Braidwood, Illinois
Braidwood is a city of 6,062 people in Grundy County, Illinois, founded in 1867.
Why visit Braidwood
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails, 7 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 17°F.
Weather in Braidwood
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Braidwood
Braidwood is a city in Will and Grundy counties, Illinois, United States, approximately 53 miles (85 km) southwest of Chicago and 18 miles (29 km) south of Joliet. As of the 2020 census, Braidwood had a population of 6,194.
From the Wikipedia article Braidwood, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Braidwood Zoo Animal Sculptures
Monument and historic site · 0.8 mi
A cluster of cheery animal sculptures by the late Jack Barker, who liked to work with scrap metal and shredded plastic. Local businesses...
Rt. 66 North Front Street, Braidwood
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
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Restaurants and cafes7
Polk-A-Dot Drive In
Restaurant · Burger · 0.8 mi
222 North Front Street, Braidwood
Mo-Su 11:00-20:00
Main Street Pizzeria & Grille
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.7 mi
285 East Main Street, Braidwood
11:00-22:00
Where to stay1
History
In 1864, a farmer digging for water at the site of the present city found coal instead. Deposits were substantial and the demand for coal in nearby Chicago was high, so companies rushed to acquire land and set up operations. A mining boomtown sprang up, a post office was established in 1867, and the community was called Keeversville. James Braidwood was an early member of the community, and in 1872 he was hired by one company to superintend the sinking of the first deep mine shaft. The addition of more deep-shaft mines followed, and on March 4, 1873, the city was incorporated
According to the U. S. Bureau of Census for 1880 the population of Braidwood was 5,524, the highest of record in the census reports. In that year the population of the entire Township of Reed was 5,981. Since coal production reached its peak in 1877-1878, it is quite possible that the population may have been near 7,500 in those years, but hardly higher. Hundreds of people left Braidwood following the area's worst strike in 1877, when strike-breakers were imported by the coal companies, reducing the actual recorded census of 1880 to near the 6,000 number.
From the History section of Braidwood, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship5
Ignite Christian Church
Church · Christian · 1.0 mi
1180 West 1st Street, Braidwood
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries20
Map of Braidwood
50 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 17°F | 2.1 in | 6.4 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 20°F | 1.7 in | 5.2 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 30°F | 2.1 in | 0.4 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 40°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 72°F | 51°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 60°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 65°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 63°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 56°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 44°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 33°F | 2.5 in | 0.3 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 23°F | 2.0 in | 6.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Channahon Dresden Isl Dam (9 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
Grundy County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-11-26: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2013-05-10: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2008-10-03: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Joliet Regional Airport (JOT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Channahon 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- Minooka 13 mi north, about 21 min by car
- Morris 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Manhattan 16 mi northeast, about 26 min by car
- Joliet 17 mi north, about 28 min by car
- Shorewood 17 mi north, about 28 min by car
- Bourbonnais 19 mi east, about 30 min by car
- New Lenox 21 mi northeast, about 34 min by car
- Bradley 21 mi east, about 34 min by car
- Kankakee 22 mi southeast, about 35 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Braidwood, Illinois (7981652005), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Braidwood, Illinois (7981652947), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Braidwood, IL, USA - panoramio (7), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Braidwood, IL, USA - panoramio (6), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Braidwood, IL, USA - panoramio (5), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Braidwood, IL, USA - panoramio (3), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Braidwood, IL, USA - panoramio (2), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Braidwood, IL, USA - panoramio (1), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Braidwood, IL, USA - panoramio (4), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Cemetery Road in Braidwood - Illinois (12182307695), A. Duarte, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Reed Township building 2026-06-02, User:Visviva, CC BY-SA 4.0
- IL Route 129, Paulmadeamaponce, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scleria triglomerata9, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scleria triglomerata8, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scleria triglomerata10, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scleria triglomerata2, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scleria triglomerata4, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scleria triglomerata7, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scleria triglomerata3, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scleria triglomerata5, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scleria triglomerata1, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scleria triglomerata6, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Curculioides sp. (YPM IP 221095), Eric Peavey, CC0
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