BlockAtlanta, Illinois
13 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1949 and the latest in 1990. It stands in Atlanta Township. It lies in ZIP code area 61723. The Survey maps it on the McLean quadrangle. 1,669 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 719 feet above sea level.
On record in Atlanta
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 3 records
Atlanta Public Librarylisted 1979
Downey Buildinglisted 2004
J. H. Hawes Elevatorlisted 1991
Population over time
2 figuresAtlanta fell from 1,692 to 1,669 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,692 | |
| 2020 | 1,669 | -23 (-1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 13 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1949 USGS Mc Lean quadrangle1:62500
- 1951 USGS McLean quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Peoria quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1961 USGS Peoria quadrangle1:250000
- 1963 USGS Peoria quadrangle1:250000
- 1981 USGS McLean quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Lincoln quadrangle1:100000
- 1989 USGS Lincoln quadrangle1:100000
- 1990 USGS Peoria quadrangle1:250000
In the county-history sources
55,399 words on this townshipHistory of Logan County, Illinois : Its Past and Present .., published 1878 names this settlement in its chapter on Atlanta Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
The early settlers of this part of the county, well remember the days of Abraham Lincola, David Davis, and others of like prominence, when on their horseback journeys to and from the various courts in the interior part of the state. When going from Springfield to Bloomington, these ' two named almost always stopped at the house of Samuel Hoblit, one of the earliest residents in this part of the county, which at that time and until 1845 was a portion of DeWitt County. At this date, Pekin was the chief market. Springfield was the first post-office for this locality ; afterward, Bloomington or Pekin, and almost co temporary the small town of Waynesville in DeWitt County, one of the oldest in this part of the state. ^ A demand for a nearer market and better shipping facilities was being felt, * and to aid in the hope for the fulfillment of these wants,, the survey of the Chicago & Alton Railroad was mttde. This road gave activity to these desires, and no sooner was the survey fixed than the location of a town in this section of the country was agitated. The town of M t. Hope, a few miles northeast of the site of Atlanta, was staked out, but being off the railroad was abandoned. It is now the farm of Marion McCormick. New Castle, to the southeast, l^ad become quite a village, but, for the same reason, was abandoned on the survey of Atlanta, and became incorporated therein, the majority of its residents moving to the new toWn. The Baptists had built a house of worship there, and some trade was established at this, date - 1853, Early in this year, R. T. Gill, then a resident of Pekin, entered the land on which the city of Atlanta now stands, at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. It was then assessed at twelve hundred dollars. The assessed value now is nearly a half million. On the 23d of June, he offered the lots At public auction, and by a liberal policy secured a large sale, and before the close of the season, fifteen or twenty buildings were ready for occupancy. The first of these was built , by R. T. Gill, and occupied the present site of a meat market, near the corner of Vine and Railroad streets. The freight house was erected by the railroad company about the same time, and shortly after a passenger dep5t.
Passage source: History of Logan County, Illinois : Its Past and Present .., published 1878.
When the town was surveyed, it received the name of Xenia. This name was suggested by Mrs. James Downey, in remembrance of her former home in Xenia, