Monticello, Illinois
Monticello is a city of 6,304 people in Piatt County, Illinois, founded in 1829.
Why visit Monticello
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 17 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Monticello Courthouse Square Historic District, North State Street Historic District and Monticello Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 17°F.
Weather in Monticello
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Monticello
Monticello is a city in and the county seat of Piatt County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,941 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Monticello, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
Monticello Courthouse Square Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
North State Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
South Charter Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes17
Monical's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.4 mi
707 West Bridge Street, Monticello
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:30
Casa Real Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.7 mi
1204 Bear Lane, Monticello
Mo-Su 11:00-20:00
5 more on the map.
History
Monticello's first non-native resident was George Hayworth. Hayworth came to the area in 1822 to serve as a U.S. liaison agent to local Native American tribes. Hayworth did not remain, but in 1829, James A. Piatt purchased Hayworth's small log cabin. Soon more settlers arrived.
In 1837, residents decided to form a new town. Abraham Marquiss, William Barnes, James McReynolds, and James A. Piatt Jr. formed a joint stock company and purchased land from James A. Piatt. Upon McReynolds' suggestion, the town was christened Monticello – after the home of Thomas Jefferson. Monticello officially became a town on July 1, 1837. Townsfolk held a celebration on July 4.
The first house in the new town was built by a Mr. Cass who used the building as his home and a grocery store. The second house was a log cabin built by John Tenbrooke. In 1839, Nicholas DeVore built the "Old Fort" which was later used as a hotel. Monticello continued to grow as the population increased over the next decade.
From the History section of Monticello, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship12
Monticello United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 1.2 mi
2020 East Washington Street, Monticello
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare5
Map of Monticello
64 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 17°F | 2.3 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 21°F | 2.0 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 30°F | 2.9 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 40°F | 3.7 in |
| May | 74°F | 51°F | 4.6 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 4.9 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 62°F | 4.3 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 60°F | 3.3 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 52°F | 3.1 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 41°F | 3.1 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 31°F | 3.1 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 23°F | 2.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Champaign 9 Sw 72436 (11 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
Piatt County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2007-02-09: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2002-05-21: Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding (Tornado)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Bement 8 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Mahomet 15 mi northeast, about 23 min by car
- Farmer City 15 mi north, about 25 min by car
- Lake of the Woods 16 mi northeast, about 25 min by car
- Champaign 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Savoy 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Tolono 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Oreana 17 mi southwest, about 27 min by car
- Urbana 21 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Decatur 23 mi southwest, 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
- Monticello Illinois Post Office, Dual Freq, CC BY 2.5
- Piatt County Illinois Courthouse, Dual Freq, CC BY 2.5
- Grant and State in Monticello, Nyttend, Public domain
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