Why visit Somonauk
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks and 4 parks and trails in and around town.
Highlights include Von KleinSmid Mansion, Sandwich City Hall, Finding Heroes Park and Somonauk Community Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 15°F.
Weather in Somonauk
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Somonauk
Somonauk is a village in DeKalb and LaSalle Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 1,786 at the 2020 Census, down from 1,893 at the 2010 Census.
From the Wikipedia article Somonauk, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Von KleinSmid Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Building in Illinois, United States
Sandwich City Hall
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Churches and places of worship2
Schools, colleges and libraries15
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3 more on the map.
History
The name "Somonauk" is of Pottawatomie origin. The name is most likely derived from the phonetic phrase As-sim-in-eh-kon, which translates to "pawpaw grove", in reference to the vast groves of pawpaw trees that filled the area at that time.
The Second Treaty of Prairie du Chien, signed by General John McNeil Jr., Colonel Pierre Menard, and Caleb Atwater for the United States on June 29, 1829, references four sections of land being reserved for Chief Awn-kote and his band of 171 villagers "at the village of Saw-meh-naug along the Fox and Illinois Rivers". The Saw-meh-naug, along with the other Pottawatomie of the Illinois River (known as the Prairie Group), as well as the Sauk and the Chippewa, had aided the U.S. in the Black Hawk War. After the war, as a thanks to the Pottawatomie, the U.S. Government signed a treaty allowing the Prairie Group tribes to continue to hunt on U.S. land, outside of their allocated reservations. However, due to "rumors of the Pottawatomie being restless and committing depredations in the northern part of the state spreading to central Illinois", and white residents of the state feeling uncomfortable, the Governor "gave the Prairie Group an ultimatum to leave Illinois". By the end of December 1833, the Pottawatomie had left Illinois, and the settlements of the Pottawatomie were free to be claimed by white settlers.
From the History section of Somonauk, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Somonauk
24 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 15°F | 1.3 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 18°F | 1.4 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 28°F | 2.2 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 37°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 72°F | 49°F | 4.1 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 58°F | 4.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 62°F | 3.7 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 60°F | 3.4 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 52°F | 3.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 41°F | 3.2 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 29°F | 2.3 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 21°F | 1.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Chicago Aurora Muni Ap (14 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
DeKalb County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 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)
- 2007-09-25: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Aurora Municipal Airport (AUZ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 15 miles away.
- Lake Holiday 2 mi southeast, about 2 min by car
- Sandwich 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Leland 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Sheridan 7 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Plano 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Newark 9 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Hinckley 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Big Rock 12 mi northeast, about 20 min by car
- Yorkville 13 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Earlville 13 mi west, about 20 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
- 20061021 01 BNSF Somonauk, IL (16007687604), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20081011 15 BNSF Somonauk, Illinois (38561457505), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20081011 13 Scopin' out the right-of-way, Somonauk, Illinois (27662681949), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Von KleinSmid Mansion1, A. McMurray A mcmurray, CC BY 2.5
- Sandwich City Hall5, A. McMurray A mcmurray, CC BY 2.5
- 19960720 06 BNSF near Sandwich, IL (5554650684), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
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