Seneca, Illinois
Seneca is a village of 2,450 people in Grundy County, Illinois, founded in 1854.
Why visit Seneca
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 1 park or trail and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Seneca Rail Bridge and Armour's Warehouse.
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 Seneca
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Seneca
Seneca is a village in LaSalle and Grundy counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 2,353 at the 2020 census, down from 2,371 at the 2010 census.
From the Wikipedia article Seneca, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Seneca Rail Bridge
Bridge · 1.5 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks1
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Armour's Warehouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
United States historic place
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Churches and places of worship4
History
A French missionary by the name of Father Gabriel de la Ribourde brought Catholicism to the Seneca area 175 years before St. Patrick's Parish was founded. In 1680, he was traveling with an exploratory party from Quebec when he was ambushed and killed by a band of Kickapoo Indians. A wooden cross marks the spot where Illinois’ first martyr to the Catholic faith is believed to have died (which is located next to St. Patricks Catholic Church).
Seneca was first settled by Jeremiah Crotty, an entrepreneur and contractor who helped build the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Crotty built the first residence in 1850 and established the town in 1854 with a post office in his name. Residents retained the name Crotty Town until 1957, when they incorporated the town as Seneca. Before 1957 Seneca was known as Crotty in paper but known locally as Seneca.
The village of Seneca, formerly named Crotty after its founder, Jeremiah Crotty, was incorporated in 1865. The town was created during the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal for which Crotty was a contractor.
The Rock Island Railroad and the Illinois River also supported the creation and business of our town. Seneca is most known for its contributions during World War II when Chicago Bridge and Iron operated the Prairie Shipyard. 157 Landing Ship, Tanks (LST) were built here.
From the History section of Seneca, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Map of Seneca
16 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 (7 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
Grundy County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 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
Joliet Regional Airport (JOT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 27 miles away.
- Marseilles 3 mi west, about 5 min by car
- Morris 11 mi northeast, about 18 min by car
- Ottawa 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Newark 16 mi north, about 26 min by car
- Streator 17 mi southwest, about 27 min by car
- Dwight 17 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Gardner 17 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Coal City 18 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Channahon 20 mi northeast, about 32 min by car
- Minooka 20 mi northeast, about 32 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
- Seneca IL Downtown1, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Seneca, Illinois (7981647943), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 20120401 03 CSX Seneca, Illinois (7520277650), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20120402 59 CSX Seneca, Illinois (7539455732), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20120401 01 CSX Seneca, Illinois (7520277696), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20120402 61 CSX Seneca, Illinois (7539455646), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Seneca Station (Illinois), Jet Lowe, Public domain
- 20120402 58 CSX near Seneca, Illinois (7539455836), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20120401 02 CSX Seneca, Illinois (7520277518), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20120402 66 CSX Seneca, Illinois (7546668960), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20120402 57 near Seneca, Illinois (7539455996), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Seneca IL Armour's Warehouse1, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS030-E-30749 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS035-E-39181 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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