Cambria offers small-town living with easy access to urban hubs
Cambria, a former mining town, is a small village in Williamson County, Southern Illinois. Home to approximately 1,500 people, the area offers slow-paced living with countryside homes and access to outdoor parks and lakes. Often considered a bedroom community, Cambria is close to bigger cities like Carbondale, Carterville and Marion for work and entertainment. Additionally, the area’s proximity to highways and Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois provides ease of travel and transportation. The village has a CAP Index crime score of 2 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
Country homes range from modest cottages to contemporary ranch-styles
Cambria follows a gridded block layout, and houses with open lawns sit alongside narrow country roads. Smaller 20th-century Craftsman cottages, Cape Cods and ranch-styles start around $80,000 and often go up to approximately $200,000. Remodeled properties and new developments, many of which are single-story New Traditional ranch-styles, can sell between $220,000 and $500,000. Lot size is typically from a quarter-acre to 1 acre, with detached garages and green lawns. Occasionally, home buyers may find a 5-acre country property coming on the market. Mobile and manufactured homes are around the $100,000s range.
School districts that serve Cambria
Cambria is served by several public school systems, including Carterville Community Unit School District No. 5 and Herrin Community Unit School District No. 4. Students attending Carterville schools may go to Tri-C Elementary and Carterville Intermediate School. For secondary education, students can go to Carterville Junior High and Carterville High School, which has extracurricular activities like art club, chess club and math team. All schools get an A-minus grade from Niche. John A. Logan College, a public two-year community college, is less than 5 miles away.
Recreation at city parks and lakes
Cambria City Park, or also known as James Mohan Memorial Park, has sports fields, a playground and walking paths for outdoor recreation. Cannon and James Street parks in Carterville offer additional sports amenities and play areas. Crab Orchard Lake, over by Carterville, has water sports opportunities, including boating and paddleboarding.
Shopping and Dining
Cambria has several businesses and eateries. The local food truck, Caribbean Hut, has Jamaican food. Serving American classics like pizza and charcuterie boards, Walker’s Bluff features a vineyard with a tasting room. People can get essentials at Dollar General, and Casey's, the local gas station, has a convenience store and basic hot food options. Kroger and Walmart are in Carbondale, with additional shopping and dining options in Marion, Herrin and downtown Carbondale. Walker's Bluff Casino Resort also offers a variety of entertainment and food options.
Community celebrations in Cambria and Carterville
The annual Labor Day celebration in Cambria includes a parade, live entertainment, fun activities and food. Carterville, the neighboring city, has events like Christmas in Carterville and the Carterville Lions Club Fair, which has carnival rides, a 5K race, a pageant contest and free entertainment for both families and children.
Distance to nearby cities like Herrin, Carbondale and Marion
Illinois state routes 13 and 148 pass near the community. SIH Herrin Hospital and Carbondale are less than 10 miles away, and Marion is about 15 miles east of the area. Located 10 miles away, Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois has direct flights to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
