Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city of 25,279 people in Madison County, Illinois, founded in 1818.
Why visit Alton
Townapedia lists 37 museums and landmarks, 33 parks and trails, 89 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 11 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include AMC CLASSIC Eastgate 6, Alton Bridge, McPike Mansion and Alton Chapter House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in Alton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Alton
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about 18 miles (29 km) north of St. Louis, Missouri. Its population was 25,676 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the River Bend area in the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Alton, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do11
Alton Bridge
Bridge · 2.3 mi
Railroad bridge across the Mississippi River between West Alton, Missouri, and Alton, Illinois, USA
Clark Bridge
Bridge · 2.1 mi
Cable-stayed bridge across the Mississippi River between West Alton, Missouri and Alton, Illinois
Old Clark Bridge
Bridge · 2.2 mi
Former Illinois/Missouri Mississippi River crossing
Museums and landmarks37
McPike Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Building in Illinois, United States
2018 Alby Street, Alton
Alton Chapter House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Clubhouse in Alton, Illinois
Alton Military Prison
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Prison located in Alton, Illinois
Alton National Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
United States National Cemetery located in the city of Alton, in Madison County, Illinois
Christian Hill Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
Guertler House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Haskell Playhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Hotel Stratford
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Hotel in Alton, Illinois, United States
Lyman Trumbull House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Alton, Illinois, listed on the NRHP in Madison County
Middletown Historic District (Alton, Illinois)
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
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Post House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Upper Alton Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
25 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds33
21 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes89
Tony's Restaurant
Restaurant · Steak House · 2.0 mi
102 West 9th Street, Alton
Tu-Th 16:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 16:00-21:30; Su 16:00-21:00
Blue Ice Creamery
Ice cream · 2.5 mi
127 Eastgate Plaza, East Alton
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00, Su closed
Riverbend Axe Throwing
Bar and pub · 2.5 mi
205 Eastgate Plaza, East Alton
Mo-We "By Reservation Only"; Th 17:00 - 22:00; Fr 17:00 - 24:00;...
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.0 mi
3096 Homer M Adams Parkway, Alton
Su-Th 09:30-22:00, Fr,Sa 09:30-24:00
77 more on the map.
History
Although Alton once was growing faster than the nearby city of St. Louis, a coalition of St. Louis businessmen planned to build a competing town to stop Alton's expansion and bring business to St. Louis. The resulting town was Grafton, Illinois.
Many blocks of housing in Alton were built in the Victorian Queen Anne style. They represent a prosperous period in the river city's history. At the top of the hill in the commercial area, several stone churches and a fine city hall also represent the city's wealth during its good times based on river traffic, manufacturing, and shipping. It was a commercial center for a large agricultural area. Numerous residences on hills have sweeping views of the Mississippi River.
From the History section of Alton, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay9
Lewis & Clark Motor Lodge
Motel and hotel · 2.6 mi
530 Lewis and Clark Boulevard, East Alton
Churches and places of worship50
Benjamin Godfrey Memorial Chapel
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Salem Baptist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.6 mi
Shopping21
Gas and EV charging17
Schools, colleges and libraries56
Healthcare7
Comprehensive Pain Specialists
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
3 Proffesional Drive, Alton
Map of Alton
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 22°F | 2.5 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 25°F | 2.5 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 35°F | 3.5 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 45°F | 4.9 in |
| May | 75°F | 56°F | 5.5 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 66°F | 3.4 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 69°F | 4.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 67°F | 3.3 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 60°F | 3.4 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 48°F | 2.9 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 36°F | 3.4 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 27°F | 2.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Alton - Melvin Price L&D (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Madison County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for tornados.
- 2021-12-13: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-09-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2008-06-24: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2007-02-09: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Saint Louis Regional Airport (ALN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- East Alton 3 mi southeast, about 4 min by car
- Rosewood Heights 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- West Alton 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- Wood River 5 mi southeast, about 8 min by car
- Godfrey 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Bethalto 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Hartford 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- Spanish Lake 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Old Jamestown 9 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- St. Louis 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Aerial view of Alton Illinois during June 2008 flood, (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ken Stephens/Released), Public domain
- Evergreen north of College, Alton, Nyttend, Public domain
- Alton National Cemetery, Nyttend, Public domain
- 20180205 16 Alton, Illinois transit center, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Greetings from Alton, Illinois - Large Letter Postcard (7905572928), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- HABS ILL,60-ALT,1A- (sheet 7 of 7) - Shurtleff College, Loomis Hall, Alton, Madison County, IL, Related names: Loomis, Hubbel, Public domain
- HABS ILL,60-ALT,1A- (sheet 6 of 7) - Shurtleff College, Loomis Hall, Alton, Madison County, IL, Related names: Loomis, Hubbel, Public domain
- HABS ILL,60-ALT,1A- (sheet 5 of 7) - Shurtleff College, Loomis Hall, Alton, Madison County, IL, Related names: Loomis, Hubbel, Public domain
- HABS ILL,60-ALT,1A- (sheet 1 of 7) - Shurtleff College, Loomis Hall, Alton, Madison County, IL, Related names: Loomis, Hubbel, Public domain
- HABS ILL,60-ALT,1A- (sheet 4 of 7) - Shurtleff College, Loomis Hall, Alton, Madison County, IL, Related names: Loomis, Hubbel, Public domain
- HABS ILL,60-ALT,1A- (sheet 3 of 7) - Shurtleff College, Loomis Hall, Alton, Madison County, IL, Related names: Loomis, Hubbel, Public domain
- HABS ILL,60-ALT,1A- (sheet 2 of 7) - Shurtleff College, Loomis Hall, Alton, Madison County, IL, Related names: Loomis, Hubbel, Public domain
- HABS ILL,60-ALT,1A- (sheet 0 of 7) - Shurtleff College, Loomis Hall, Alton, Madison County, IL, Related names: Loomis, Hubbel, Public domain
- Hotel Stratford in Alton, Nyttend, Public domain
- Clark Bridge, Alton, Illinois, Greg Linscott, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Alton Chapter House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Alton Military Prison remains, Nyttend, Public domain
- Godfrey Memorial Chapel HABS, Joseph T. Golabowski, Public domain
- Salem Baptist Church north of Alton, Nyttend, Public domain
- Fourth northwest of William, Christian Hill, Nyttend, Public domain
- Post House in Alton, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lovejoy spire, Kazvorpal at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Abbott Machine Co. building, TheCatalyst31, CC0
- Piasa-Bird-Alton-IL, Burfalcy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Clark bridge west alton mo dec 2009, Illinois2011, CC BY-SA 2.0
- KCS Speeds By, H. Michael Miley, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Yakel House and Union Brewery complex, Nyttend, Public domain
- Elijah Lovejoy Monument 02, LarstonMarston, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Haskell Playhouse, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lyman Trumbull House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Guertler House front, Nyttend, Public domain
- So say we all! (2976672661), jeem from Saint Louis, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Clark Bridge at night, Greg Linscott, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Clark Bridge from Melvin Price Locks, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown, Public domain
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