Vandalia, Illinois
Vandalia is a city of 5,796 people in Fayette County, Illinois, founded in 1819.
Why visit Vandalia
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 11 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Starmax Cinemas, Vandalia State House State Historic Site, Little Brick House and Greer Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 21°F.
Weather in Vandalia
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Vandalia
Vandalia is a city in and the county seat of Fayette County, Illinois, United States. At the 2020 Census, the population was 7,458. The city is 60 miles (97 km) northeast of the Greater St. Louis area on the Kaskaskia River. In the early 19th century, Vandalia became the western terminus of the National Road (the first federal road) from the East Coast.
From the Wikipedia article Vandalia, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks4
Vandalia State House State Historic Site
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
4th capitol of Illinois
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Little Brick House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Kaskaskia Dragon
Monument and historic site · 0.5 mi
Fire breathing sculpture
2024 Progress West, Vandalia
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Rogier Park
Park · 0.5 mi
West Fillmore Street, Vandalia
Mo-Su 06:00-22:00; Mo-Su 06:00-23:00
Restaurants and cafes11
Burger King
Fast food · Burger · 0.7 mi
701 Veterans Avenue, Vandalia
Mo-Sa 06:00-22:00; Su 07:00-22:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.4 mi
915 Veterans Avenue, Vandalia
Mo-Th 08:00-21:00; Fr 15:00-21:00; Sa-Su 08:00-21:00
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 0.6 mi
1615 North 8th Street, Vandalia
Su-Th 08:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-23:00
History
Vandalia was founded in 1819 as a new capital city for Illinois. The previous capital, Kaskaskia, was unsuitable because it was on the south-east border of the new state and under the constant threat of flooding. The more centrally located townsite, located in Bond County at the time, was hastily prepared for the 1820 meeting of the Illinois General Assembly. In 1821, Fayette County was created, including Vandalia.
The history of the name Vandalia is uncertain. Different theories can be found in almost all of the books written about Vandalia over the years. In her book Vandalia: Wilderness Capital of Lincoln's Land, Mary Burtschi tells of a conversation between one of the original surveyors of the town and a Vandalia resident. The surveyor, Colonel Greenup, explained that Van was suggested by one of the men. He recommended this as an abbreviation to the word vanguard meaning the forefront of an advancing movement. Another suggestion was made for the term dalia, derived from the Anglo-Saxon word dale which means a valley between hills. Greenup takes credit in the conversation for connecting the two terms to form the name Vandalia.
From the History section of Vandalia, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Vandalia
Motel and hotel · 1.3 mi
21 Mattes Avenue, Vandalia
Churches and places of worship9
First Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries12
Healthcare1
Map of Vandalia
55 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 21°F | 3.0 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 24°F | 2.5 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 33°F | 3.3 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 43°F | 4.9 in |
| May | 75°F | 54°F | 5.3 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 63°F | 4.9 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 67°F | 3.9 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 64°F | 3.2 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 56°F | 3.1 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 44°F | 3.3 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 34°F | 3.8 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 26°F | 2.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Vandalia (1 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, 3 miles away.
- St. Elmo 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Greenville 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Altamont 20 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Hillsboro 24 mi northwest, about 38 min by car
- Salem 25 mi south, about 41 min by car
- Sandoval 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
- Carlyle 28 mi southwest, about 45 min by car
- Pana 29 mi north, about 47 min by car
- Centralia 31 mi south, about 50 min by car
- Effingham 32 mi east, 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
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
- Downtown Vandalia IL 1, Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John Cullity Residence in Vandalia, Nyttend, Public domain
- 20030727 18 CSXT, Vandalia, IL (6291712254), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Greetings from Historic Vandalia, Illinois, Capital of the State 1819-1839 - Large Letter Postcard (4237415306), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Fayette County Courthouse, Vandalia, Nyttend, Public domain
- Fayette County Courthouse, Vandalia, from south, Nyttend, Public domain
- Vandalia city hall, Nyttend, Public domain
- Vandalia main street from capitol, Nyttend, Public domain
- Downtown Vandalia 1 - panoramio, Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 22-07-001-vandalia, Dsdugan, CC0
- Vandalia-Courthouse, Art davis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- VandaliaStateHouse VandaliaIL, Lyle Kruger, Public domain
- FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, VANDALIA, FAYETTE COUNTY, IL, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- LITTLE BRICK HOUSE, VANDALIA, FAYETTE COUNTY, IL, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Illinois State House - panoramio, Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 22-07-008-lincoln, Dsdugan, CC0
- ISS055-E-82238 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS029-E-17682 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS018-E-45087 - View of Illinois, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS055-E-82237 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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