Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa is a city of 18,447 people in LaSalle County, Illinois, founded in 1853.
Why visit Ottawa
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 46 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Ottawa Rail Bridge, Veterans Memorial Bridge, Andrew J. O'Conor III House and Fisher-Nash-Griggs House.
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 Ottawa
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ottawa
Ottawa is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the confluence of the navigable Fox River and Illinois River, the latter being a conduit for river barges and connects Lake Michigan at Chicago to the Mississippi River. The population was 18,840 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Ottawa, Illinois, micropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Ottawa, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks14
Andrew J. O'Conor III House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic home in the city of Ottawa, Illinois, United States
Fisher-Nash-Griggs House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
In Ottawa, Illinois
Jeremiah Strawn House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
John Hossack House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Knuessl Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Commercial building in Illinois, US
Marseilles Lock and Dam Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Lock and dam complex on the Illinois River at Marseilles, Illinois, United States
Ottawa Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic district in Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa East Side Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Residential historic district in eastern Ottawa, Illinois
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Washington Park Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes46
Cracker Barrel
Diner · American · 2.0 mi
4119 Columbus Street, Ottawa
Su-Th 06:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 06:00-23:00
The Lone Buffalo
Restaurant · 1.1 mi
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 11:00-21:00
34 more on the map.
History
Ottawa occupies a place on the Illinois River that has long been one end of a portage trail between the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan. Here the river was reliably deep enough for canoes. The North Portage Trail connected the site over land and water to the Chicago River.
Ottawa was the site of the first of the Lincoln–Douglas debates on August 21, 1858. During the Ottawa debate, Stephen A. Douglas, leader of the Democratic Party, openly accused Abraham Lincoln of forming a secret bipartisan group of Congressmen to bring about the abolition of slavery.
The John Hossack House was a "station" on the Underground Railroad, and Ottawa was a major stop because of its rail, road, and river transportation. Citizens in the city were active within the abolitionist movement. Ottawa was the site of a famous 1859 extrication of a runaway slave named Jim Gray from a courthouse by prominent civic leaders of the time. Three of the civic leaders, John Hossack, Dr. Joseph Stout and James Stout, later stood trial in Chicago for violating the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
From the History section of Ottawa, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Churches and places of worship26
Bethel Lutheran Brethern Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.5 mi
651 West Madison Street, Ottawa
Christ Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.0 mi
113 East Lafayette Street, Ottawa
First Congregational Church
Church · Congregational · 1.0 mi
907 Paul Street, Ottawa
First Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 1.0 mi
114 East Jefferson Street, Ottawa
First United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 1.0 mi
100 West Jefferson Street, Ottawa
Saint Columba Roman Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.0 mi
122 West Washington Street, Ottawa
Shopping11
Gas and EV charging11
Schools, colleges and libraries18
Lmp Regional Office of Education
School · 1.1 mi
119 W Madison St Ste 102, Ottawa
Healthcare3
Map of Ottawa
155 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, 17 miles away.
- Morris 21 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Minooka 29 mi east, about 47 min by car
- Channahon 29 mi east, about 47 min by car
- Oswego 34 mi northeast, about 55 min by car
- Montgomery 35 mi northeast, about 56 min by car
- Joliet 37 mi east, about 59 min by car
- Aurora 40 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- DeKalb 40 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Crest Hill 40 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Naperville 44 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 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
- Ottawa IL Downtown1, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- P1020153 Ottawa, IL (Il n Mi canal aqueduct), Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ottawa Rock Island Line station, 4Gfoley, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Lincoln vs Douglas Debate Memorial - Washington Park Historic District-Ottawa Illinois, JabSVBS13, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ottawa 1950's Celebrations - panoramio, Bohao Zhao, CC BY 3.0
- Ottawa IL Washington Park Historic District Site of first Lincoln-Douglas debate, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ottawa Il Knuessl Building1, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ottawa IL Andrew J. O'Conor III House1, IvoShandor, CC BY 3.0
- Ottawa East Side Historic District, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ottawa IL Fisher-Nash-Griggs House1, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ottawa IL Jeremiah Strawn House1, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ottawa IL John Hossack House1, IvoShandor, CC BY 3.0
- Veteran's Memorial Bridge-Ottawa Illinois 20180916 1117, DFHite1986, CC0
- Ottawa Rail Bridge, Martin Stupich, Public domain
- Andrew J. OConor III House (8749198580), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Jeremiah Strawn House (8748074621), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Third District Appellate Court Building, State Supreme Court Building (8746702779), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Reddick Mansion House - Restored - Drone Photo, JabSVBS13, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reddick Mansion House - Restored - Drone Photo Sunrise, JabSVBS13, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reddick Mansion House - Restored - Side Profile, JabSVBS13, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Christ Episcopal Church (8745761962), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Masonic Temple (8744645560), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Congregational Church (8744643927), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- William Reddick House (8747824176), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- The Palmer Apartments (8741707609), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Palmetto Apartments (8741706179), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church (8746703835), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Lincoln-Douglas Debate Memorial (8746702557), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Washington Park (8744637535), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Civil War Monument (8744641753), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- The First Methodist Church (8743530867), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church - panoramio (3), Bohao Zhao, CC BY 3.0
- Central Life Building (8743526273), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Salvation Army Citadel (8742820468), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Popcorn Wagon (8744644523), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Carson Pirie Scott and Co. (8742820096), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Montgomery Ward (8744645796), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- American Legion Post 33 (8743527061), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Gayety Theater (8742821222), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 720 LaSalle Street (8741963124), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
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