Urbana, Illinois
Urbana is a city of 39,341 people in Champaign County, Illinois, founded in 1833.
Why visit Urbana
Townapedia lists 117 museums and landmarks, 79 parks and trails, 267 places to eat, 15 places to stay and 10 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Foellinger Auditorium, Station Theatre, Spurlock Museum and The Inman.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 18°F, and about 21 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Urbana
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Urbana
Urbana () is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. It is a principal city of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, which had about 236,000 residents in 2020. Urbana is notable for sharing the main campus of the University of Illinois with its twin city of Champaign.
From the Wikipedia article Urbana, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do10
Station Theatre
Cinema and theater · 0.7 mi
Illinois dramatics theatre
UIUC College of Education
School · 1.8 mi
University in the United States
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
School · 1.6 mi
Public research university in Urbana and Champaign, Illinois, United States
Museums and landmarks117
Spurlock Museum
Museum · 1.3 mi
University museum in IL, United States
600 South Gregory Street, Urbana
Tu 12:00-17:00; We-Fr 09:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-16:00; Su 12:00-16:00;...
Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
United States historic place
1106 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana
Altgeld Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Mathematics building at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
1409 West Green Street, Urbana
Henry Ahrens House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
212 East University Avenue, Champaign
Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic sorority house in Urbana, Illinois
1102 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana
Main Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
1408 West Gregory Drive, Champaign
Mo-Th 08:30-22:00; Fr 08:30-18:00; Sa 13:00-17:00; Su 13:00-22:00
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Morrow Plots
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic agricultural research fields at the University of Illinois, USA
Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
United States historic place
Alpha Delta Pi Sorority House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
United States historic place
Alpha Phi Fraternity House-Beta Alpha Chapter
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
United States historic place
105 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds79
67 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes267
Espresso Royale
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.6 mi
1301 West Springfield Avenue, Urbana
Mo-Th 08:00-24:00; Fr 08:00-22:00; Sa 10:30-20:00; Su 10:30-24:00
7 Brew
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.7 mi
410 North Broadway Avenue, Urbana
Su-Th 05:30-22:00; Fr,Sa 05:30-23:00
Aroma Garden
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.7 mi
202 East University Avenue, Urbana
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30; Su 12:00-21:00
Baldarotta’s Porketta & Sicilian Sausage
Restaurant · Barbecue · 0.7 mi
208 West Griggs Street, Urbana
Tu-Th 11:00-19:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-20:00; Su 12:00-17:00
Bangkok Thai Restaurant & Pho 911
Restaurant · Thai · 0.9 mi
1104 North Cunningham Avenue, Urbana
Mo,We-Fr 11:00-21:30; Sa-Su 12:00-21:30
Bangkok Thai Restaurant & Pho 911
Restaurant · Thai · 1.9 mi
410 East Green Street, Champaign
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
255 more on the map.
History
The Urbana area was first settled by Europeans in 1822, when it was called "Big Grove". When the county of Champaign was organized in 1833, the county seat was located on 40 acres of land, 20 acres donated by William T. Webber and 20 acres by M. W. Busey, considered to be the city's founder, and the name "Urbana" was adopted after Urbana, Ohio, the hometown of State Senator John W. Vance, who authored the enabling act creating Champaign County. The creation of the new town was celebrated for the first time on July 4, 1833.
Stores began opening in 1834. The first mills were founded in c. 1838-50. The town's first church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the parsonage, was built in 1840 by the Rev. A. Bradshaw, with the Baptist Church following in 1855. The Presbyterian Church was founded in 1856. The city's first school was built in 1854.
Urbana suffered a setback when the Chicago branch of the Illinois Central Railroad, which had been expected to pass through town, was instead laid down two miles west, where the land was flatter. The town of West Urbana grew up around the train depot built there in 1854; further, in 1861, its name was changed to Champaign. The competition between the two cities provoked Urbana to tear down the 10-year-old county courthouse and replace it with a much larger and fancier structure, to ensure that the county seat would remain in Urbana.
