Townapedia
Carbondale
Carbondale · The original uploader was Xjbri at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 2.5
Buckminster Fuller dome in Carbondale
Buckminster Fuller dome in Carbondale · Nyttend, Public domain
Reef House in Carbondale, southern side
Reef House in Carbondale, southern side · Nyttend, Public domain
North side of 500 block of Walnut in Carbondale
North side of 500 block of Walnut in Carbondale · Nyttend, Public domain
IL Central depot in Carbondale
IL Central depot in Carbondale · Nyttend, Public domain
Woodlawn Cemetery in Carbondale
Woodlawn Cemetery in Carbondale · Nyttend, Public domain

Carbondale, Illinois

Carbondale is a city of 22,158 people in Jackson County, Illinois, founded in 1852.

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Population22,158 -13.4% since 2019
Elevation4,150 ft 1,265 m
Founded1852
Land area17.5 sq mi
ZIP codes62901, 62902, 62903
Nearest airportSouthern Illinois Airport (MDH) 4 mi

Why visit Carbondale

Townapedia lists 13 museums and landmarks, 50 parks and trails, 86 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include AMC University Place 8, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, West Walnut Street Historic District and Illinois Central Railroad Passenger Depot.

July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 23°F.

About Carbondale

Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, Illinois, United States, within the Southern Illinois region informally known as "Little Egypt". As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 25,083, making it the most populous city in Southern Illinois outside the Metro East region of Greater St. Louis.

From the Wikipedia article Carbondale, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do6

AMC University Place 8

Cinema and theater · 2.1 mi

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Southern Illinois University Carbondale

School · 0.4 mi

Public university in Carbondale, Illinois, USA; flagship of the SIU system

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McLeod Theatre

Cinema and theater · 0.5 mi

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The Varsity Center

Cinema and theater · 0.4 mi

418 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale

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Amplitheatre

Cinema and theater · 0.7 mi

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VIP Cinemas

Cinema and theater · 1.9 mi

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Museums and landmarks13

West Walnut Street Historic District

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

Carbondale, Illinois, listed on the NRHP in Jackson County, Illinois

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Illinois Central Railroad Passenger Depot

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi

Railway station in Carbondale, the United States of America

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R. Buckminster Fuller and Anne Hewlett Dome Home

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

Geodesic dome house, residence of Buckminster Fuller from 1960 to 1971

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Reef House

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

Historic house in Illinois, United States

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Woodlawn Cemetery

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi

Cemetery in Carbondale, Illinois

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Sharp Museum

Museum · 0.5 mi

1000 Faner Drive, Carbondale

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African American Museum of Southern Illinois

Museum · 1.7 mi

1237 East Main Street, Carbondale

Tu-Sa 11:00-17:00

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SIU Entrance Monument

Monument and historic site · 0.7 mi

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Jeremy "Boo" Rochman Memorial Park;3 Wizards

Monument and historic site · 3.6 mi

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Merideth Funeral Home

Monument and historic site

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SIU Entrance Monument

Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi

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1 more on the map.

Parks, trails and playgrounds50

Jeremy "Boo" Rochman Memorial Park

Park · 3.6 mi

31 Homewood Drive, Carbondale

sunrise-sunset

Open in Google Maps · +1-618-457-4334

Banterra Center

Sports field and stadium · 1.0 mi

1415 Arena Drive, Carbondale

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Chautauqua Bottoms

Hiking and trails · 1.2 mi

dawn-dusk

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Hickory Ridge Golf Course

Golf course · 2.8 mi

2727 West Glenn Road, Carbondale

Open in Google Maps · +1 618 529 4386

Charlotte West Stadium

Sports field and stadium · 0.7 mi

225 East Grand Avenue

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East Campus Frisbee Golf Course

Park · 0.7 mi

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Evergreen Park

Playground · 1.6 mi

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Green Earth Park

Park · 1.3 mi

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Parrish Park

Park · 1.4 mi

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Richard "Itchy" Jones Stadium

Sports field and stadium · 1.2 mi

455 Saluki Drive, Carbondale

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Tatum Heights Park

Park · 1.0 mi

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38 more on the map.

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Restaurants and cafes86

Hunan

Restaurant · Chinese · 1.1 mi

710 East Main Street, Carbondale

Mo-Th 11:00-21:30;Fr 11:00-22:00;Sa 11:30-22:00;Su 11:30-21:30

Open in Google Maps · +1 618 529 1108

Qin Guan

Restaurant · Chinese · 2.0 mi

1285 East Main Street, Carbondale

Mo-Th 10:00-21:30;Fr-Sa 10:00-22:00;Su 11:00-21:30

Open in Google Maps · +1 618 351 1222

Thai Taste

Restaurant · Thai, Curry, Soup, Salad, Noodle, Wings, Tea · 0.5 mi

100 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale

Mo-Th 11:00-14:45,17:00-20:45; Fr 11:00-14:45,17:00-21:45; Sa...

