Litchfield, Illinois
Litchfield is a city of 6,834 people in Montgomery County, Illinois, founded in 1856.
Why visit Litchfield
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 19 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Litchfield Sky View Drive-In Theatre, Westside Cinema, Ariston Cafe and Belvidere Café, Motel, and Gas Station.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 21°F.
Weather in Litchfield
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Litchfield
Litchfield is a city in Montgomery County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,605 at the 2020 census. It is located in South Central Illinois, south of Springfield, the state capital.
From the Wikipedia article Litchfield, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Litchfield Sky View Drive-In Theatre
Cinema and theater · 0.7 mi
1500 North Historic Route 66, Litchfield
Museums and landmarks8
Ariston Cafe
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic restaurant
Belvidere Café, Motel, and Gas Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Motel in Illinois, United States of America
Litchfield Elks Lodge No. 654
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Building in Illinois, United States
Litchfield Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Carnegie library located at 400 N. State St. in Litchfield, Illinois
Samuel Moody Grubbs House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic house in Litchfield, Illinois, United States
Brown Shoe Company Factory
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Manske-Niemann Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes19
7 more on the map.
History
Litchfield was platted in October 1853, and was originally named "Huntsville",
Earlier, Hardinsburg, about 2 miles (3 km) to the southwest, had been founded about 1850. Both towns were created in anticipation of the Terre Haute & Alton Railroad. Hardinsburg grew to about 50 people by 1854; but when it became clear that the railroad was going through Huntsville instead of Hardinsburg, many of the buildings in Hardinsburg were pulled across the prairie on runners to Huntsville beginning in January 1854, and most of the residents moved to the new site as well, becoming Litchfield's first residents. The railroad reached Huntsville in the autumn of 1864, and within two more years Hardinsburg had substantially disappeared.
The new town of Huntsville was renamed in November 1855 after Electus Bachus Litchfield, who with his brothers earlier that year had donated land and convinced the railroad of where to place its shops and terminals.
The residents of Litchfield first voted to incorporate as a village on April 4, 1856. However, the village trustees failed to complete the incorporation; the village charter was dissolved in autumn of 1857 and the trustees closed the books for that village government on January 22, 1858. The state legislature granted a new municipal charter to Litchfield on February 16, 1859, and the first elections under that charter were held on March 7, 1859.
From the History section of Litchfield, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Litchfield West
Motel and hotel · 0.6 mi
4 Thunderbird Circle, Litchfield
Churches and places of worship13
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries17
Ida J. Russell Elementary School
School · 0.5 mi
705 North Jefferson Street, Litchfield
Healthcare2
Map of Litchfield
78 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 21°F | 2.5 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 25°F | 2.6 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 34°F | 3.0 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 44°F | 5.0 in |
| May | 78°F | 54°F | 5.1 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 63°F | 3.8 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 67°F | 3.7 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 65°F | 3.1 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 57°F | 3.3 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 46°F | 3.4 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 35°F | 3.8 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 26°F | 2.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Hillsboro Hcn (9 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
Montgomery County has had 7 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)
- 2008-10-03: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2007-02-09: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Greenville Airport (GRE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 28 miles away.
- Gillespie 9 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Benld 9 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- Hillsboro 10 mi east, about 17 min by car
- Carlinville 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Hamel 22 mi southwest, about 35 min by car
- Greenville 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
- Brighton 27 mi west, about 44 min by car
- Highland 28 mi south, about 45 min by car
- Auburn 28 mi north, about 45 min by car
- Edwardsville 32 mi southwest, about 51 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
- CarsIn66Formation LitchfieldIL, Jim Kirby, Attribution
- Litchfield Public Library from west, Nyttend, Public domain
- Belvidere Café, Motel, and Gas Station, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Damuel Moody Grubbs House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Litchfield Elks Lodge No. 654, Nyttend, Public domain
- Brown Shoe Company Factory, Adt1982, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Image Manske-Niemann House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
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