Marseilles, Illinois
Marseilles is a city of 4,279 people in LaSalle County, Illinois, founded in 1835.
Why visit Marseilles
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 1 place to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Marseilles Bridge, Marseilles Hydro Plant, Armour's Warehouse and Illini State Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 14°F, and about 25 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Marseilles
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Marseilles
Marseilles is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. An Illinois River town, the population was 4,845 at the 2020 census, down from 5,094 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Marseilles, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks14
Marseilles Hydro Plant
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic hydroelectric power station in Marseilles, Illinois, USA
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Armour's Warehouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
United States historic place
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Former train station in Marseilles, Illinois
Marseilles Lock and Dam Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Lock and dam complex on the Illinois River at Marseilles, Illinois, United States
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes1
Main Street Creamery & Smokehouse
Restaurant · Barbecue, Ice Cream · 1.8 mi
442 Main Street, Marseilles
Tu-Th 04:00-20:30; Fr-Su 11:00-21:00
History
Lovell Kimball arrived at the area along the Illinois River known as the Grand Rapids in 1833 from Watertown, New York. Kimball, aware that the Illinois-Michigan Canal Bill had passed and the canal would eventually reach the rapids, hired a surveyor to lay out a town. Kimball called the town Marseilles in reference to the French city of Marseille as he hoped it would become a similar industrial center in Illinois. Marseilles, pronounced the same as the French city, was officially platted on June 3, 1835; the plat was revised twice for railroad and canal right-of-ways.
From the History section of Marseilles, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship8
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of Marseilles
35 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 14°F | 1.9 in | 8.4 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 17°F | 1.9 in | 7.3 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 27°F | 2.5 in | 2.9 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 37°F | 3.6 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 73°F | 48°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 58°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 62°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 60°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 53°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 41°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 30°F | 2.7 in | 0.8 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 20°F | 2.1 in | 5.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Marseilles Lock (4 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
LaSalle County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for snowstorms.
- 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)
- 2008-10-03: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Illinois Valley Regional Airport (VYS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 25 miles away.
- Ottawa 8 mi west, about 13 min by car
- Morris 14 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Streator 16 mi southwest, about 25 min by car
- Dwight 20 mi southeast, about 32 min by car
- Lake Holiday 21 mi north, about 34 min by car
- Coal City 21 mi east, about 34 min by car
- Gardner 21 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Channahon 22 mi east, about 36 min by car
- Diamond 22 mi east, about 36 min by car
- Minooka 23 mi northeast, about 36 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
- Marseilles IL downtown1, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 20120402 55 I & M Canal Lock, Marseilles, Illinois (7539456184), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20120402 56 CSX Marseilles, Illinois (7539456072), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20120402 54 Marseilles, Illinois (7539456276), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Depot in Marseilles, Canoe Communications, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Marseilles, IL train station, Ron Reiring, CC BY 2.0
- 20120402 53 Marseilles, Illinois (7539456354), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Marseilles IL Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Depot1, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Marseilles, IL train station turned museum - February 2022, Joseph Gage, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 20120402 51 Marseilles, Illinois (7531831162), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- "Industrial Marseilles" by Avery Johnson (1938), Buster7, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 20120402 46 CSX Marseilles, Illinois (7531830662), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20120402 52 Marseilles, Illinois (7539455510), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Marseilles IL Marseilles Hydro Plant HAER 1986-1, Jet Lowe, Public domain
- Seneca IL Armour's Warehouse1, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 20120402 57 near Seneca, Illinois (7539455996), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- ISS050-E-61135 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-30748 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- 20120402 58 CSX near Seneca, Illinois (7539455836), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
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