Why visit Morrison
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 16 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Morrison Main Street Historic District and Odell Building.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 12°F, and about 32 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Morrison
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Morrison
Morrison is a town and the county seat of Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Morrison had a population of 4,085. It is located on the Historic Lincoln Highway, the nation's first transcontinental highway and in Morrison was the site of two concrete "seedling miles", which served as prototypes of what an improved highway could do for the nation.
From the Wikipedia article Morrison, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks4
Morrison Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Illinois, United States
Odell Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Library building in Morrison, Illinois
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes16
Orignal Tacos
Restaurant · Mexican
123 East Main Street, Morrison
The Bread Lady At Donnybrook Corner
Restaurant · Regional · 0.4 mi
203 West Main Street, Morrison
4 more on the map.
History
In 1854, Lyman Johnson and H. S. Vroom were already in what would become the City of Morrison as contractors and builders for the Air-line railroad, now the Union Pacific Railroad. Johnson and Vroom, along with several other entrepreneurs, acquired the land that would surround the rail station that was planned here. They managed the work of surveyor W.S. Wilkinson in the layout of the future town in 1855. Among these entrepreneurs was W.H. Van Epps. Lyman Johnson decided to call the town Morrison, in honor of Charles Morrison, a friend of Van Epps and a wealthy merchant from New York, who promised financial support in the way of loans for the town's development. Shortly thereafter, Morrison suffered severe financial losses and he was unable to participate, yet his name remained.
From the History section of Morrison, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship13
Bethesda Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 0.6 mi
301 West South Street, Morrison
Saint Peters Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 0.5 mi
601 North Jackson Street, Morrison
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries13
Healthcare3
Map of Morrison
62 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°F | 12°F | 1.5 in | 10.4 in |
| Feb | 34°F | 16°F | 1.6 in | 7.6 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 27°F | 2.5 in | 3.6 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 37°F | 3.8 in | 0.8 in |
| May | 71°F | 49°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 59°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 62°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 60°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 51°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 39°F | 2.8 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 28°F | 2.5 in | 2.7 in |
| Dec | 34°F | 18°F | 2.0 in | 6.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Morrison Hcn (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
Whiteside County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-09-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2013-05-10: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2008-06-24: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Whiteside County Airport (SQI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Fulton 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Sterling 14 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Milledgeville 14 mi northeast, about 23 min by car
- Clinton 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Dixon 25 mi east, about 40 min by car
- Geneseo 27 mi south, about 43 min by car
- Hampton 29 mi southwest, about 46 min by car
- East Moline 30 mi southwest, about 48 min by car
- Colona 30 mi southwest, about 48 min by car
- Bettendorf 31 mi southwest, about 50 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
- Morrison Il Downtown1, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
- Image Odell Building, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Image H.A. Boyd Building, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.