Roxana, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roxana, Illinois
Village
Location in Madison County, Illinois
Roxana, Illinois Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Madison
Townships	Wood River, Fort Russell, Chouteau, Edwardsville
Founded	1921
Area
• Total	7.22 sq mi (18.71 km2)
• Land	7.10 sq mi (18.39 km2)
• Water	0.12 sq mi (0.31 km2)
Elevation	436 ft (133 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,454
• Density	204.76/sq mi (79.06/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	62084 (Roxana) 62025 (Edwardsville)
Area code(s)	618
FIPS code	17-66131
GNIS feature ID	2399135
Wikimedia Commons	Roxana, Illinois

Roxana is a small village located in Madison County, Illinois, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,454 people lived there. The village is known for its large oil refinery and its festive Christmas lights.

A big part of Roxana's land is home to the Wood River Refinery. This is a large oil refinery run by Phillips 66. It was first built by Shell Oil. The refinery can process a lot of oil each day. It makes products like gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, and propane. These products are sent to places like St. Louis, Chicago, Indiana, and Ohio.

Roxana is part of the River Bend area, which is near St. Louis. During the holiday season, the main street, Illinois Route 111, is decorated with bright Christmas lights.

History of Roxana Village

In 1918, the Shell Oil Company opened its Wood River Refinery. It was in an area then called "Wood River Field." As more houses were built near the refinery, the population grew. In 1921, this area became the village of Roxana.

The exact reason for the village's name is not fully known. Some local stories say it was named after a "Queen Roxanne" from the Netherlands. This was because the village was linked to the Dutch-owned Royal Dutch Shell company. However, there was never a Queen Roxanne of the Netherlands. The queen at that time was Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Royal Dutch/Shell Group also started a company called Roxana Petroleum in Oklahoma in 1912.

Shell built other refineries too. One was near New Orleans in 1916. Another was in Wood River in 1918. Later, in 1926, a refinery was built in Indiana. This Indiana refinery was connected to Wood River by a pipeline. This led to a neighborhood called Roxana (East Chicago) being built next to it.

The Wood River Refinery started on about 336 acres. Now, it covers about 2,200 acres. Phillips 66 bought this refinery in the early 2000s. It is the largest refinery in their system.

Early Community Buildings

A Baptist church was started in September 1921. The land for the First Baptist Church of Roxana was bought in early 1922. The first church services were held there on December 3, 1922. J.A. Wilson was the first pastor.

In 1938, a formal village hall was built. It cost $36,000. This building now holds the offices for the Village President, Treasurer, Water Department, and Clerk. It also houses the fire and police departments, the village board room, and a public gym.

In the early 1940s, a large Art Deco-style theater was built. It was located at 400 N. Central Avenue. It could seat about 580 people. The theater was made for both vaudeville shows and movies. In 1949, a tornado damaged its roof. But it was repaired and reopened.

The theater closed for almost two years in the late 1960s. It was then sold to Bloomer Amusement Co. and operated as "BAC Cine." In 1992, Kerasotes Theatres, Inc. bought it. They ran it until it closed in February 2002. In 2000, the theater was given to the Roxana Church of the Nazarene. The church now uses the building as the Nazarene Community Center. It is available for rent and group events.

Geography and Location

Roxana is in the western part of Madison County. It is next to Wood River to the north, Hartford to the west, and South Roxana to the southwest.

Several main roads pass through or near Roxana:

• Illinois Route 143 goes through the northern part of the village. It leads to Wood River and Edwardsville.
• Illinois Route 111 goes through the northwest part of the village. It leads north to Wood River and south to Pontoon Beach.
• Illinois Route 255 is a four-lane highway on the east side of the village. It connects to Godfrey and other major interstates like I-255 and I-270.

The U.S. Census Bureau says Roxana has a total area of about 7.2 square miles. Most of this is land, with a small amount of water.

Population and People

In 2000, there were 1,547 people living in Roxana. There were 655 households and 436 families. Most people were White (98.51%). A small number were African American, Native American, or Asian. About 0.65% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 23.4% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age was 38 years. The median income for a household was $38,800. For families, it was $45,500. A small percentage of families and people lived below the poverty line.

Education in Roxana

Roxana has its own high school, Roxana High School. The school district also has two elementary schools. Central Elementary School is in Roxana. South Roxana Elementary School is in South Roxana. Burbank Elementary School, which was once in Roxana, closed in 1984 and was torn down in 2009.

There are several colleges and universities nearby. These include Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Principia College in Elsah, and Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey. The Dental School of Southern Illinois University is also close by in Alton.

Roxana Park and Recreation

In May 1934, the village created a Recreation Board. This board was tasked with planning activities and playground sites. In 1938, the Village Hall was built. It included a gymnasium for recreational activities.

In 1947, land was bought for park and recreation facilities. A softball field was built. The main park is in the northeastern part of the village, near Roxana High School.

In 1952, the Park District was officially formed. A public swimming pool was added in 1957. Next to the pool, there was a recreation area with trampolines, miniature golf, and donkey cart rides.

In 1959, more land was bought. A house from Shell Oil Company was moved to the property. This house was used as a meeting place for many community groups. When it became too small, the Rox-Arena was built in 1969.

Over the years, more features were added to the park. These include picnic shelters, more ball fields, a concession stand, a soccer field, playgrounds, and bike/walking paths. The main park now has four baseball diamonds.

In 1993, Burbank Park was bought from the school district. It has a baseball field, playground, picnic shelter, soccer field, and basketball court. The annual Roxana Homecoming Festival is held there every May. In 2002, a new pool house was built to celebrate the Park District's 50th anniversary.

Transportation Links

Roxana has good transportation connections.

• Amtrak train services are available in nearby Alton.
• Airports close by include St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

The nearest major interstate highway is I-270, about 6 miles south. Illinois Route 255 is also a modern highway that meets interstate standards. It's easy to get to other major interstates like Interstate 55, Interstate 70, and Interstate 64.

Illinois Route 111 (Central Avenue) is the main road through Roxana. It is a four-lane highway. It has the only two stoplights in the village.

Illinois Route 255 was finished in 1998. It runs through the eastern part of the village, east of the Wood River refinery. The village has plans to develop the area near Route 255 in the future.

Notable People from Roxana

• Harry Gallatin was a famous basketball player and coach. He played for the Detroit Pistons and coached the St. Louis Hawks and New York Knicks.

See also

In Spanish: Roxana (Illinois) para niños