Paxton, Illinois
Paxton is a city of 4,131 people in Ford County, Illinois, founded in 1859.
Why visit Paxton
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 15 places to eat and 2 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Dunnan-Hampton House, Paxton Carnegie Public Library, Coady Park and Westlawn Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 15°F.
Weather in Paxton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Paxton
Paxton is a city in and the county seat of Ford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,450 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Paxton, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks4
Dunnan-Hampton House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Paxton Carnegie Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Carnegie library in Paxton, Illinois
Paxton Water Tower and Pump House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Water tower in Illinois, United States of America
Paxton First Schoolhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
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Restaurants and cafes15
Just Hamburgers
Restaurant · Burger
214 East Ottawa Road, Paxton
Mo-Fr 11:00-13:30,16:00-19:00; Sa 11:00-13:30,16:00-18:30
Paxton Family Restaurant
Diner · American · 0.7 mi
1050 Ottawa Road, Paxton
Tu-Su 06:00-14:00; Mo closed
Oakwood & Fire Pizzeria
Restaurant · Pizza
Wood Fired Pizza
560 John Street, Paxton
Arcade Cafe
Restaurant · 0.5 mi
132 North Market Street, Paxton
3 more on the map.
Where to stay2
Paxton Inn Motel
Motel and hotel · 0.7 mi
980 Ottawa Road, Paxton
History
Paxton was laid out in 1857 as Prospect City along the Illinois Central Railroad for Leander Britt, Ransome R. Murdock and William H. Pells. This was in what was at the time Prairie City Township, Vermilion County, Illinois. However, as Dr. Wilbur W. Sauer wrote, that residents noted the town was "all prospect and no city." In 1859 Ford County, Illinois was created, and later that year Prospect City was renamed for Sir Joseph Paxton, architect of the Crystal Palace. Mr. Paxton was a major shareholder in the Illinois Central Railroad, which in 1856 was the longest span of railroad in the world (Chicago to Cairo). It was rumored that Paxton was interested in organizing an English settlement in Illinois. The colony never materialized, but the town kept the name. Founded in 1859, Paxton celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2009.
Augustana College was located in Paxton from 1863 to 1875, aided by a community effort led by recent Swedish immigrants to fund educational and cultural opportunities for citizens.
From the History section of Paxton, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship10
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Map of Paxton
52 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 15°F | 2.0 in | 4.9 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 19°F | 1.9 in | 6.1 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 29°F | 2.6 in | 2.1 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 39°F | 3.7 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 73°F | 51°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 62°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 60°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 52°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 41°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 31°F | 2.9 in | 0.7 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 21°F | 2.2 in | 4.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Paxton 2 Wsw (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
Ford 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)
- 2002-05-21: Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding (Tornado)
- 2001-01-17: Illinois Winter Snow Storms (Snowstorm)
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, 30 miles away.
- Rantoul 11 mi south, about 18 min by car
- Gibson City 15 mi west, about 23 min by car
- Gilman 22 mi north, about 35 min by car
- Hoopeston 23 mi east, about 37 min by car
- Lake of the Woods 23 mi southwest, about 36 min by car
- Urbana 24 mi south, about 39 min by car
- Mahomet 24 mi southwest, about 38 min by car
- Champaign 25 mi south, about 41 min by car
- Fairbury 29 mi northwest, about 47 min by car
- Danville 34 mi southeast, about 54 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
- Paxton, Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Paxton First Schoolhouse, Nyttend, Public domain
- Ford County Courthouse in Paxton, Nyttend, Public domain
- Paxton Illinois Carnegie Library, Dual Freq, CC BY 2.5
- Paxton Illinois Water Tower and Pump House, Dual Freq, CC BY 2.5
- Dunnan-Hampton House, Paxton IL (NRHP), MrHarman, CC BY 3.0
- Diplolepis spinosa galls, Andy Deans, CC BY 4.0
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