Welcome to Jacksonville, Illinois

Jacksonville, Illinois, was built on ground-breaking education, rich farmland and commerce fed by good transportation.

It remains on that solid footing today.

One of the oldest towns in the Land of Lincoln, Jacksonville and the surrounding area boasts the state’s first college, its first public high school, some of the largest crop yields in the nation and a river-rail-road intersection to support all manner of business.

Neighborhoods of historic homes on streets arched with trees are within walking distance of a renovating downtown, national stores and Fortune 500 businesses — and to one of its six public elementary schools.

Large, modern housing developments for executives overlook a golf course, and cozy, supportive communities for retirees are down the street from a 21st century medical district anchored by a state-of-the-art hospital.  
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More than 175 years old, Jacksonville is justifiably proud of its history. It has provided three governors to Illinois — it remains the home of the only executive mansion outside of Springfield — and the town trained politicians of national renown. It was a hotbed of abolition and a major junction of the Underground Railroad.

Jacksonville now sits at the intersection of the Interstate highway system and a four-lane corridor being built between St. Louis and the Quad cities, with easy access to rail and the nation’s great rivers.

In recent years, the town has caught the eye of major retailers that have built or expanded in town, recognizing the potential. The city shares that optimism and is in the midst of a major renovation of its downtown that promises to bring more commerce and entertainment to the town’s historic center.

Most of all, Jacksonville is a community of volunteers, where residents feel connected and feel an ownership stake in the town, expressed by active educational, religious, social and service organizations — some 150 years old or older — working to make Jacksonville an enjoyable place to live, work, play, shop and learn.

This new Jacksonville area website is brought to you by an exciting community partnership between the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Jacksonville Journal-Courier. Use it to explore all Jacksonville has to offer!