Rantoul, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rantoul, Illinois
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Downtown Rantoul
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Location of Rantoul in Champaign County, Illinois.
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 Rantoul, Illinois
Location in Champaign County, Illinois
Rantoul, Illinois
Location in Illinois
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Champaign |
| Townships | Rantoul and Ludlow |
| Founded | March 4, 1854 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.59 sq mi (22.26 km2) |
| • Land | 8.49 sq mi (21.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.10 sq mi (0.27 km2) |
| Elevation | 745 ft (227 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,371 |
| • Density | 1,457.13/sq mi (562.58/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
61866
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| Area codes | 217, 447 |
| FIPS code | 17-62783 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2399042 |
Rantoul is a village located in northern Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. In 2020, about 12,371 people lived there. It is part of the larger Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area.
Contents
History of Rantoul
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The village of Rantoul was named after Robert Rantoul, Jr.. He was a U.S. representative from Massachusetts. He was also a director for the Illinois Central Railroad.
Rantoul was first planned in 1854 for the Illinois Central Railroad by John Penfield. A post office opened in 1856, called Rantoul Station. Its name was changed to Rantoul in May 1862.
In 1917, the United States Army chose Rantoul for a new air base called Chanute Field. This was because it was close to the Illinois Central railroad. It was also near the War Department's flight school at the University of Illinois.
During the 1930s, Chanute Field grew very big. It became a major part of the local economy. Thousands of airmen came there for training. After World War II, it was renamed Chanute Air Force Base.
The base closed in 1993. This caused a big decline in Rantoul's economy. Parts of the base were later used by the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, which closed in 2015. The Rantoul National Aviation Center also uses some of the old base area.
The Rantoul Family Sports Complex opened in August 2021. It is a top-notch sports facility. It has 10 fields for baseball and softball. It also has 8 fields for other sports. Many amateur teams use it for tournaments and local games. The University of Illinois men's lacrosse team also plays there.
In 2022, almost 1 million people visited the Rantoul Family Sports Complex. This brought about $7.5 million in visitor spending to Champaign County.
Geography and Climate
Rantoul covers a total area of about 8.59 square miles (22.26 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 8.49 square miles (21.99 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 0.10 square miles (0.27 square kilometers) is water.
Rantoul's Climate
| Climate data for Rantoul, Illinois (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1965–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
72 (22) |
86 (30) |
90 (32) |
99 (37) |
104 (40) |
105 (41) |
102 (39) |
101 (38) |
93 (34) |
82 (28) |
72 (22) |
105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.4 (1.3) |
39.6 (4.2) |
51.4 (10.8) |
64.3 (17.9) |
75.4 (24.1) |
84.9 (29.4) |
87.5 (30.8) |
85.9 (29.9) |
80.7 (27.1) |
67.3 (19.6) |
52.3 (11.3) |
39.8 (4.3) |
63.6 (17.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.1 (−3.8) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
40.4 (4.7) |
51.9 (11.1) |
63.3 (17.4) |
73.3 (22.9) |
75.8 (24.3) |
73.7 (23.2) |
67.5 (19.7) |
54.7 (12.6) |
41.8 (5.4) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
52.3 (11.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 15.8 (−9.0) |
19.6 (−6.9) |
29.3 (−1.5) |
39.6 (4.2) |
51.3 (10.7) |
61.7 (16.5) |
64.1 (17.8) |
61.6 (16.4) |
54.3 (12.4) |
42.1 (5.6) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
41.1 (5.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −27 (−33) |
−19 (−28) |
−13 (−25) |
10 (−12) |
26 (−3) |
38 (3) |
43 (6) |
38 (3) |
29 (−2) |
21 (−6) |
3 (−16) |
−22 (−30) |
−27 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.54 (65) |
2.01 (51) |
2.58 (66) |
3.98 (101) |
4.33 (110) |
4.61 (117) |
4.44 (113) |
3.86 (98) |
3.28 (83) |
3.32 (84) |
3.19 (81) |
2.21 (56) |
40.35 (1,025) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.2 | 7.1 | 8.8 | 10.2 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 8.7 | 8.0 | 6.5 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 7.4 | 102.3 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population of Rantoul
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 850 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,074 | 26.4% | |
| 1900 | 1,207 | 12.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,384 | 14.7% | |
| 1920 | 1,551 | 12.1% | |
| 1930 | 1,555 | 0.3% | |
| 1940 | 2,367 | 52.2% | |
| 1950 | 6,387 | 169.8% | |
| 1960 | 22,116 | 246.3% | |
| 1970 | 25,562 | 15.6% | |
| 1980 | 20,161 | −21.1% | |
| 1990 | 17,212 | −14.6% | |
| 2000 | 12,857 | −25.3% | |
| 2010 | 12,941 | 0.7% | |
| 2020 | 12,371 | −4.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, the village had 12,371 people living in 5,137 households. About 2,947 of these were families. The population density was about 1,439 people per square mile.
