Gibson City, Illinois
Gibson City is a city of 3,434 people in Ford County, Illinois, founded in 1869.
Why visit Gibson City
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 5 parks and trails, 9 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Alfred Phillips House, Railside Golf Club and North Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 16°F.
Weather in Gibson City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Gibson City
Gibson City is a city in Ford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,475 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Gibson City, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks1
Alfred Phillips House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Single-family detached home in Gibson City, Illinois
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
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Restaurants and cafes9
Mark's On First
Restaurant · Grill · 0.7 mi
Welcome to Mark's On First, your go-to bar and grill spot in Gibson City, IL since 2022. Indulge in our delicious selection from juicy...
120 East 1st Street, Gibson City
Mo-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 16:00-24:00; Su 12:00-20:00
Horsch Radish
Restaurant · German
209 North Sangamon Avenue, Gibson City
We-Sa 12:00-20:00; Su 12:00-18:00; Mo-Tu closed
Vianna Yang's Chinese Cuisine
Restaurant · Chinese
210 North Sangamon Avenue, Gibson City
Rick’s Recreation Center & Pub
Bar and pub · 0.6 mi
528 South Sangamon Avenue, Gibson City
DQ Grill & Chill
Fast food · Ice Cream, Burger, Chicken · 0.7 mi
244 West 1st Street, Gibson City
Su-Sa 10:00-20:00
History
The site of Gibson City was purchased and platted by Jonathan B. Lott in 1869. In 1870, Lott built a home and a post office there, and several stores and a grain elevator were constructed. Lott named the place Gibson after the maiden name of his wife, Margaret Gibson Lott, and City was added later by the post office department. Both the Gilman, Clinton and Springfield Railroad and the Chicago and Paducah Railroad reached the town in 1871, allowing its population to grow. Gibson City was incorporated as a village in 1872, with T. D. Spalding, J. H. Collier, S. J. LeFevre, Bruce McCormick, and W. T. Kerr serving as the first trustees. Spalding acted as the first village president (mayor). A third railroad, the LaFayette, Muncie and Bloomington Railroad, was built through Gibson City in 1874. In the same year, one of the railroads signed a contract that paid Augustana College, located in Paxton at the time, a commission of $1 per acre on all railroad land sold to Swedish settlers.
In 1883, a fire in the town caused $50,000 ($1,500,000 in 2023 dollars) in property damage.
From the History section of Gibson City, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship10
First Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.7 mi
628 South Church Street, Gibson City
Gibson City Pentecostal Church
Church · Pentecostal · 0.5 mi
301 South Melvin Street, Gibson City
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Healthcare3
Map of Gibson City
40 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 16°F | 1.9 in | 6.7 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 20°F | 1.8 in | 4.1 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 29°F | 2.7 in | 1.4 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 39°F | 3.6 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 72°F | 51°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 61°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 64°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 62°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 53°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 41°F | 3.4 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 31°F | 2.6 in | 1.1 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 22°F | 2.2 in | 4.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Gibson City (1 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
Ford 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)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2002-05-21: Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding (Tornado)
- 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, 29 miles away.
- Rantoul 16 mi southeast, about 26 min by car
- Mahomet 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- Farmer City 20 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
- Fairbury 21 mi north, about 33 min by car
- Champaign 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
- Urbana 26 mi south, about 43 min by car
- Chenoa 26 mi northwest, about 42 min by car
- Downs 27 mi west, about 44 min by car
- Bloomington 31 mi west, about 50 min by car
- Normal 32 mi west, about 52 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
- 20200606 55 Gibson City, Illinois, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Gibson City, IL Post Office mural, "Hiawatha Returning with Minnehaha" by Francis Foy, Buster7, Public domain
- Grain Terminal. Gibson City, IL (16093580394), Ron Frazier from Bloomington IL, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Alfred Phillips House 2, Andrita2 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.