Sullivan, Illinois
Sullivan is a city of 4,348 people in Moultrie County, Illinois, founded in 1845.
Why visit Sullivan
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 2 parks and trails, 3 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include The Little Theatre On The Square and Moultrie County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 18°F.
Weather in Sullivan
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Sullivan
Sullivan is the largest city and the county seat of Moultrie County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,413 at the time of the 2020 census. Sullivan is named after Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, where Fort Moultrie is located.
From the Wikipedia article Sullivan, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks1
Moultrie County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Local government building in the United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes3
Black Memphis Barbeque
Restaurant · Barbecue, Burger · 0.4 mi
14 North Washington Street
Tu-Sa 07:00-19:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.5 mi
720 West Jackson, Sullivan
Mo-Th 08:30-21:30; Fr-Sa 08:30-22:00; Su 09:00-21:30
History
Sullivan was founded in 1845 as Asa's Point. Two years after Sullivan was founded, the first official courthouse of the county was built. It was a simple two-story brick building with a hipped roof, and the county jail was housed in the basement. The village would come alive with gossip when court was in session. Abraham Lincoln passed through this first courthouse many times from 1849 to 1852, as he practiced law in the Moultrie County circuit court. The present courthouse (the county's third) contains a mural depicting this first courthouse.
In the opinion of early local leaders, Sullivan was not a logical site for a county seat. The village of Nelson (which no longer exists) had already been developed, and the prairie on which Sullivan would be built lacked proper drainage and was a breeding ground for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. In 1844, however, it was determined that centrally located Sullivan was to be the county seat.
The original village consisted of 40 acres (16 ha) (25 city blocks) bounded by Jackson Street on the north, Water Street on the south, Douglas (now Worth) Street on the east, and Hamilton Street on the west. Sullivan's first school was built in 1846, with the first church being built in 1848.
From the History section of Sullivan, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship9
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of Sullivan
23 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°F | 18°F | 2.4 in | 5.2 in |
| Feb | 40°F | 22°F | 2.2 in | 2.4 in |
| Mar | 51°F | 31°F | 2.8 in | 1.0 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 42°F | 4.5 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 75°F | 53°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 63°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 65°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 62°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 55°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 44°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 52°F | 33°F | 3.5 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 40°F | 24°F | 2.8 in | 3.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Sullivan 3S (2 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
Moultrie County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2023-08-15: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2021-12-13: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2010-08-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Coles County Memorial Airport (MTO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Arthur 11 mi northeast, about 18 min by car
- Mattoon 15 mi southeast, about 25 min by car
- Shelbyville 16 mi southwest, about 26 min by car
- Arcola 17 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Long Creek 19 mi northwest, about 31 min by car
- Mount Zion 20 mi northwest, about 32 min by car
- Neoga 21 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Bement 23 mi north, about 37 min by car
- Charleston 24 mi east, about 39 min by car
- Decatur 25 mi northwest, about 40 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
- Southern side of courthouse square in Sullivan, Nyttend, Public domain
- Morchella esculenta Illinois, Gearhead221, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Moultrie County Courthouse, western side from south, Nyttend, Public domain
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