Litchfield, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Litchfield, Illinois
City
Cars in a "66" formation at the SkyView Drive-In
Motto(s):  "Many pleasant surprises!"
Location in Montgomery County, Illinois
Litchfield, Illinois Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Montgomery
Townships	North Litchfield, South Litchfield
Founded	1856
Area
• Total	10.95 sq mi (28.35 km2)
• Land	8.93 sq mi (23.13 km2)
• Water	2.02 sq mi (5.23 km2)
Elevation	669 ft (204 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,605
• Density	739.72/sq mi (285.61/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	62056
Area code(s)	217
FIPS code	17-43965
GNIS feature ID	2395731
Wikimedia Commons	Litchfield, Illinois

Litchfield is a city in Montgomery County, Illinois, United States. In 2020, about 6,605 people lived there. It is located in South Central Illinois, south of Springfield, the state capital.

History of Litchfield

Litchfield started as a town called "Huntsville" in October 1853.

Before Huntsville, there was a town called Hardinsburg, about 2 miles southwest. It was founded around 1850. Both towns were created because a new railroad, the Terre Haute & Alton Railroad, was expected. Hardinsburg grew to about 50 people by 1854. But when it became clear the railroad would go through Huntsville instead, many buildings from Hardinsburg were moved to Huntsville starting in January 1854. Most of the people also moved, becoming Litchfield's first residents. The railroad arrived in Huntsville in the autumn of 1864. Within two years, Hardinsburg had mostly disappeared.

Huntsville was renamed Litchfield in November 1855. It was named after Electus Bachus Litchfield. He and his brothers had given land and convinced the railroad to build its shops and terminals there.

The people of Litchfield first voted to become a village on April 4, 1856. However, the village leaders did not finish the process. The village's first charter ended in the autumn of 1857. The state legislature then gave Litchfield a new municipal charter on February 16, 1859. The first elections under this new charter were held on March 7, 1859.

The Milnot Company, famous for its Milnot evaporated milk, started in Litchfield. It was founded in 1912 as the Litchfield Creamery Company. A new plant was built in 1916 and operated until 1990. Today, that building is an indoor sports training center.

Geography and Location

Litchfield is in western Montgomery County. It is about 9 miles west of Hillsboro, which is the county seat. Interstate 55 runs along the west side of the city. You can get on I-55 from Exit 52 (Illinois Route 16). I-55 goes north about 42 miles to Springfield and southwest about 53 miles to St. Louis. Illinois Route 16 goes through Litchfield as Union Avenue. It leads east to Hillsboro and southwest about 10 miles to Gillespie.

Litchfield covers about 11 square miles in total. About 9 square miles are land, and 2 square miles are water. The city's water flows east into the West Fork of Shoal Creek. This creek flows south into the Kaskaskia River. Lake Lou Yaeger is a large lake on the West Fork, northeast of the city. Litchfield's city limits reach about 5 miles north to include most of this lake.

Population Information

Litchfield's Population in 2020

In 2020, Litchfield had 6,605 people living in 3,104 homes. About 7.7% of the people were under 5 years old. 22.8% were under 18, and 19.4% were over 65. Most of the people (96.8%) were White. About 0.8% were African American, 0.3% Native American, and 0.4% Asian. About 1.7% were from two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 1.6% of the population.

The average household income was $50,368. The average income per person was $26,746. About 18.2% of the people lived below the poverty line.

Fun Things to See and Do

Popular Attractions in Litchfield

The Ariston Café is one of the oldest restaurants along the famous U.S. Route 66. The café itself says it might be the oldest. The Ariston Café opened in 1924 in Carlinville, Illinois. It later moved to its current spot in Litchfield. The café was added to the Route 66 Hall of Fame in 1992.

The Ariston Café, a popular stop along U.S. Route 66

Another important place is Litchfield's Lake Lou Yaeger. It is a large lake located northeast of town. The Sky View Theater is also in the Route 66 Hall of Fame. It has been open since 1950. It is one of the last drive-in movie theaters still operating along Route 66.

The Belvidere Motel opened in Litchfield in 1934. It is one of the oldest motels around.

The Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center opened on June 1, 2013. The museum is across from the Ariston Café. It is owned by an association and is mostly supported by donations.

How People Get Around

Transportation in Litchfield

The Litchfield Municipal Airport is about 2 miles southwest of Litchfield's main business area.

Litchfield is served by Interstate 55 and Illinois Route 16.

Two major railroad lines, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Norfolk Southern, cross at the south edge of Litchfield. They run side-by-side through town from north to south.

Famous People from Litchfield

• Estella Bagnelle, a school superintendent in California.
• Stephen D. Canady (1865–1923), an Illinois state lawmaker and businessman.
• Luke Epplin, a sportswriter who grew up in Litchfield.
• Jackie Mayo, a professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was born in Litchfield.
• Paul Martin Pearson, an author, professor, and governor of the Virgin Islands. He was born in Litchfield. His son was the famous writer Drew Pearson.
• Ray Schalk, a Hall of Fame baseball catcher for the Chicago White Sox. He grew up in Litchfield.
• Harry C. Stuttle (1879–1947), an Illinois state lawmaker, judge, and lawyer.

See also

In Spanish: Litchfield (Illinois) para niños