Benton, Illinois
Benton is a city of 6,863 people in Franklin County, Illinois, founded in 1841.
Why visit Benton
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 13 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Franklin County Jail and Benton City Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Benton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Benton
Benton is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Illinois. The population was 6,709 at the 2020 census. In 1839, Franklin County was split roughly in half and the county seat was permanently fixed "at a hill at the south end of Rowling's Prairie", the site of the future city of Benton. Benton's namesake is Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton.
From the Wikipedia article Benton, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks4
Franklin County Jail
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
County jail in Benton, Illinois
Franklin County 1910's Garage Museum
Museum · 1.0 mi
211 North Main Street, Benton
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Benton Country Club
Golf course · 2.2 mi
This 9-hole course on the shores of Lake Moses will celebrate 100 years of great golfing tradition in 2019. Its age offers mature trees...
14783 State Hwy 14, Benton
Restaurants and cafes13
Arby's
Fast food · Sandwich · 1.2 mi
615 West Main Street, Benton
Mo-Th 10:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-01:00; Su 10:00-24:00
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza · 0.9 mi
321 North Main Street, Benton
Mo-Th 10:30-23:00; Fr-Su 10:30-24:00
Taco Bell
Fast food · Tex-Mex · 1.3 mi
634 West Main Street, Benton
Mo-Th 10:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-23:00; Su 10:30-22:00
1 more on the map.
History
On April 19, 1928, Benton was the site of the next-to-last public hanging in Illinois, when local gangster Charles Birger was executed on the gallows next to the county jail for the December 12, 1926 murder of Joe Adams, mayor of nearby West City. A replica of the gallows and hangman's noose were built by the late retired Old Ben Coal miner, businessman & carpenter, Birchard L. Wampler (March 9, 1938 – June 29, 2010) and his son Birchard Neil Wampler. They remain standing today next to the old Franklin County Jail turned Museum.
From the History section of Benton, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship20
New Hope Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 2.0 mi
311 East Wastena Street, Benton
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries15
Healthcare1
Map of Benton
73 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41°F | 24°F | 3.2 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 28°F | 2.8 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 37°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 46°F | 5.4 in |
| May | 76°F | 56°F | 5.1 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 64°F | 4.5 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 68°F | 4.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 66°F | 3.4 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 58°F | 3.2 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 46°F | 3.4 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 37°F | 4.0 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 28°F | 2.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Benton 2 N (1 mi away), rain and snow from Rend Lake Dam, 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
Franklin County has had 7 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-06-07: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2009-07-02: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2005-02-01: Record/Near Record Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois (MWA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 18 miles away.
- West City 2 mi southwest, about 3 min by car
- Hanaford 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Ewing 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- West Frankfort 8 mi south, about 13 min by car
- Herrin 16 mi southwest, about 26 min by car
- Marion 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- Mount Vernon 21 mi north, about 33 min by car
- Carbondale 26 mi southwest, about 42 min by car
- Centralia 37 mi north, about 59 min by car
- Anna 42 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 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
- Franklin County Courthouse, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Franklin County Courthouse, Benton, Illinois at night, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Franklin County Jail in Benton, Nyttend, Public domain
- Solar eclipse camera obscura 8 April 2024, Aplucas0703, CC0
- Eastern box turtle closeup, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- North facing view from the Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 04, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- North facing view from the Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- North facing view from the Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 02, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- North facing view from the Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 05, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- North facing view from the Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 03, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Passageway to judge's stand at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Passageway to judge's stand at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 02, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View facing west from inside Franklin county Courthouse in Illinois, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View facing west from inside Franklin county Courthouse in Illinois 05, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View from judge's bench at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 05, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View from judge's bench at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 04, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View facing west from inside Franklin county Courthouse in Illinois 04, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View facing west from inside Franklin county Courthouse in Illinois 03, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Courtroom in Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 02, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View facing west from inside Franklin county Courthouse in Illinois 02, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Courtroom in Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Eastern view from the Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Eastern view from the Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 02, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View to the front of a courtroom at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 02, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View to the front of a courtroom at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 03, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Courtroom number at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View to the front of a courtroom at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View to the front of a courtroom at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 04, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View to the front of a courtroom at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 05, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View to the front of a courtroom at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 06, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Room in Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 04, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Room in Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 03, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Neil Hargis, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Franklin County Courthouse jury deliberation room 04, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Eastern view from the Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 03, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Franklin County Courthouse jury deliberation room 03, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Eastern view from the Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 04, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View from judge's bench at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 02, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View from judge's bench at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois 03, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View from judge's bench at Franklin County Courthouse in Illinois, Aaron Lucas, CC BY-SA 4.0
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