Jacksonville, Illinois: where portable Ferris wheels were born
Home to a famous stop along the Underground Railroad, Jacksonville, Illinois, is the site of one of the Midwest’s first higher-learning institutes. Today, the city is home to more than 17,500 people and major employers like Reynolds Group Holdings, Nestle Beverage Company, and Eli Bridge Company, inventor of the portable Ferris wheel and manufacturer of amusement park rides. In January of 2025, the city began its 200th anniversary celebration, and City Clerk Angela Salyer says the festivities will last throughout most of the year. “We just had our kickoff celebration, which was a gala to celebrate the year,” Salyer says. “There were about 400 people there, and our final event will be October 4th. That will be a downtown celebration with lots of things to do.”
Historic and modern homes
“Jacksonville is known for its Historic District and beautiful older homes,” says Scott Eoff, managing broker at Re/Max Results Plus in Jacksonville. “Most of the newer development is on the outskirts of town, in small subdivisions or in and around some of our golf courses.” The city’s mix of homes ranges from Greek revivals built in the 1800s to modern estates built after 2000. Homes with around 1,000 square feet needing substantial repairs commonly sell for around $50,000, while updated homes with more than 4,000 square feet can sell as high as $500,000. Eoff says condos and townhomes usually sell between $75,000 and $300,000. In 2024, the median home price was $135,000, 8% higher than the previous year. In comparison, the national median home price at that time was around $420,000.
Jacksonville School District No. 117
Jacksonville School District No. 117 serves over 3,200 students and earns an overall C-plus on Niche, with an average graduation rate of 73%. The city is also home to the Illinois School for the Deaf and the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired. Post-secondary learners can attend Illinois College in the heart of Jacksonville, which offers more than 45 degree programs. “We also have a school for the hearing impaired and a school for the visually impaired,” Salyer says.
City parks and nearby Lake Jacksonville
There are eight parks in Jacksonville with amenities like playgrounds, a disc golf course, an Olympic-size pool and a golf course. “We have a Ferris wheel in Community Park,” Salyer says. “And we have Nichols Park, which has an 18-hole golf course. It has a pool, too, and we just finished a multimillion-dollar renovation. That’s going to be reopening this summer.” Nearby Lake Jacksonville is the city’s drinking water source and a popular spot for boating and fishing, and has been named one of the top fishing spots in Illinois.
A quaint downtown area
“Jacksonville has a thriving downtown that is currently undergoing some economic development and infrastructure updates,” Eoff says. “It’s kind of a Hallmark movie downtown area.” Surrounding Central Park, Jacksonville’s downtown holds bookstores, boutique clothing shops, coffee shops and an upscale Italian market and wine bar. National chains like Burger King and Walmart sit along West Morton Avenue in the city’s southside. The Jacksonville Area Museum preserves the area’s history, while the Illinois Theater provides residents a place to see the latest blockbusters. History buffs can explore nearby Woodlawn Farm, a famous stop on the Underground Railroad.
Car shows and seasonal festivities
Downtown Jacksonville hosts community events like the fall Pumpkin Festival, the Jacksonville Main Street Downtown Summer Concert Series and the Downtown Plaza Car Show and Summer Cruise Nite. For the holidays, homeowners deck the halls and open their doors to the public for the Annual Pilot Club Holiday Home Tour and Tea celebration. The city is also home to the Morgan County Fairgrounds, which hosts the annual Midwestern County Fair.
Streets to walk or drive
Residential streets are mainly laid out in a grid fashion, and sidewalks line at least one side of most streets. Public transportation is limited to the West Central Mass Transit District ride-on-demand service. Main Street leads drivers south to Interstate 72, which they can then take 35 miles east to Springfield, Illinois. Main Street also offers a direct route 83 miles south into downtown St. Louis. Jacksonville Municipal Airport services charter and private flights 3 miles north of the city, while travelers will need to head to Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport for commercial flights.
Fluctuating crime rates, mild weather
FBI data indicates Jacksonville’s property and violent crime rates generally remain lower than state and national averages. Environmental data suggests Jacksonville’s roads and infrastructure face a moderate risk of flood impact over the next 30 years should the Mauvaise Terre overflow its banks, and some residential properties may be at risk. The city's weather tends to be mild, with high temperatures peaking around the mid-80s in July, lows dropping to the low 20s in January, and minimal, easily manageable snowfall throughout the average year.
Written By
Konrad Solberg
