Pana, Illinois
Pana is a city of 5,217 people in Christian County, Illinois, founded in 1845.
Why visit Pana
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 4 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Roseland Theatre, Louis Jehle House, Kitchell Park and Pana Country Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 19°F.
Weather in Pana
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Pana
Pana is a small town in Christian County, Illinois, United States. A small portion is in Shelby County. The population was 5,199 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Pana, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Louis Jehle House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Kitchell Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Park in Christian County, Illinois, United States of America
Restaurants and cafes4
History
The area around Pana was first organized as Stone Coal Precinct in 1845. The county's precincts became townships in 1856, and Stone Coal Precinct became Pana Township, Christian County, Illinois. In 1857 the village of Pana was incorporated. The name "Pana" is believed to have been derived from the indigenous tribe, the Pawnee. It developed at the intersection of east–west and north–south railroads, and had supplies of fuel and water for the steam engines of the railroad.
The community became a center of coal mining in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In April 1899, what is known as the Pana riot broke out after a violent confrontation between black and white miners. Initially a white man was killed (by a policeman, it was later discovered), and white union miners attacked black replacement workers who had been recruited from Alabama. Six additional people were killed: one white (likely also shot by a white man) and five blacks; in addition, six more black miners were wounded. While the immediate violence was quelled, blacks felt tremendous hostility. Rather than return to Alabama and the Jim Crow South, from where they had been recruited, 211 of the nearly 300 African Americans remaining in town moved west to Weir, Kansas, to work at another mine.
From the History section of Pana, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship14
First United Pentecostal Church
Church · Pentecostal · 1.4 mi
910 East 6th Street, Pana
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Healthcare1
Map of Pana
43 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 19°F | 2.8 in | 5.1 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 23°F | 2.1 in | 2.6 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 31°F | 3.0 in | 2.6 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 41°F | 4.8 in | 0.5 in |
| May | 76°F | 52°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 62°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 65°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 63°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 55°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 44°F | 3.5 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 33°F | 3.7 in | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 25°F | 2.3 in | 2.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Pana 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
Christian County has had 7 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2023-08-15: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2007-02-09: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Vandalia Municipal Airport (VLA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 28 miles away.
- Taylorville 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- Hillsboro 25 mi southwest, about 41 min by car
- Mount Zion 29 mi north, about 47 min by car
- Altamont 30 mi southeast, about 48 min by car
- Harristown 31 mi north, about 50 min by car
- Long Creek 31 mi northeast, about 50 min by car
- Decatur 33 mi north, about 53 min by car
- Litchfield 34 mi southwest, about 55 min by car
- Effingham 35 mi southeast, about 56 min by car
- Springfield 40 mi northwest, about 1 h 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
- Louis Jehle House, Pana, Illinois, DianePearse69, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pana Township building 2026-07-03, User:Visviva, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chautauqua pavilion in Pana, Nyttend, Public domain
- ISS044-E-77892 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-26803 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-26805 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS044-E-77894 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-26804 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS015-E-28301 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS026-E-17920 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS044-E-77893 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Louis Jehle's Queen Anne House Garden Table, Ivan Fry, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Louis Jehle's Queen Anne House Garden Terrace, Ivan Fry, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Louis Jehle's Queen Anne House Gazebo, Ivan Fry, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Louis Jehle's Queen Anne House NE Approach, Ivan Fry, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Louis Jehle's Queen Anne House Sitting Room, Ivan Fry, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Louis Jehle's Queen Anne House Back Yard, Ivan Fry, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Louis Jehle's Queen Anne House NW Approach, Ivan Fry, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Louis Jehle House, Nyttend, Public domain
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