Amboy has small-town pride and historic railroad roots
Established in 1854, Amboy’s history as a railroad town goes back to the days of Abraham Lincoln, who, at the time, was a lawyer for the Illinois Central Railroad. While the railroad is gone, the 19th-century charm remains downtown, where Lincoln famously gave a campaign speech and even got a haircut. The old downtown train station is now the Amboy Depot Museum, preserving the heritage of a town that celebrates Depot Days every year and continues to maintain its small-town lifestyle. “It hasn’t changed much since I lived there,” says broker Jenny Kirchner of Re/Max Rock Valley, who lived in Amboy until 1990 and sells homes there. “It’s a small community with a lot of pride for its schools and local businesses.”
Century-old houses and newer builds in the outskirts
Most homes were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. These century-old houses include bungalows and National-style homes, ranging from $42,000 to $170,000. The northern outskirts of Amboy feature ranch-style and New Traditional houses built between the mid-1900s and 2020s. These newer builds range from around $200,000 to $280,000. Some are in suburban developments, while others have more space with views of sprawling farmland.
A walkable downtown with shops, restaurants and a single grocery store
Downtown is lined with century-old buildings where local stores and restaurants have set up shop. Long Branch Saloon has been serving the community for decades and is known for its hearty comfort food. Amboy Family Restaurant, known locally as “Am-Fam,” is another community staple, serving a variety of homestyle foods. For groceries, locals head to Amboy Food & Liquor, which opened in 2016. “For a long time, Amboy didn’t have a grocery store,” Kirchner says. “People would have to go to Dixon, so it’s been a very good addition to the community.” Downtown also has some local shops, including the Uncommon Reign women’s clothing store and The Thrifty on Main, a small resale shop. There’s also a Dollar General on the north side of town. For other essentials, it’s about a 13-mile drive to Walmart in Dixon.
Small schools with strong community support
The Amboy Community Unit School District 272 plays a significant part in the community. “This is a family-oriented town with a lot of support for the schools,” Kirchner says. “The Amboy Education Foundation is very active in hosting fundraisers to support the schools. And the whole town shows up for sports and other school events.” Students attend Amboy Central Elementary School, which receives an A-minus grade from Niche. Amboy Junior High School receives a B-minus. It’s on the same campus as Amboy High School, graded a B. The high school has just over 200 students. This makes for smaller class sizes with a student-teacher ratio of 12 to 1 and smaller but competitive athletic programs, like the eight-man football team, which won the state championship in 2023 and 2024.
Amboy Depot Museum and local parks
The Amboy Depot Museum is an iconic brick and limestone building downtown. The former depot station features a retired steam engine, exhibits with old artifacts and a stone that marks where Lincoln gave his campaign speech. Locals head to David Shapiro Park to have picnics at the pavilion and fish in the Green River. Amboy City Park has two ball fields used by local youth leagues and multiple playgrounds. The Amboy Marsh Nature Preserve is about 3 miles outside of town with trails through 300 acres of wetlands, meadows and prairies.
Depot Days celebrates the town's history
Amboy has been celebrating Depot Days since 1982. “Depot Days is the biggest event of the year,” Kirchner says. “They have a carnival, a car show and a 50/50 drawing with a huge prize. Winners have walked away with more than $100,000.” The four-day celebration honoring the town’s heritage also features food stands, live music and the Little Miss Amboy and Miss Amboy pageants.
Many work at Sensient or commute 15 minutes to Dixon
U.S. 52 is the main highway that runs through town, which commuters take to drive 15 minutes to Dixon, where the closest hospital is located. Though many work in Dixon, a large portion of the town is also employed by Sensient, a factory that manufactures colors and flavors for food, cosmetics and other products. It’s a one-hour drive to Rockford, about 50 miles away, where travelers can fly out of Chicago Rockford International Airport. Chicago is about 100 miles away — just over a two-hour drive.
Written By
Nicolas Stuart
