Colchester, Illinois
Colchester is a city of 1,128 people in McDonough County, Illinois.
Why visit Colchester
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails and 1 place to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Clarence Kleinkopf Round Barn and Moses King Brick and Tile Works.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 15°F.
Weather in Colchester
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Colchester
Colchester is a city in McDonough County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,108 at the 2020 census, down from 1,401 in 2010. The city is named after the city of Colchester, England.
From the Wikipedia article Colchester, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Clarence Kleinkopf Round Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Round barn in Illinois, United States of America
Moses King Brick and Tile Works
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic brickworks in Colchester, Illinois
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes1
The Full Scoop
Restaurant · Ice Cream · 0.7 mi
6575 West Jackson Street, Colchester
Churches and places of worship3
History
According to the North American Stratigraphic Code, rock units were given names that included the geographic name of a location where the rock unit was first described. If the rock unit consisted of a dominant rock type, the rock type was included in the name. In this case, when coal was first discovered and described in Colchester, Illinois, the rock unit was named "Colchester Coal". When this particular coal unit was encountered in a different location, the coal was correctly identified as Colchester Coal.
The mines in Colchester attracted immigrants from Pennsylvania. At first these included the descendants of Irish Protestant refugees from the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Later they were joined by Irish Catholic refugees from the Great Famine.
During the 1920s, Colchester was the home of Henry "Kelly" Wagle, a bootlegger associated with Al Capone. Wagle was involved in the production of alcohol and its transportation between Chicago and Kansas City.
On September 11, 1921, members of the disgraced Chicago "Black Sox" baseball team played with the Colchester team in a game against nearby Macomb. Kelly Wagle paid to bring the players to Colchester.
From the History section of Colchester, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of Colchester
17 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 15°F | 1.6 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 19°F | 1.8 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 29°F | 2.4 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 40°F | 3.9 in |
| May | 72°F | 52°F | 5.2 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 61°F | 4.9 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 65°F | 4.2 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 63°F | 3.4 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 54°F | 3.8 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 42°F | 3.1 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 30°F | 2.5 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 21°F | 2.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for La Harpe Hcn (14 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
McDonough County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for snowstorms.
- 2023-08-15: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 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)
- 2006-12-29: Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Macomb Municipal Airport (MQB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 10 miles away.
- Macomb 7 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Bushnell 17 mi northeast, about 28 min by car
- Carthage 18 mi west, about 28 min by car
- Camp Point 30 mi southwest, about 49 min by car
- Burlington 32 mi northwest, about 51 min by car
- Fort Madison 32 mi northwest, about 52 min by car
- Beardstown 34 mi southeast, about 55 min by car
- Canton 41 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Galesburg 42 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Quincy 46 mi southwest, 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
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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
- US 136 entering Colchester, Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Clarence Kleinkopf Round Barn NRHP 82002586 McDonough County, IL, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kilns and Factory Building, Chris Sutton, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MKBTW, Timschroll, CC BY-SA 3.0
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