Charleston, Illinois
Charleston is a city of 17,062 people in Coles County, Illinois, founded in 1831.
Why visit Charleston
Townapedia lists 13 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 27 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Stone Quarry Bridge, Eastern Illinois University, Alexander Briggs House and Blakeman Bridge.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 21°F.
Weather in Charleston
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Charleston
Charleston is a city in and the county seat of Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,286, as of the 2020 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor, Mattoon. Both are principal cities of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Charleston, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Stone Quarry Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 4.4 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Eastern Illinois University
School
Public university in Charleston, Illinois
Museums and landmarks13
Alexander Briggs House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Blakeman Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Place in Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places
Coles County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Local government building in the United States
Harrison Street Bridge
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Place in Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places
Health Education Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building at Eastern Illinois University
McFarland House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Coles County, Illinois
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Old Main
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic building at Eastern Illinois University, US
Pemberton Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Charleston, Illinois
Sixth, Seventh, and Tenth Street Stone Arch Bridges
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Three stone arch bridges in Charleston, Illinois
Will Rogers Theatre
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Former movie theater in Charleston, Illinois, United States
1 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes27
Wildcatter's Grill
Restaurant · Burger, American · 1.1 mi
18th Street, Charleston
Mo-We 06:00-01:00, Th-Sa 06:00-02:00, Su 11:00-00:00
EIU Food Court
Restaurant · Pizza, Burger, Coffee Shop, Sandwich, Sushi, American, Ice Cream, Chicken
Mo-Fr 07:30-20:00, Sa-Su 11:00-20:00
15 more on the map.
History
Native Americans lived in the Charleston area for thousands of years before the first European settlers arrived. With the great tallgrass prairie to the west, beech-maple forests to the east, and the Embarras River and Wabash Rivers between, the Charleston area provided semi-nomadic Indians access to a variety of resources. Indians may have deliberately set the "wildfires" which maintained the local mosaic of prairie and oak–hickory forest. Streams with names such as 'Indian Creek' and 'Kickapoo Creek' mark the sites of former Indian settlements. One village is said to have been located south of Fox Ridge State Park near a deposit of flint.
From the History section of Charleston, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship19
New Life Apostolic Church
Church · Apostolic · 1.1 mi
2055 Harrison Avenue, Charleston
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries13
Healthcare2
Map of Charleston
99 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 21°F | 2.5 in | 8.1 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 25°F | 2.7 in | 5.5 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 34°F | 3.1 in | 1.3 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 44°F | 5.1 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 77°F | 54°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 63°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 66°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 64°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 57°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 46°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 35°F | 3.7 in | 0.8 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 26°F | 2.8 in | 3.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Charleston Hcn (1 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
Coles County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2023-08-15: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2021-12-13: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2008-06-24: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Coles County Memorial Airport (MTO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Ashmore 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Mattoon 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Westfield 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Humboldt 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Kansas 14 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Oakland 14 mi northeast, about 23 min by car
- Hindsboro 14 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Arcola 15 mi northwest, about 24 min by car
- Toledo 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- Casey 16 mi southeast, about 26 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
- Will Rogers Theatre and Commercial Block 2012-10-31 12-28-18, jrmyers, CC BY-SA 3.0
- McFarland House in Charleston, Nyttend, Public domain
- Charleston Carnegie library, Nyttend, Public domain
- Abandoned School-building, Charleston, Illinois (2013-03-07 by Marcus O. Bst), Marcus O. Bst from Hinterland, Germany, CC BY 2.0
- In-school broadcasting equipment, Abandoned School-building, Charleston, Illinois (2013-03-07 by Marcus O. Bst), Marcus O. Bst from Hinterland, Germany, CC BY 2.0
- First National Bank of Charleston, Nyttend, Public domain
- CharlestonIllinoisHighSchool2022, Hammersoft, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Harrison Street Bridge site near Charleston, Nyttend, Public domain
- Coles County Courthouse 2012-10-31 12-22-11, jrmyers, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Main 2012-09-21 00-32-11, jrmyers, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stone Quarry Bridge, Nyttend, Public domain
- Health Education Building 2012-09-26 10-25-28, jrmyers, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Editathon at Eastern Illinois University, Heathart, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pemberton Hall, Eastern Illinois University, Nyttend, Public domain
- E.coli gram stain, Sunil, CC BY 4.0
- Microbiology gram stain, Sunil, CC BY 4.0
- Sixth Street Stone Arch Bridge, Nyttend, Public domain
- Alexander Briggs House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Kimball Swinger 500 "The Entertainer" buttons with Accompaniment stops (2013-03-04 by Marcus O. Bst), Marcus O. Bst from Hinterland, Germany, CC BY 2.0
- ISS030-E-230353 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS034-E-68574 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-233610 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS034-E-68573 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-233609 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS040-E-54790 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-230354 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS016-E-22567 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS040-E-54791 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Blakeman Bridge, Nyttend, Public domain
- Erigeron strigosus spillway, TheTechnician27, CC0
- Erigeron strigosus zoomed, TheTechnician27, CC0
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