St. Elmo, Illinois
St. Elmo is a city of 1,257 people in Fayette County, Illinois, founded in 1871.
Why visit St. Elmo
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark in and around town.
Highlights include President.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 21°F.
Weather in St. Elmo
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About St. Elmo
St. Elmo or Saint Elmo is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,254 at the 2020 census. St. Elmo was established in 1871.
From the Wikipedia article St. Elmo, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
President
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic American steamboat
Churches and places of worship5
First United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist
215 North Walnut Street, Saint Elmo
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries6
History
A bill to fund the National Road was signed in 1806 by President Thomas Jefferson. The highway ran from Cumberland, Maryland west to the Mississippi River. The road was designed as a route for pioneers to settle the region. U.S. Route 40 follows the course of the National Road through the state of Illinois. A hamlet known as Howard's Point was established on the National Road at the current location. Later, the name was changed to St. Elmo when a north–south railroad was planned in 1882 to terminate at the settlement. By 1895, the planned railroad bypassed the town, but an east–west railroad was constructed that connected with Vandalia. The town constructed a rail link to the Chicago, Paducah and Memphis Railroad.
Smith Aviation Field was built in 1926 on the west side of town, and it became popular for stunt flying, wing walkers, and parachute jumping. Charles Lindbergh was a regular visitor. A local oil boom in the late 1930s caused St. Elmo to be known as "Little Tulsa" and oil company executives often flew into Smith Aviation Field, which is now abandoned.
From the History section of St. Elmo, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of St. Elmo
13 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 21°F | 2.8 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 25°F | 2.4 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 35°F | 3.2 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 45°F | 4.4 in |
| May | 75°F | 55°F | 5.3 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 65°F | 4.1 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 67°F | 3.7 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 64°F | 3.1 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 56°F | 3.4 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 45°F | 2.9 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 36°F | 3.6 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 27°F | 2.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Brownstown 4 Sw (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
Fayette County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for tornados.
- 2021-12-13: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-11-26: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2007-02-09: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Vandalia Municipal Airport (VLA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Altamont 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Vandalia 14 mi west, about 23 min by car
- Effingham 18 mi northeast, about 28 min by car
- Teutopolis 21 mi east, about 34 min by car
- Shelbyville 27 mi north, about 43 min by car
- Salem 28 mi south, about 45 min by car
- Pana 29 mi northwest, about 46 min by car
- Greenville 30 mi west, about 49 min by car
- Neoga 30 mi northeast, about 48 min by car
- Flora 32 mi southeast, 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
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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
- New Orleans 1977 9, Yves le bail, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Elmo Community Church, Djmaschek, CC BY 4.0
- St Elmo, IL, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
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