The people living in Rantoul come from many different backgrounds. About 54.60% were White, and 22.50% were African American. Other groups included Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander people. About 17.44% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
In terms of age, about 29.6% of the people were under 18 years old. About 12.8% were 65 years or older. The average age in the village was 34.3 years.
Fun Activities in Rantoul
There are several interesting places and activities in Rantoul:
- Hardy's Reindeer Ranch: You can see real reindeer here and visit a Christmas shop.
- Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum: This museum used to show the history of flight and military aviation. It was located on the old Chanute Air Force Base but closed in 2015.
- Korean War Veterans Museum: A new museum is being built on the old base. It will share the history of the Korean War.
- Rantoul Theater Group: This group puts on live plays, comedies, and musicals for everyone to enjoy.
Education in Rantoul
Rantoul has several schools for different age groups:
- Rantoul Township High School: This is the only high school in Rantoul. It serves students from Rantoul and nearby towns like Gifford, Thomasboro, and Ludlow. The University of Illinois football team sometimes holds practice games here.
- St. Malachy Grade School: This is a Catholic grade school in Rantoul.
- Rantoul City Schools District 137: This district has five schools for students from Pre-K to 8th grade. These schools are Eastlawn, Pleasant Acres, Broadmeadow, Northview (all Pre-K-5), and Eater (6-8).
- Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy: This program helps high school dropouts. It teaches them life skills using a military-style approach. The goal is to help them gain skills for life and work.
- University of Illinois Advanced Transportation and Research Engineering Laboratory (ATREL): This is a large lab where experts study and test things like roads, railroads, and transportation systems.
Getting Around Rantoul
Public Transportation
Bus service in Rantoul is provided by the Champaign County Area Rural Transit System (C-CARTS). C-CARTS has four bus routes within Rantoul. It also has one route that connects Rantoul to the larger cities of Champaign-Urbana.
Train Travel
Amtrak, which is the national passenger train system, offers service to Rantoul. You can catch trains like the southbound Saluki and Illini to cities like Carbondale. Northbound trains like the Saluki and Illini can take you to Chicago.
Air Travel
- Rantoul National Aviation Center: This center is available for air transportation needs.
Notable People from Rantoul
Many interesting people have connections to Rantoul:
- Don Branson: An auto racer.
- Sean Bubin: An offensive lineman who played for the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots.
- Michelle Franzen: A television and radio reporter who graduated from Rantoul Township High School.
- Harry M. McCaskrin: An Illinois state legislator and lawyer.
- Darren W. McDew: A U.S. Air Force general.
- Greg McMahon: A special teams coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. He is from Rantoul.
- C. Adrian Pillars: A sculptor.
- Jheri Redding: A hairdresser and entrepreneur known for creating the Jheri curl.
- Kareem Richardson: A former men's basketball coach at the University of Missouri–Kansas City.
- Alan Ritchson: An actor known for Blue Mountain State.
- Blake Schilb: A professional basketball player.
- Craig Vetter: An innovative motorcycle designer, recognized in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
- Dick Williams: A radio reporter and co-founder of WRTL radio.
See also
In Spanish: Rantoul (Illinois) para niños
