Why visit Galva
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 2 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Galva Opera House and Olof Johnson House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 13°F.
Weather in Galva
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Galva
Galva is a city in southern Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,470 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Galva, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Galva Opera House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Opera house in Galva, United States of America
Olof Johnson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house located at 408 NW 4th Street in Galva, Illinois
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes2
Where to stay1
History
Cousins William L. Wiley (1820–1900) and James Wiley (1817–1886) founded Galva in 1854. The name Galva honors the Swedish immigrants of nearby Bishop Hill and refers to Gävle, Sweden which is the town's sister city. Today around 80% of the town has Scandinavian ancestry.
Galva was a railroad town. Galva was laid out along the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (Burlington Route) with the help of Bishop Hill trustees who invested heavily in Galva. This was the first of three rail lines to locate there. This group was formed in 1852 and ran a line from Aurora, Illinois to Galesburg, Illinois. A second branch of the Burlington Route later also came through. Later the Peoria and Rock Island Railroad (Rock Island Railroad) came through Galva. Several Amtrak lines run through the town, including the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief, but none stop in Galva. A station is located 10 miles north in Kewanee for the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, and 25 miles south in Galesburg for all trains.
From the History section of Galva, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship10
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Map of Galva
26 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 13°F | 1.6 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 17°F | 1.8 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 27°F | 2.4 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 38°F | 4.2 in |
| May | 73°F | 50°F | 4.8 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 5.2 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 63°F | 3.6 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 60°F | 3.7 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 52°F | 4.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 40°F | 2.8 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 29°F | 2.5 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 19°F | 2.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Galva Hcn (0 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
Henry County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 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)
- 2019-09-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 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
Rinkenberger Airport (BDF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Kewanee 8 mi northeast, about 12 min by car
- Galesburg 23 mi southwest, about 37 min by car
- Colona 26 mi northwest, about 42 min by car
- Elmwood 27 mi south, about 44 min by car
- Coal Valley 28 mi northwest, about 45 min by car
- Carbon Cliff 29 mi northwest, about 47 min by car
- East Moline 30 mi northwest, about 49 min by car
- Moline 32 mi northwest, about 52 min by car
- Rock Island 35 mi northwest, about 57 min by car
- Peoria 36 mi southeast, about 58 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
- Galva, Illinois, No machine-readable author provided. Kelly Martin assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Image Former Opera House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Image Johnson House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
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