From the History section of Urbana, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay15
Wyndham Garden Conference Center Champaign/Urbana
Motel and hotel · 2.0 mi
1001 West Killarney Street, Urbana
Churches and places of worship54
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Church · Methodist · 2.0 mi
401 East Park Street, Champaign
Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center
Place of worship · Sunni · 1.1 mi
106 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana
Shopping38
Gas and EV charging17
Schools, colleges and libraries59
Grainger Engineering Library
Library · 1.6 mi
1301 West Springfield Avenue, Urbana
Healthcare17
Map of Urbana
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 18°F | 2.3 in | 6.5 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 21°F | 2.2 in | 5.8 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 31°F | 2.8 in | 2.5 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 42°F | 3.9 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 74°F | 53°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 62°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 65°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 64°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 56°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 44°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 32°F | 3.2 in | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 24°F | 2.4 in | 4.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Champaign 3S Hcn (3 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
Champaign County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-11-26: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2002-05-21: Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding (Tornado)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Champaign 4 mi west, about 7 min by car
- Savoy 5 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Philo 8 mi south, about 12 min by car
- St. Joseph 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Tolono 9 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Mahomet 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Lake of the Woods 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Rantoul 13 mi north, about 22 min by car
- Villa Grove 17 mi south, about 28 min by car
- Monticello 21 mi west, about 33 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
- East Main Street at Broadway Avenue Urbana, IL sunset, Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urbana-Lincoln Hotel-Lincoln Square Mall 2012-09-30 15-33-44, Christypomatto, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Green Party at Farmers' Market, Urbana IL (149970641), Joe Futrelle, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Urbana, Illinois (7235217294), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, Skvader, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urbana autumn (Unsplash), Dayne Topkin dtopkin1, CC0
- Urbana Landmark Hotel Mall Entrance, Hantunca, CC BY-SA 4.0
- U. S. Post Office Independent Media Center Urbana Illinois from southwest, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Champaign County Courthouse Urbana Illinois from north, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- U.S. Post Office Independent Media Center Urbana Illinois from west, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Empty billboard Urbana Illinois, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Champaign County Courthouse Urbana Illinois from northwest, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shelf cloud over a parking lot in Urbana, Illinois (June 2026), Ben1152000, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urbana Landmark Hotel Exterior, Hantunca, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Downtown Urbana Historic District (Champaign County Courthouse), Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2013 Urbana Landmark Hotel Lincoln Square Urbana Illinois north wing, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urbana Landmark Hotel Entrance, Hantunca, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2013 Urbana Landmark Hotel Lincoln Square Urbana Illinois from southwest, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2013 Urbana Landmark Hotel Lincoln Square Urbana Illinois from northwest, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urbana Free Library Urbana Illinois east entrance, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First United Methodist Church Urbana Illinois, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urbana Free Library Urbana Illinois from northeast, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urbana Free Library entrance, Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urbana Free Library Urbana Illinois main entrance, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urbana-Lincoln Hotel-Lincoln Square Mall 2012-09-30 15-30-11, Christypomatto, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Spurlock Museum - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - DSC05658, Daderot, CC0
- KappaKappaGammaSororityHouse Urbana Illinois 4419, Dori, CC BY-SA 3.0 us
- Alpha Gamma Delta House, Urbana, IL (NRHP), MrHarman, CC BY 3.0
- UIUC morrow plot, Ariescwliang, Public domain
- MainLibrary Urbana Illinois 4582, Dori, CC BY-SA 3.0 us
- Altgeld Hall - UIUC - DSC09097, Daderot, Public domain
- Henry Ahrens House Corner View, Esvobod2, CC BY-SA 3.0
- UIUC Krannert Performing, Aries Liang, Public domain
- Boxcar, New York Central, Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0
- Conrail CR 1999 (B23-7) (10568817543), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- Conrail CR 1959 (B23-7) (10568552005), Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0
- "Lincoln the Lawyer" by Lorado Taft, Christy Pomatto, Public domain
- Greek Revival Cottage 2012-09-30 15-16-49, Christypomatto, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Champaign County Courthouse, Dori, CC BY 2.0
- Chair Sale at Lincoln Square, Bkleinf2, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.