Decatur, Illinois
Decatur is a city of 69,815 people in Macon County, Illinois, founded in 1823.
Why visit Decatur
Townapedia lists 26 museums and landmarks, 73 parks and trails, 77 places to eat, 20 places to stay and 12 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Carmike Strand 10, Avon Theater, Decatur Downtown Historic District and Decatur Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in Decatur
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Decatur
Decatur is the largest city in Macon County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 70,522. It is the 17th-most populous city in Illinois and the "fastest shrinking city" in Illinois.
From the Wikipedia article Decatur, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do12
Museums and landmarks26
Decatur Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic district in Decatur, Illinois
Decatur Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic district in Decatur, Illinois
James Millikin House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Roosevelt Junior High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
High school in Decatur, Macon County, Illinois
Transfer House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Trobaugh-Good House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.8 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Wabash Railroad Station and Railway Express Agency
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Railway station in Decatur, Illinois, United States
West End Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Macon County, Illinois
14 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds73
61 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes77
Cancun Bar & Grill
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.8 mi
2930 North Main Street, Decatur
Fr-Sa 10:00-22:00; Su-Th 10:00-21:30
El Rodeo
Restaurant · Mexican · 3.1 mi
4204 North Prospect Drive, Decatur
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
65 more on the map.
Where to stay20
Churches and places of worship68
First Christian Church of Decatur
Church · Nondenominational · 2.4 mi
3350 North Macarthur Road, Decatur
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Decatur
Place of worship · 2.9 mi
3773 N. MacArthur Rd., Decatur
Shopping19
Gas and EV charging12
Schools, colleges and libraries61
MacArthur High School
School · 2.4 mi
1155 North Fairview Avenue, Decatur
Healthcare15
Family Medicine - Mt. Zion
Clinic and pharmacy · 4.6 mi
4965 East Lost Bridge Road, Decatur
Map of Decatur
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 20°F | 2.4 in | 5.9 in |
| Feb | 39°F | 24°F | 2.0 in | 2.5 in |
| Mar | 51°F | 33°F | 2.6 in | 0.9 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 43°F | 4.1 in | 0.4 in |
| May | 74°F | 54°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 63°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 66°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 65°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 57°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 46°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 34°F | 3.2 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 39°F | 25°F | 2.4 in | 3.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Decatur Wtp Hcn (2 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
Macon County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2023-08-15: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2007-02-09: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2002-05-21: Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding (Tornado)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Decatur Airport (DEC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Forsyth 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Mount Zion 6 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Long Creek 6 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Harristown 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- Oreana 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Springfield 38 mi west, about 1 h by car
- Champaign 39 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Chatham 42 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Bloomington 43 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Charleston 48 mi southeast, 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
- Downtown-MerchantRsz, Gil Lebois, CC0
- Decatur Street, 400 block, Decatur, Nyttend, Public domain
- Decatur Downtown Historic District, Archedamian, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dennis and Decatur, West End, Nyttend, Public domain
- James Millikin House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Roosevelt Junior High School entrance, Decatur, Nyttend, Public domain
- Union Church near Oreana, Nyttend, Public domain
- Trobaugh-Good House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Wabash Railroad Station and Railway Express Agency, Archedamian, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Decatur, IL Transfer House in Central Park, Ander107, CC BY-SA 3.0
- B&O Tank Car (10588879286), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- B&O Plow (10588860285), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Illinois Terminal NW 1221 (SW1200R) (10568635144), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Illinois Terminal NW 1201 (SW1200) (10568845403), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Illinois Terminal NW 1201 (SW1200) (10585311915), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Illinois Terminal NW 1206 (SW1200) (10568587096), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Illinois Terminal NW 1500 (10585361984), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Illinois Terminal NW 1206 (SW1200) (10585334976), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Illinois Terminal 1511 NW 2292 (SW1500) (10568841313), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk Southern 2296 (SW1500) (10567913206), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 3373 (SW9) (10585612154), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 3373 (SW9) (10568229173), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 524 (GP30) (10585653884), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 524 (GP30) (10568094505), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 1491 (GP18) (10568045195), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 1499 (GP18) (10568096814), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 1499 (GP18) & 638 (GP9) (10568109116), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 1493 (GP18) (10568105284), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 1498 (GP18) (10568099044), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 1484 (GP9) (10568321403), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 1477 (GP9) (10568115864), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western 1493 & 1499 (GP18), 638 & 839 (GP9) (10568109704), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 1496 (GP18) (10568307363), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 1493 (GP18) (10568059696), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western 1493 & 1499 (GP18), 638 & 839 (GP9) (10568109704) (N&W 638), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 1496 (GP18) (10568104474), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 654 (GP9) (10568154934), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 766 (GP9) (10568078115), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 943 (GP18) (10568079206), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Norfolk & Western NW 656 (GP9) (10568103276), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
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