Rushville is a city with a small-town vibe
Gently rolling hills and farmland surround the west-central Illinois city of Rushville, a community of about 3,000 in Schuyler County with a relaxed, small-town vibe, and a city center filled with shops, restaurants and other attractions. “It’s not very big, but it’s not tiny either. It’s just a nice town, that’s really all there is to it,” says Terri Gilliland, a TNT Realty Group Realtor with nearly a decade of experience. “They really support their small businesses there. It’s just a great, family-oriented little place.”
Single- and multifamily homes in a variety of styles
Rushville’s housing stock is a mix of cottages, Colonial Revivals, Craftsmans and ranch-style homes. Close to the city center, there are also a few Queen Annes and Victorian farmhouses. Some are still single-family homes, but many of the largest historic properties are now multifamily properties. Prices range from under $100,000 to about $260,000.
Summers here are hot and humid, while winters are cold and snowy. Schuyler County is vulnerable to tornadoes.
Rushville-Industry High, Spoon River College offer dual credit classes
The SID5 Schools district earns a C-plus from Niche, and serves under 1,000 students with a 12-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Many Rushville kids attend Schuyler-Industry Pre-K, Webster Elementary, Schuyler-Industry Middle and Rushville-Industry High. The elementary school earns a C-plus from Niche, the middle school scores a C and the high school gets a C-plus. The preschool does not have a Niche grade. Rushville-Industry High offers dual-credit classes at Spoon River College’s Macomb campus, under 30 miles north.
Scripps Park, Schuy-Rush Park offer outdoor recreation
Scripps Park has a public, 18-hole golf course and an outdoor pool. Near the entrance, there’s also a community building and two cottages, the original Scripps family homesteads. The renovated cottages are available to rent on a nightly, weekly or monthly basis. The Rushville Fitness & Community Center, to the north, is a gym and rec center that offers fitness classes and other programs. The Schuyler County Fairgrounds, also on the city’s north side, hosts the annual Schuyler County Fair, with tractor pulls, talent shows, live music and more. “It’s always held the week of July 4th, and they do a huge fireworks display,” Gilliland says. Schuy-Rush Park, a few miles south of town, has public fishing areas and boat access to Schuy-Rush Lake. The wooded park also has cabins and tent campsites, as well as a shower house.
Shopping, dining and entertainment in Rushville’s town square
Historic brick buildings surround the Rushville Town Square, a manicured green space with decorative hedges, garden beds and a gazebo. The storefronts are filled with boutiques, banks and other businesses, like Kerr Home Center, Moreland & Devitt Pharmacy and Congress Street Crockaholics, an antique store. Restaurants in the historic downtown area include Rocket’s Café, a family-owned diner, and Local Brew Coffee Shop. The Hub Arts & Cultural Center, off Congress Street, offers youth arts and crafts programs. It also hosts events, like the annual Night Market, a vendor and food truck fair on the square, and An Evening of Christmas Merrymaking, an old-timey holiday dance with madrigal singers. “It’s a really cool place, always something going on,” Gilliland says. Princess Theater screens new release movies down the street from the Phoenix Opera House, which hosts operas, live plays and bingo nights. The Rushville Farmers Market is held downtown twice a week between May and October. The County Market on Clinton Street is a year-round grocery option.
U.S. Routes 24, 67 connect around Schuyler County
U.S. Route 24 connects northeast to Peoria and General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport, just over 70 miles away. State Road 125 heads southeast toward Springfield, home to Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, less than 60 miles away. St. Louis, Missouri, is about 130 miles south via U.S. Route 67. Culbertson Memorial Hospital, a top local employer, is within about 2 miles of most homes. Cass-Schuyler Public Transit provides shared-ride, on-demand transportation service to older adults in Rushville and the neighboring community of Beardstown.
