Belleville, Illinois
Belleville is a city of 41,370 people in St. Clair County, Illinois, founded in 1814.
Why visit Belleville
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 34 parks and trails, 77 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Skyview Drive-In Theater, The Edge, Belleville Historic District and Blair Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Belleville
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Belleville
Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It is a southeastern suburb of St. Louis. The population was 42,404 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous city in Greater St. Louis's Metro East region and in all of Southern Illinois south of Springfield. Due to its proximity to Scott Air Force Base, the city has a significant population of military and federal civilian personnel.
From the Wikipedia article Belleville, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Lindenwood University–Belleville
School · 1.1 mi
Private liberal arts school in Belleville, Illinois
Museums and landmarks12
Belleville Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
Blair Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
Gustave Koerner House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Hotel Belleville
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic hotel building in Belleville, Illinois
Knobeloch-Seibert Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Farm in Illinois, United States of America
Green Root Gallery
Museum · 0.5 mi
125 East Main Street, Belleville
Fr-Sa 10:00-18:00; Su,Th 10:00-14:00
Turkey Hill Grange Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
William and Florence Schmidt Art Center
Museum · 3.7 mi
Art museum in Belleville, Illinois
September 11 Memorial Walkway of Southern Illinois
Monument and historic site · 1.2 mi
1125 S Illinois Street, Belleville
Parks, trails and playgrounds34
Swansea Community Center Playground
Playground · 0.8 mi
1501 Caseyville Avenue, Swansea
22 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes77
Casa Maria Mexican Grill
Restaurant · Mexican, Barbecue · 0.5 mi
100 North High Street, Belleville
Su-Th 11:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Cholula's Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.1 mi
1500 North Illinois Street, Swansea
Tu-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Papa Vito's
Restaurant · Pizza, Sandwich · 0.7 mi
318 East Washington Street, Belleville
Su, Tu-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00
Zapata's Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 4.0 mi
4660 North Illinois Street, Fairview Heights
Su-Th 11:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Round Table Cafe
Restaurant · Regional, Burger, Chicken, Noodle, Breakfast, American, Cake, Salad, Dessert, Diner · 3.7 mi
6401 West Main Street, Belleville
65 more on the map.
History
In 1814, George Blair named Belleville after the French phrase belle ville, meaning "beautiful city". Because Blair donated an acre of his land for the town square and an additional 25 acres (10 ha) adjoining the square for the new county seat, the legislature transferred the county seat from the village of Cahokia, which French colonists had established as a mission village in the late 17th century.
Belleville was incorporated as a village in 1819, and became a city in 1850. Major immigration in the mid-19th century to this area occurred following revolutions in Germany, and most of the European-American population is of German ancestry. Many of the educated Germans fled their homeland after the failure of the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. Belleville was the center of Illinois's first major German settlement. By 1870, an estimated 90% of the city's population was either German-born or of German descent.
After the Civil War, Belleville became a manufacturing center, producing nails, printing presses, gray iron castings, agricultural equipment, and stoves. It became known as "The Stove Capital of the World". Illinois's first brewery was established in Belleville. In 1868, Gustav Goelitz founded the candy company known today as "Jelly Belly".
From the History section of Belleville, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship36
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 3.2 mi
5923 North Belt West, Belleville
Saint Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.9 mi
1910 West Belle Street, Belleville
Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.5 mi
1201 Lebanon Avenue, Belleville
First United Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 2.8 mi
1303 Royal Heights Road, Belleville
Holy Shoghagat Armenian Church
Church · Armenian Apostolic · 2.8 mi
400 Huntwood Road, Swansea
New Beginnings Fellowship
Church · Baptist · 2.6 mi
109 North 47th Street, Belleville
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging16
Schools, colleges and libraries57
Belleville Twp Hs-Night/Alt Sch
School · 2.5 mi
4063 Frank Scott Pkwy W, Belleville
Healthcare7
Map of Belleville
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 24°F | 2.6 in | 3.4 in |
| Feb | 49°F | 28°F | 2.2 in | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 36°F | 3.4 in | 1.0 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 46°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 79°F | 56°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 64°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 68°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 65°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 83°F | 57°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 47°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 37°F | 3.6 in | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 28°F | 2.6 in | 2.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Belleville Siu Rsch (8 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
St. Clair County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2024-09-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng (Flood)
- 2022-10-14: Severe Storm And Flooding (Flood)
- 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)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Swansea 3 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Shiloh 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Fairview Heights 6 mi north, about 9 min by car
- O'Fallon 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Freeburg 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- Millstadt 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Smithton 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Scott AFB 8 mi east, about 12 min by car
- St. Louis 16 mi northwest, about 26 min by car
- Alton 28 mi north, about 45 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
- Main Street, Belleville, IL, artistmac, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Knobeloch-Seibert Farm, Nyttend, Public domain
- Hotel Belleville, Quentin Melson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Washington east of Second, Belleville, Nyttend, Public domain
- Charles near Garfield, Belleville, Nyttend, Public domain
- Turkey Hill Grange Hall, Quentin Melson, CC BY-SA 4.0
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