Why visit Elwood
Townapedia lists 4 parks and trails and 1 place to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 17°F.
Weather in Elwood
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Elwood
Elwood is a village in rural Will County, Illinois, United States, approximately 45 miles southwest of Chicago. The population was 2,229 at the 2020 United States census, down from 2,279 in 2010.
From the Wikipedia article Elwood, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Restaurants and cafes1
Dunkin'
Fast food · Donut, Coffee Shop · 2.3 mi
2951 Centerpoint Way, Elwood
Mo-Fr 03:00-20:00; Sa-Su 05:00-15:00
Churches and places of worship1
Gas and EV charging1
History
Elwood was founded in 1854 and incorporated as a village in 1869. The completion of the Joliet–Bloomington railroad, now part of the Union Pacific system, played a major role in the founding of Elwood. By 1900, Elwood was a small farming community with a population of about 400.
In the late 1930s, the federal government acquired nearby land for military training and weapons production, on which site the Joliet Arsenal was built and commenced operation in 1940. Arsenal construction played an important role in the development of Elwood and brought about 175 people into the area. In 1942, a massive explosion at the arsenal killed 42 workers and caused widespread damage.
In 1954, the village celebrated its centennial, and 20,000 people gathered to watch the parade. By 1970, Elwood had a population of about 750. On May 8, 1988, a tornado touched down about three miles (5 km) north of the village, uprooting large trees and heavily damaging some homes and pole buildings.
From the History section of Elwood, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Schools, colleges and libraries13
Map of Elwood
20 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 17°F | 2.0 in | 5.0 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 20°F | 1.8 in | 6.2 in |
| Mar | 47°F | 29°F | 2.3 in | 2.1 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 39°F | 3.9 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 71°F | 49°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 60°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 64°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 63°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 55°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 43°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 32°F | 2.5 in | 0.3 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 22°F | 1.9 in | 3.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Joliet Brandon Rd Dam (6 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
Will County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-09-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng (Flood)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-11-26: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2013-05-10: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Joliet Regional Airport (JOT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Joliet 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Manhattan 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Channahon 8 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Shorewood 9 mi northwest, about 14 min by car
- Minooka 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- New Lenox 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Crest Hill 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- Crystal Lawns 11 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Braidwood 12 mi southwest, about 19 min by car
- Lockport 13 mi north, about 20 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Jackson Township Hall Elwood 2026-06-03, User:Visviva, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS016-E-24222 - View of Illinois, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Three Bells (50281610351), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Military Cemetary (50280930748), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- More Graves (50280928213), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Funeral (50281608731), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rows upon rows (50281610971), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Sacrifice (50280927318), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Guard Against Covid (50281772872), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- People's Sacrifice (50281768657), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Patterns in the Stones (50280932493), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rows of headstones (50280932078), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Endless Graves (50280927998), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Lines of Graves (50280928498), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Honor Guards (50280931408), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Silver Hearst (50281609231), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Autobahn Country Club orthophoto 2010-04-01, United States Geological Survey, Public domain
- 20061105 13 BNSF Intermodal Terminal (16561859049), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Intermodal terminal loading, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Siemens Venture business class car on Amtrak Midwest, Rckania, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 20220915-FS-MNTP-VH-002 USDA Forest Service photo by Veronica Hinke, usfs_Eastern_Region, Public domain
- 20220915-FS-MNTP-VH-001 USDA Forest Service photo by Veronica Hinke, usfs_Eastern_Region, Public domain
- 2023 Employee Photo Contest (53377442941), usfs_Eastern_Region, Public domain
- A6306718 (50285048878), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Big Ears For a Little Bunny to Scratch (50285048968), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.