Why visit Swansea
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 22 parks and trails, 55 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Lindenwood University–Belleville, Belleville Historic District, Blair Historic District and Citizen's Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Swansea
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Swansea
Swansea is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois. It is a part of the St. Louis metropolitan area and Metro East in southern Illinois. It is surrounded by the communities of Fairview Heights, Belleville, O’Fallon, and Shiloh. As of the 2020 census, Swansea had a population of 14,386.
From the Wikipedia article Swansea, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Lindenwood University–Belleville
School · 2.4 mi
Private liberal arts school in Belleville, Illinois
Museums and landmarks6
Belleville Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
Blair Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
Gustave Koerner House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Hotel Belleville
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic hotel building in Belleville, Illinois
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Knobeloch-Seibert Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Farm in Illinois, United States of America
William and Florence Schmidt Art Center
Museum · 4.3 mi
Art museum in Belleville, Illinois
Parks, trails and playgrounds22
Swansea Community Center Playground
Playground · 1.7 mi
1501 Caseyville Avenue, Swansea
10 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes55
Cholula's Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.5 mi
1500 North Illinois Street, Swansea
Tu-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Jet's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.9 mi
5200 North Illinois Street, Fairview Heights
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-23:00
Zapata's Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.5 mi
4660 North Illinois Street, Fairview Heights
Su-Th 11:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
The B's Family Kitchen
Restaurant · American, Fish, Chicken, Burger · 1.6 mi
216 Service Street, Swansea
43 more on the map.
History
In the late 19th century the area that is now Swansea was a mix of farming and commerce. It was home to underground coal mines, foundries, brickyards, and the Gundlach Drill Works, manufacturers of the most efficient grain drills of that era. The early residents were fiercely independent and bent on conducting their own affairs. When the municipality that sat on their doorstep reached out to annex their lands and businesses they decided to start their own community.
On November 27, 1886, a group of 35 area residents petitioned the county government "that they are desirous of having said territory organized as a village...That the name of the proposed village shall be New Swansea."
The residents voted on December 16, 1886, to form their own community and name it “New Swansea”. A petition for annexation to the city of Belleville was being circulated in the territory. Establishing an independent community was a quick and effective method of avoiding annexation. And so a new municipality was incorporated on December 20, 1886. In 1898 the lot at the corner of Brackett and Illinois Streets was purchased for $300. The Village Hall was completed shortly thereafter at a cost of $619.50.
From the History section of Swansea, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship30
Saint Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.4 mi
1910 West Belle Street, Belleville
Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.7 mi
1201 Lebanon Avenue, Belleville
First United Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 1.3 mi
1303 Royal Heights Road, Belleville
Holy Shoghagat Armenian Church
Church · Armenian Apostolic · 0.4 mi
400 Huntwood Road, Swansea
New Beginnings Fellowship
Church · Baptist · 2.1 mi
109 North 47th Street, Belleville
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 1.5 mi
1419 North 17th Street, Belleville
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries48
Belleville Twp Hs-Night/Alt Sch
School · 3.6 mi
4063 Frank Scott Pkwy W, Belleville
Healthcare6
Map of Swansea
183 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 24°F | 2.6 in | 3.4 in |
| Feb | 49°F | 28°F | 2.2 in | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 36°F | 3.4 in | 1.0 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 46°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 79°F | 56°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 64°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 68°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 65°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 83°F | 57°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 47°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 37°F | 3.6 in | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 28°F | 2.6 in | 2.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Belleville Siu Rsch (8 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
St. Clair County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2024-09-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng (Flood)
- 2022-10-14: Severe Storm And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-09-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2008-06-24: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Saint Louis Downtown - Parks Airport (CPS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Belleville 3 mi south, about 4 min by car
- Fairview Heights 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Shiloh 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- O'Fallon 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Collinsville 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- East St. Louis 9 mi northwest, about 14 min by car
- Cahokia Heights 9 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Granite City 14 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- Columbia 14 mi southwest, about 22 min by car
- St. Louis 15 mi northwest, about 24 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): landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Swansea, IL, USA - panoramio (4), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Swansea, IL, USA - panoramio (3), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Swansea, IL, USA - panoramio (5), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Swansea, IL, USA - panoramio (6), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Swansea, IL, USA - panoramio, Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Swansea, IL, USA - panoramio (2), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Swansea, IL, USA - panoramio (1), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Knobeloch-Seibert Farm, Nyttend, Public domain
- Hotel Belleville, Quentin Melson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Washington east of Second, Belleville, Nyttend, Public domain
- Charles near Garfield, Belleville, Nyttend, Public domain
- St. Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Church - Belleville, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (11), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bicycle Bridge - panoramio, Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Church - Belleville, Illinois 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Church - Belleville, Illinois 05, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Church - Belleville, Illinois 04, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Church - Belleville, Illinois 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Church - Belleville, Illinois 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (9), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (15), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio, Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (2), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (8), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (1), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (13), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (7), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (3), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (6), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fairview Heights, IL, USA - panoramio, Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (5), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (12), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 20040531 44 Metrolink Light Rail Belleville, IL, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (4), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St. George's Episcopal - St. Mark Lutheran, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Henry Catholic Church - Belleville, Illinois 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Henry Catholic Church - Belleville, Illinois 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Luke's Catholic Church - Belleville, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Belleville, IL, USA - panoramio (10), Brendan Carrillo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St. Mary Catholic Church - Belleville, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.