Why visit Chillicothe
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 13 parks and trails, 16 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Town Theater, Peoria Automobile Club and Santa Fe Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 18°F, and about 25 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Chillicothe
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Chillicothe
Chillicothe () is a town on the Illinois River in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Chillicothe had a population of 6,128. Chillicothe is just north of the city of Peoria and is part of the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Chillicothe, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
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Peoria Automobile Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic clubhouse on the Illinois River
Chillicothe Area History Museum
Museum · 0.7 mi
723 North 4th Street, Chillicothe
Parks, trails and playgrounds13
1 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes16
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.8 mi
120 North 4th Street, Chillicothe
Mo-Th 08:00-21:00; Fr 08:00-22:00; Sa 08:00-21:00; Su 09:00-21:00
4 more on the map.
History
The name Chillicothe comes from the name of the Chalahgawtha sect of the Shawnee nation.
Along with Peoria, Chillicothe grew due to river traffic and quickly became a stop for barge and railroad traffic traveling to and from Chicago and St. Louis.
In the late 1800s, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway was building its mainline from Chicago to Kansas City and selected Chillicothe as its crossing point of the Illinois River. The railroad quickly became an establishment in Chillicothe as a crew change point and a notable stop in Central Illinois. Chillicothe today still remains a key point on the Southern Transcon route between Chicago and Los Angeles with high frequency intermodal freight trains moving through daily.
On November 5, 1988, Vice President George H.W. Bush, Representative Robert H. Michel, & Governor James Thompson stopped in Chillicothe to close out Election '88 in Illinois. Governor Thompson declared the day "Ilion Crabel Day" in honor of the city's record breaking city clerk. Crabel, elected in 1923, served as city clerk for 66 years until 1989.
Chillicothe is the host to The Summer Camp Music Festival, a multi-day music festival created by Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment that is held annually at Three Sisters Park.
From the History section of Chillicothe, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship9
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries12
Healthcare1
Map of Chillicothe
67 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 18°F | 2.1 in | 8.1 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 22°F | 2.1 in | 6.2 in |
| Mar | 51°F | 31°F | 2.6 in | 3.2 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 41°F | 4.0 in | 0.7 in |
| May | 75°F | 52°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 61°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 65°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 63°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 55°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 44°F | 3.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 33°F | 2.6 in | 1.1 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 23°F | 2.2 in | 5.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Lacon (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
Peoria County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for snowstorms.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 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)
- 2006-12-29: Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Peoria International Airport (PIA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 20 miles away.
- Rome 3 mi south, about 4 min by car
- Lacon 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Germantown Hills 10 mi south, about 17 min by car
- Dunlap 10 mi southwest, about 17 min by car
- Metamora 11 mi southeast, about 18 min by car
- Peoria Heights 12 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Peoria 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Washington 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- East Peoria 17 mi south, about 27 min by car
- West Peoria 17 mi southwest, about 27 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
- Chillicothe-cinema-2, ProfDEH at en.wikipedia, Public domain
- Chillicothe, Il Post Office mural, "Rail Roading" by Arthur H. Lidov (cropped), Art: Arthur H. Lidov Photographer: Buster7, Public domain
- Chillicothe, Il Post Office mural, "Rail Roading" by Arthur H. Lidov, Art: Arthur H. Lidov Photographer: Buster7, Public domain
- 19970427 10 BNSF Chillicothe, Illinois (5800008378), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 19970427 11 BNSF Chillicothe, Illinois (5799456789), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Shore Acres Chillicothe IL 17 Feb 13, Ronald Maac, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Red Barn at Three Sisters, Joe K Gage, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Peoria County, Illinois - DSCF2386, Joe K Gage, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Three Sisters Park Church, Joe K Gage, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Peoria County, Illinois - DSCF2392, Joe K Gage, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Peoria County, Illinois - DSCF2389, Joe K Gage, CC BY-SA 2.0
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