Townapedia

Highland, Illinois

Highland is a city of 10,262 people in Madison County, Illinois.

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Population10,262 +2.5% since 2019
Elevation551 ft 168 m
Land area7.3 sq mi
ZIP code62249
Nearest airportGreenville Airport (GRE) 17 mi

Why visit Highland

Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 11 parks and trails, 6 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.

Highlights include Lory Theater.

About Highland

Highland is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,991 at the 2020 census. Highland began as a Swiss settlement and derived its name from later German immigrants

From the Wikipedia article Highland, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do1

Lory Theater

Cinema and theater · 2.1 mi

810 Main Street, Highland

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Museums and landmarks1

Erwin H. Weder Museum

Museum · 2.3 mi

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Parks, trails and playgrounds11

Spindler Park

Park · 2.3 mi

Spindler Park Road, Highland

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Water Tower Park

Park · 2.3 mi

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Denny Rinderer Park

Park · 2.3 mi

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Glik Park

Park · 1.3 mi

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Highland Country Club

Park · 2.0 mi

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Hoffman Park

Park · 1.6 mi

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Kaeser Park

Park · 2.4 mi

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KC Hall Park

Park · 0.9 mi

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Silver Lake Park

Park

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The Square

Park · 2.1 mi

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Tot Lot

Playground · 2.3 mi

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Restaurants and cafes6

City Scoops Creamery

Ice cream · 2.1 mi

1080 Laurel Street, Highland

Tu-Su 15:00-21:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-618-509-0771

501 Blues Club

Bar and pub · 2.3 mi

1106 New Trenton Road, Highland

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China Restaurant

Restaurant · Asian · 2.2 mi

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Highland Diner

Restaurant · 1.8 mi

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The Railshake Brewery

Restaurant · 1.8 mi

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McDonald's

Fast food · Burger · 1.2 mi

105

Mo-Su 05:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +1 618-654-8112

History

Highland was settled in the early 19th century by Swiss-German settlers. The town was founded in 1837 and celebrated its 175th Jubilee in 2012. It was first named Helvetia (pronounced "hellveesha") in accordance with the heritage of the town's Swiss-German founding members. The town voted to change its name to the English version, "Highland", in the early 20th century, as well as stopping production of its German language newspaper, in part to avoid negativity toward those of Germanic heritage at the advent of the First World War. Around the same time, a small town in northern Illinois also started calling itself Highland. Eventually, the town in northern Illinois became Highland Park.

Highland has a rich history including extended visits by such notables as Abraham Lincoln. On November 21, 1915, the Liberty Bell passed through Highland on its nationwide tour returning to Pennsylvania from the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.

From the History section of Highland, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay2

Churches and places of worship3

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Shopping1

Schools, colleges and libraries9

Healthcare1

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Map of Highland

35 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

People and cost of living

$82,551median household income
$202,900median home value
$855median monthly rent
41.8median age
35.8%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
72.7%of homes are owner-occupied
27.3 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1819%18 to 3421%35 to 6440%65 and over20%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

Madison County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for tornados.

  • 2021-12-13: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Tornado)
  • 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
  • 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
  • 2019-09-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
  • 2008-06-24: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
  • 2007-02-09: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

Greenville Airport (GRE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.