Chester, Illinois
Chester is a city of 6,797 people in Randolph County, Illinois, founded in 1829.
Why visit Chester
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 3 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Mary's River Covered Bridge, Chester Bridge, Christian F. Weinrich House and Frederick Weistar House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Chester
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Chester
Chester is a city in and the county seat of Randolph County, Illinois, United States, on a bluff above the Mississippi River. The population was 6,814 at the 2020 census. It lies 61 miles (98 km) south of St. Louis, Missouri.
From the Wikipedia article Chester, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
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Mary's River Covered Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Place in Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places
Chester Bridge
Bridge · 1.6 mi
Bridge in Missouri and Chester, Illinois
Chester Opera House
Cinema and theater · 1.0 mi
Former cinema and movie theater in Chester, Illinois
Don Welge Memorial Bridge
Bridge · 1.7 mi
Future bridge in Chester, Illinois
Museums and landmarks3
Christian F. Weinrich House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
House in Chester, Illinois
Frederick Weistar House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
House in Chester, Illinois, United States
Old Fire Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Fire station in Chester, Illinois
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes3
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship6
Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.0 mi
911 Swanwick Street, Chester
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Healthcare1
Map of Chester
32 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 24°F | 2.7 in | 1.4 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 27°F | 2.4 in | 1.5 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 35°F | 3.4 in | 0.1 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 44°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 77°F | 55°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 64°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 68°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 66°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 58°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 46°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 36°F | 4.0 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 28°F | 2.9 in | 0.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kaskaskia Rvr Navigation Lock (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
Randolph County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 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)
- 2008-06-24: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Sparta Community Airport-Hunter Field (SAR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Farmington 34 mi west, about 55 min by car
- Waterloo 34 mi northwest, about 54 min by car
- Carbondale 36 mi southeast, about 58 min by car
- Festus 38 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Jackson 39 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Belleville 42 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Columbia 42 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Shiloh 43 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Cape Girardeau 45 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Oakville 45 mi northwest, 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
- Chester building (Chester, Illinois) 01, Leonard J. DeFrancisci, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mary Help of Christians, Chester, Nyttend, Public domain
- Chester, Illinois, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- Chester First UMC, Nyttend, Public domain
- Wal-Mart Chester, IL 7 - Flickr - MikeKalasnik, Mike Kalasnik from Jersey City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cole Library, Chester, Nyttend, Public domain
- Chester IL Mississippi River bridge 3324, Kbh3rd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Randolph County Courthouse, Chester, Nyttend, Public domain
- Mary's River Covered Bridge, Nyttend, Public domain
- Old Fire Station2 NRHP 100002571 Randolph County, IL (2), Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Fire Station NRHP 100002571 Randolph County, IL, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Weinrich House2 NRHP 100002572 Randolph County, IL, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Weinrich House NRHP 100002572 Randolph County, IL, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Boxcar, Fruit Growers Express, Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0
- Boxcar, Southern Pacific Fruit Express, Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0
- Airslide Hopper, Rock Island (10588613195), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Airslide Hopper, MILW (10588620236), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Airslide Hopper, Milwaukee (16560749792), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Trailer On Flat Car, Southern (10589062626), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Airslide Hopper, Rock Island (10588859183), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Boxcar, Multnomah Plywood Corp, Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0
- Airslide Hopper, UP (MKT) (10588712764), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Airslide Hopper, SBD (10588681584), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Airslide Hopper, SP (10588612386), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Boxcar, Railbox, Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0
- Boxcar, WP - 10586917675, Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0
- Boxcar, New Hope & Ivyland RR, Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0
- Popeye Statue - panoramio, dippold, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Weister House NRHP 100002573 Randolph County, IL, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Weister House2 NRHP 100002573 Randolph County, IL, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Southern Pacific SP 8000 (B39-8) (10586137804), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Southern Pacific SP 7819 (B30-7) (10586109595), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Southern Pacific SP 9347 (SD45T-2) (10586030555), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Southern Pacific SP 9603 (GP60) (10586078774), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Southern Pacific SP 7517 (SD45-2) (10586205344), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Southern Pacific SP 7531 (SD45-2) (10586417213), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Southern Pacific SP 8554 (SD40T-2) (10586103674), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- St. Louis Southwestern "Cotton Belt" SSW 7781 (B30-7) (10586126695), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
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