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Olney, Illinois
Olney is a city of 8,577 people in Richland County, Illinois, founded in 1848.
Why visit Olney
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 29 places to eat and 6 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Elliott Street Historic District and Ambrose Hopkinson House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 21°F.
Weather in Olney
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Olney
Olney is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Olney had a population of 8,701.
From the Wikipedia article Olney, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks8
Elliott Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Park in the United States of America
Ambrose Hopkinson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Larchmound
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Olney Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Carnegie library in Olney, Illinois, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes29
Bobe’s Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.9 mi
1610 East Main Street, Olney
Tu-Th 11:00-13:00,16:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 16:00-22:00; Su-Mo 16:00-21:00
China Capital Super Buffet
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.1 mi
525 North West Street, Olney
17 more on the map.
Where to stay6
Lakeside R.V. Park & Campground
Campground · 2.3 mi
5238 North Silver Road, Olney
History
Settlement of the Richland County area began around 1815 when Thaddeus Morehouse, a native of Vermont, arrived by wagon and built a log cabin along a stagecoach route that ran from Vincennes, Indiana to St. Louis. This log cabin operated as a hotel and tavern.
Richland County was organized as a county in 1841, when it was formed by a partitioning of Clay and Lawrence counties. There was some controversy regarding the location of the county seat; however, Olney was determined as the choice based on a donation of land and the central location. The name of the town Olney was suggested by Judge Aaron Shaw who desired to honor a friend, Nathan Olney. It was not until 1848 that Olney was incorporated as a village.
The Civil War brought a great deal of turmoil to the county as there were sympathies for both sides. While most citizens rallied around the Union it was necessary to have troops stationed in Olney to enforce the draft as union deserters found refuge among local citizens. Overall, the county was pro-Union and an estimated 1,700 Richland County citizens fought for the Union in the Civil war. Nearly 1,000 Olney residents served in World War I, and during World War II, Richland County may have been the only Illinois county outside of Cook that provided four generals for the war effort.
From the History section of Olney, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship22
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 0.9 mi
315 East Glenwood Avenue, Olney
Silver Street Pentecostal Church
Church · Pentecostal · 0.6 mi
701 North Silver Street, Olney
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Richland County University of Illinois Extension
School
306 South Fair Street, Olney
Healthcare4
Map of Olney
94 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 21°F | 3.5 in | 3.6 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 24°F | 2.6 in | 2.6 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 32°F | 4.2 in | 1.1 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 43°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 75°F | 53°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 62°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 66°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 64°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 56°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 44°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 34°F | 4.3 in | 0.5 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 26°F | 3.5 in | 2.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Olney 2S Hcn (2 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
Richland County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2005-02-01: Record/Near Record Snow (Snowstorm)
- 2002-05-21: Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding (Tornado)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Olney-Noble Airport (OLY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Bridgeport 18 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Newton 18 mi north, about 30 min by car
- Flora 21 mi west, about 35 min by car
- Lawrenceville 21 mi east, about 34 min by car
- Robinson 27 mi northeast, about 44 min by car
- Mount Carmel 27 mi southeast, about 44 min by car
- Fairfield 29 mi southwest, about 46 min by car
- Vincennes 31 mi east, about 50 min by car
- Palestine 32 mi northeast, about 51 min by car
- Effingham 37 mi northwest, about 59 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
- Chestnut and Whittle in Olney, Nyttend, Public domain
- Richland County Courthouse in Olney, Nyttend, Public domain
- Olney Carnegie Library, Nyttend, Public domain
- Three houses on Elliott Street in Olney, Nyttend, Public domain
- 2024 Solar Eclipse in Olney Illinois (53641599123), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Squirrels of Olney - Flickr - GregTheBusker, Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Ambrose Hopkinson House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Larchmound driveway, Nyttend, Public domain
- Larchmound March 26 2020, Editorb1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2024 Solar Eclipse totality - slow shutter (53640505202), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2024 Solar Eclipse totality - Onley, Illinois (53651056983), Joseph Gage from Yorkville, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta - Flickr - GregTheBusker, Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA, CC BY 2.0
- RobertRidgwayMarker, User:Dgorsline, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS045-E-37184 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS042-E-289336 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS042-E-289335 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS042-E-290391 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS042-E-291592 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS028-E-36634 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS042-E-291591 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-13453 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS042-E-290390 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-13454 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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