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Why visit Princeton
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails, 15 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Apollo Theater, Red Covered Bridge and Colonel George H. Paddock House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 14°F, and about 28 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Princeton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Princeton
Princeton is a city in and the county seat of Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,832 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Princeton, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks11
Red Covered Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Wooden bridge in Bureau County, Illinois
Colonel George H. Paddock House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Greenwood Cottage
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Oakland Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Cemetery in Princeton, Illinois
Owen Lovejoy Homestead
Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi
May-Sep: Fr-Su 13:00-16:00
Owen Lovejoy House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Princeton Chapter House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Illinois, United States
Princeton North Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Illinois, United States
Princeton South Main Street-Courthouse Square Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
National historic district in Princeton, Illinois
Richard M. Skinner House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
House in Princeton, Illinois, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
Restaurants and cafes15
Spoons and Forks
Restaurant · 0.8 mi
541 South Main Street, Princeton
Tu 11:00-15:00; We-Sa 11:00-20:00
3 more on the map.
History
Bureau County was a New England settlement. The founders of Princeton consisted entirely of settlers from New England. These people were "Yankees," descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. They were part of a wave of New England farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of the Northwest Territory during the early 1800s. Most of them arrived as a result of the completion of the Erie Canal. When they arrived in what is now Bureau County there was nothing but a virgin forest and wild prairie; the New Englanders laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of their Yankee New England values, such as a passion for education, fueling the establishment of many schools, as well as staunch support for abolitionism. They were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church, though some were Episcopalian.
Culturally, Bureau County, like much of northern Illinois, would be culturally very continuous with early New England culture for most of its history. During the time of slavery, it was a stop on the Underground Railroad at the home of Owen Lovejoy.
The name of Princeton was supposedly determined by drawing from a hat:
From the History section of Princeton, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Super 8 by Wyndham Princeton
Motel and hotel · 1.7 mi
2929 Main Street, Princeton
Churches and places of worship12
Hampshire Colony Congregational Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Healthcare5
Bureau County Health Department
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.0 mi
526 Bureau Valley Parkway, Princeton
Map of Princeton
75 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 14°F | 2.0 in | 8.6 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 18°F | 2.0 in | 6.9 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 28°F | 2.5 in | 3.7 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 38°F | 4.0 in | 0.9 in |
| May | 73°F | 50°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 63°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 61°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 53°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 42°F | 3.1 in | 0.3 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 30°F | 2.6 in | 1.3 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 20°F | 2.2 in | 6.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Princeton (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
Bureau County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for snowstorms.
- 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)
- 2008-10-03: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Rinkenberger Airport (BDF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 13 miles away.
- Ladd 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Granville 14 mi southeast, about 23 min by car
- Oglesby 21 mi east, about 34 min by car
- Mendota 22 mi northeast, about 36 min by car
- North Utica 23 mi east, about 37 min by car
- Amboy 24 mi north, about 39 min by car
- Lacon 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
- Kewanee 26 mi west, about 42 min by car
- Sterling 31 mi north, about 50 min by car
- Dixon 32 mi north, about 51 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
- Princeton-IL-mainstreet1, Original uploader was ILplanner at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Apollo Movie Theatre, Princeton, Illinois (7885380032), Wayne Wilkinson, CC BY 2.0
- 20130914 24 Princeton Homestead Festival, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Fine Carriages and Harness, Princeton, IL (7885398228), Wayne Wilkinson, CC BY 2.0
- 20130914 27 Princeton Homestead Festival, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Drugs, Princeton, IL (7892145188), Wayne Wilkinson, CC BY 2.0
- Princeton Chapter House, American Women's League, Nyttend, Public domain
- 20110826 18 Amtrak, Princeton, Illinois (6823214453), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20150517 01 Princeton, Illinois (24653405646), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20110827 07 Amtrak, Princeton, Illinois (6838252817), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- The Eastbound Zephyr at Princeton Il - panoramio, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- Princeton, IL 61356, USA - panoramio, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- 20151006 05 BNSF Princeton, Illinois (29688742245), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Seen from the Eastbound California Zephyr - CB&Q 13593, Extended Vision Caboose, NE-13, on Display at Princeton Illinois This Image also appears in my new 'Flickr' photo blog'Amtrak train Routes' -..., Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- Princeton station from the California Zephyr (1), July 2011, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- Princeton station from the California Zephyr (2), July 2011, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- Princeton amtrak station Illinois - panoramio, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- God, Guns, Grain, and Trains, Princeton, IL (7882146882), Wayne Wilkinson, CC BY 2.0
- 20101205 10 Amtrak, Princeton, Illinois (5382382975), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20130324 01 Princeton, Illinois Amtrak station (9021246652), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20110826 20 Amtrak, Princeton, Illinois (6823214707), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Illinois Zephyr at Princeton station, December 2017, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Princeton, Illinois (7981639074), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 20110827 61 Amtrak, Princeton, Illinois (6844227265), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20150517 03 Amtrak, Princeton, Illinois (24052791833), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20061021 12 BNSF Princeton, IL (16010096393), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20061021 10 BNSF Princeton, IL (16422562547), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Carl Sandburg and Illinois Zephyr at Princeton, Illinois, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20140518 002 Amtrak, Princeton, Illinois (16329071059), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Westbound Illinois Zephyr arriving at Princeton, Illinois, July 2012, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20120506 02 BNSF RR, Princeton, Illinois (8212641892), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20151225 09 BNSF @ Princeton, Illinois (35625980910), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Amtrak Carl Sandburg at Princeton, February 2024, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- California Zephyr at Princeton, December 2017, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Illinois Zephyr arriving at Princeton station, December 2017, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- The Coffee Cup Restaurant, Princeton, IL (7882091328), Wayne Wilkinson, CC BY 2.0
- Coffee Cup Restaurant & Farmers Grain Elevator, Princeton, IL (7882115756), Wayne Wilkinson, CC BY 2.0
- 20150912 19 Homestead Festival Parade, Princeton, Illinois, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20120506 01 BNSF RR, Princeton, Illinois (8211554307), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20130617 31 Amtrak, Princeton, Illinois, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
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