Why visit Sesser
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 1 park or trail, 2 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Sesser Opera House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in Sesser
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Sesser
Sesser is a city in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,888 at the 2020 census. The current mayor is C. Jason Ashmore.
From the Wikipedia article Sesser, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Sesser Opera House
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places
Theater and movie theater in Sesser, Illinois, United States
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes2
History
In summer 1904, when coal was discovered at today's Sesser, the area was a prairie covered with wheat and corn fields. By 1906, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad had extended its lines south from Centralia to Sesser, and the new town was named after railroad surveyor John Sesser.
The first mine in Sesser, the Keller Mine, was sunk in 1905–1906.
In 1906, Sesser was incorporated as a village. It re-incorporated as a city in 1909.
Old Ben Coal Mine No. 16, also called Sesser Mine, operated from 1905 to 1923.
Subsidence resulting from longwall mining at the Old Ben No. 21 mine, by Old Ben Coal Company, was a concern for some local homeowners in the 1980s. The No. 21 mine, opened in 1952, was idled in 1991.
The Sesser Opera House, built in 1914, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From the History section of Sesser, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship7
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Sesser-Valier Community Unit School District #196
School · N/a · 1.2 mi
4626 County Highway 23, Sesser
Map of Sesser
21 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 22°F | 3.2 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 25°F | 2.8 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 35°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 45°F | 5.4 in |
| May | 76°F | 56°F | 5.1 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 65°F | 4.5 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 68°F | 4.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 66°F | 3.4 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 58°F | 3.2 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 46°F | 3.4 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 35°F | 4.0 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 26°F | 2.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Rend Lake Dam (5 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
Franklin County has had 7 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-06-07: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2009-07-02: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2005-02-01: Record/Near Record Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Mount Vernon Airport (MVN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Christopher 8 mi south, about 13 min by car
- Benton 9 mi southeast, about 15 min by car
- Du Quoin 12 mi southwest, about 19 min by car
- Pinckneyville 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Royalton 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- Mount Vernon 17 mi northeast, about 27 min by car
- Herrin 20 mi south, about 33 min by car
- Johnston City 20 mi south, about 32 min by car
- De Soto 21 mi southwest, about 34 min by car
- Carterville 23 mi south, about 37 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
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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
- Broadway at Franklin in Sesser, Nyttend, Public domain
- Franklin east of Broadway in Sesser, Nyttend, Public domain
- Sesser Opera House 2013-04-23 20-50-35, porterhse, CC BY-SA 3.0
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