Villa Grove, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Villa Grove
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| City of Villa Grove | |
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| Motto(s):
"A nice place to live.”
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Location of Villa Grove in Douglas County, Illinois.
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Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Illinois |
| County | Douglas |
| Township | Camargo |
| Founded | 1903 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.51 sq mi (3.91 km2) |
| • Land | 1.50 sq mi (3.89 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 646 ft (197 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,472 |
| • Density | 1,645.81/sq mi (635.64/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code(s) |
61956
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| Area code(s) | 217 |
| FIPS code | 17-77941 |
| GNIS ID | 2397140 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Villa Grove, Illinois |
| Website | https://villagrove.org/ |
Villa Grove is a city in Douglas County, Illinois. It is located along the Embarras River. The city's motto is "A nice place to live." In 2020, about 2,472 people lived there.
Contents
History of Villa Grove
Villa Grove was officially started in 1903. A railroad company, the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad (C&EI), found this spot was exactly halfway between Chicago and St. Louis. This made it a great place to build a repair shop for steam trains. Villa Grove later became an important center for the C&EI railroad, with a large roundhouse where trains were turned around and worked on.
Fun Festivals and Sports Achievements
In the 1940s, Villa Grove was famous for its Pancake Festivals. These events were very popular and brought in over 10,000 visitors! Later, in the 1970s, the Pancake Festival was replaced by the Ag Days celebration. Today, Ag Days is still a big event. It has carnival rides, a car show, a parade, many different vendors, live music, and even a demolition derby.
Villa Grove also has a proud sports history. In 1923, the city's high school basketball team, known as the Blue Devils, won the Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship. They beat Rockford with a score of 32–29.
Changes to the Railroad and a Fire Incident
The historic train station in Villa Grove was torn down on October 29, 1976. This happened even though the city had rules to protect old buildings. The city later received money because of the building's destruction.
On August 10, 2011, an old, empty building on Main Street caught fire. The fire was started by two young people. More than 15 fire departments came to help put out the blaze. They managed to keep the fire from spreading to other buildings. The young people involved were asked to pay for the damage.
How Villa Grove Handles Flooding
Because Villa Grove is located where Jordan Slough meets the Embarras River, it has experienced flooding. In January 1950, a big flood cut off Villa Grove from other areas. More than a third of the city was underwater, and many families lost their homes. Another major flood happened in April 1994. Over half of the city's 1,000 homes were flooded, and the city's water supply became unsafe. Parts of Main Street were even 6 feet deep in water.
After these serious floods, especially the one in 1994, a special program was started. This program helped the city buy and tear down homes that were in areas that flooded often. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) helped fund this program. Between 1995 and 2000, 17 homes were purchased and removed. When another flood happened in June 2008, these 17 properties would have flooded again if they hadn't been removed. More plans were made to buy additional flood-prone properties after the 2008 flood. After flooding in April 2013, FEMA again provided money to buy and remove eight more homes and one public building.
These efforts have greatly reduced the areas affected by floods. In 2021, a new bridge was built on Illinois Route 130 over the river. This new bridge is higher, which helps water drain better. Thanks to these improvements, Villa Grove has seen much less flooding in recent years.
Local Economy and Fun Activities
Villa Grove is far enough from larger cities like Champaign-Urbana to have its own businesses. The city has several restaurants and bars. You can also find two gas stations and two grocery stores. For recreation, there is a nine-hole golf course and country club. Villa Grove also has several parks with playing fields. The city recently built a new community center for local sports teams to play in.
City Services for Residents
The City of Villa Grove has a full-time team that manages the city. It also has a public works department that takes care of things like roads and water. There is a police department to keep everyone safe. The city also has a fire department with paid on-call firefighters ready to help. Recently, the city sold its water and sewer services to Illinois American Water.
Geography of Villa Grove
Villa Grove covers a total area of about 1.51 square miles (3.91 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1.50 square miles (3.89 square kilometers), is land. A small part, about 0.01 square miles (0.02 square kilometers), is water.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 1,828 | — | |
| 1920 | 2,493 | 36.4% | |
| 1930 | 2,001 | −19.7% | |
| 1940 | 2,072 | 3.5% | |
| 1950 | 2,026 | −2.2% | |
| 1960 | 2,308 | 13.9% | |
| 1970 | 2,605 | 12.9% | |
| 1980 | 2,707 | 3.9% | |
| 1990 | 2,734 | 1.0% | |
| 2000 | 2,553 | −6.6% | |
| 2010 | 2,537 | −0.6% | |
| 2020 | 2,472 | −2.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1910, 1920 1930, 1940, 1950 1960, 1970, 1980 1990 2000, 2010, 2013 |
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In 2020, Villa Grove had 2,472 people living in 992 households. About 621 of these were families. The city had about 1,101 housing units.
Most people in Villa Grove, about 92%, are White. A small number are African American, Native American, or Asian. About 3% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
About 27% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 2.85 people. The average family had about 2.32 people.
The median age in the city was 43.2 years. This means half the people were older than 43.2, and half were younger. About 18% of the population was under 18 years old. About 22% were 65 years or older.
The median income for a household was $53,971. For families, the median income was $69,417. About 10.8% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 11.4% of those under 18.
Transportation Options
Dial-A-Ride Public Transportation offers bus service in Villa Grove. This service allows people to call and arrange for a ride. For longer trips by train, the nearest passenger rail service is at Illinois Terminal in Champaign. From there, Amtrak trains can take you to Chicago, Carbondale, New Orleans, and other places.
See also
In Spanish: Villa Grove (Illinois) para niños
