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Downs, Illinois
Downs is a village of 1,641 people in McLean County, Illinois, founded in 1870.
Why visit Downs
Townapedia lists 5 parks and trails and 2 places to eat in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 16°F, and about 20 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Downs
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Downs
Downs is a village in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,201 at the 2020 census, up from 1,005 in 2010. It is part of the Bloomington–Normal Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Downs, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes2
Churches and places of worship2
Gas and EV charging1
History
Downs was originally a small community known as "Delta", established by McLean County settlers in 1829. Previously, the area served as a trading post for the Kickapoo people. When the Indiana, Bloomington and Western Railway was built in 1869, several buildings were dismantled and reconstructed further south to put the town closer to the railroad. The town was then renamed "Priceville" in honor of John Price, a resident who owned the land near the tracks. In 1902, the town's name was changed to "Downs", after postal clerks commonly confused Priceville with the similarly named Illinois town of Princeville. Downs is named for Lawson Downs, one of the area's pioneer settlers.
From the History section of Downs, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Map of Downs
18 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 16°F | 2.4 in | 7.5 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 19°F | 2.0 in | 5.5 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 28°F | 2.6 in | 2.2 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 38°F | 3.7 in | 0.5 in |
| May | 74°F | 50°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 60°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 63°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 61°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 53°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 42°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 31°F | 2.8 in | 0.8 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 21°F | 2.3 in | 3.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Normal 4Ne (11 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
McLean County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2007-02-09: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2001-01-17: Illinois Winter Snow Storms (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (BMI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Bloomington 7 mi northwest, about 11 min by car
- Normal 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Clinton 18 mi south, about 29 min by car
- Atlanta 20 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
- Chenoa 25 mi north, about 40 min by car
- Mahomet 30 mi southeast, about 48 min by car
- Lincoln 31 mi southwest, about 49 min by car
- Morton 34 mi northwest, about 54 min by car
- Champaign 38 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Decatur 38 mi south, about 1 h 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Downs Church, Smuckers It has to be good, Public domain
- Downs, Illinois (11052141564), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Downs, Illinois (11052105206), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- ISS031-E-147382 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS022-E-24031 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS014-E-11285 - View of Wisconsin, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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