495.58 people per square mile (191.31 people per square kilometer).

Most of the people living in Dahlgren are White (about 94.84%). A small number of residents are African American, Asian, or from two or more races. About 0.79% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Age and Income in Dahlgren

The average age of people in Dahlgren is about 44.8 years old.

About 29.8% of the population is under 18 years old.
About 23.6% of the population is 65 years or older.

The average income for a household in Dahlgren was $50,038. For families, the average income was $55,000. About 17.7% of the total population lived below the poverty line. This included 30.7% of those under 18 years old.

Dahlgren's Economy and Travel Options

The Dahlgren railroad depot in 1956, looking southeast from 3rd Street.

Farming is still the main economic activity around Dahlgren. Other businesses include stores and manufacturing, like making custom cabinets.

Getting Around and Shipping Goods

Dahlgren is on Illinois Route 142. The closest major highway, I-64, is about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) northwest.

The Evansville Western Railway (EVWR) provides freight train service to Dahlgren. This means goods can be shipped in and out of the village by train. Dahlgren does not have passenger train service.

Airports and Bus Services

If you need to fly, the closest airports are:

Marion Williamson County Regional Airport (MWA)
Evansville Dress Regional Airport (EVV)
Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport (STL)

For passenger trains, the nearest Amtrak station is in Centralia, Illinois. You can find interstate bus service in Mount Vernon, Illinois, which is about 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Dahlgren.

Staying Connected in Dahlgren

The Dahlgren post office serves over 1,500 customers in the 62828 ZIP code area. Dahlgren no longer has its own local newspaper. The weekly McLeansboro Times-Leader also stopped publishing in 2018. However, residents can get other daily newspapers like The Morning Sentinel and The Southern Illinoisan.

Television and Internet

Dahlgren is in a television market that includes Harrisburg, IL, Cape Girardeau, MO, and Paducah, KY. Residents can watch many TV channels over the air. These include channels from major networks like ABC, NBC, PBS, CBS, and Fox.

For phone and internet, mobile phone service is available from companies like ATT and Verizon. Local landline phone and DSL internet service are provided by the Hamilton County Telephone Cooperative. Wireless internet is also available from mobile providers, and satellite internet can be used from companies like Exede/ViaSat and HughesNet.