Open in Google Maps · +1 618 457 6900

Newby's Pizza

Restaurant · Pizza · 1.2 mi

830 East Walnut Street, Carbondale

Open in Google Maps · +1 618-521-3383

Pagliai's Pizza & Pasta

Restaurant · Italian · 0.4 mi

509 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale

Open in Google Maps · +1 618 457 0321

Starbucks

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.3 mi

501 North Giant Road, Carbondale

Open in Google Maps · +1 618-457-5313

Don Taco

Restaurant · Mexican · 1.0 mi

780 East Grand Avenue, Carbondale

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Aban's Kitchen

Restaurant · Middle Eastern, Shawarma, Kebab · 0.5 mi

114 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale

Open in Google Maps · +1-618-319-1000

Applebee's

Diner · American · 1.5 mi

1125 East Main Street, Carbondale

Open in Google Maps · +1 618 529 5715

Bombay Olive

Restaurant · Indian · 0.4 mi

518 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale

Open in Google Maps · +1-618-457-6680

Buffalo Wild Wings

Restaurant · Wings · 2.5 mi

1435 East Main Street, Carbondale

Open in Google Maps · +1 618 529 4686

Chango's Bar & Grill

Restaurant · Mexican, Tex-Mex · 0.4 mi

519 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale

Open in Google Maps · +1-618-457-6672

74 more on the map.

History

In August 1853, Daniel Harmon Brush, John Asgill Conner, and Dr. William Richart bought a 360-acre (1.5 km2) parcel of land between two proposed railroad station sites (Makanda and De Soto) and two county seats (Murphysboro and Marion). Brush named Carbondale for the large deposit of coal in the area. The first train through Carbondale arrived on Independence Day 1854, traveling north on the main line from Cairo, Illinois. By the time of the American Civil War, Carbondale had developed as a regional center for transportation and business, surrounded by agricultural development. This part of Illinois was known as "Little Egypt" because of the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, where the town of Cairo is located.

From the History section of Carbondale, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay5

Churches and places of worship17

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Shopping18

Gas and EV charging1

Schools, colleges and libraries26

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Healthcare11

Map of Carbondale

233 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Climate by month

20°40°60°80°January: 3.4 in of rainFebruary: 3.1 in of rainMarch: 4.5 in of rainApril: 5.5 in of rainMay: 5.2 in of rainJune: 4.6 in of rainJuly: 4.1 in of rainAugust: 3.2 in of rainSeptember: 3.4 in of rainOctober: 3.7 in of rainNovember: 4.5 in of rainDecember: 3.7 in of rainJanuary: 41°FFebruary: 46°FMarch: 56°FApril: 68°FMay: 77°FJune: 85°FJuly: 88°FAugust: 87°FSeptember: 81°FOctober: 70°FNovember: 56°FDecember: 45°FJanuary: 23°FFebruary: 26°FMarch: 34°FApril: 44°FMay: 55°FJune: 64°FJuly: 68°FAugust: 65°FSeptember: 56°FOctober: 44°FNovember: 35°FDecember: 27°FJFMAMJJASOND
Average high Average low Rain
Monthly table
MonthHighLowRainSnow
Jan41°F23°F3.4 in3.2 in
Feb46°F26°F3.1 in4.0 in
Mar56°F34°F4.5 in1.3 in
Apr68°F44°F5.5 in0.0 in
May77°F55°F5.2 in0.0 in
Jun85°F64°F4.6 in0.0 in
Jul88°F68°F4.1 in0.0 in
Aug87°F65°F3.2 in0.0 in
Sep81°F56°F3.4 in0.0 in
Oct70°F44°F3.7 in0.2 in
Nov56°F35°F4.5 in0.0 in
Dec45°F27°F3.7 in2.7 in

U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Carbondale Sewage Plt (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.

People and cost of living

$32,128median household income
$127,900median home value
$771median monthly rent
24.6median age
48.2%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
26.4%of homes are owner-occupied
16.4 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1813%18 to 3455%35 to 6422%65 and over10%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

Jackson County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.

  • 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
  • 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
  • 2019-09-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
  • 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)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

Southern Illinois Airport (MDH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.

  • De Soto 6 mi north, about 10 min by car
  • Murphysboro 7 mi northwest, about 11 min by car
  • Cambria 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
  • Makanda 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
  • Carterville 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
  • Harrison 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
  • Crainville 9 mi east, about 15 min by car
  • Hurst 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
  • Bush 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
  • Herrin 12 mi northeast, about 19 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.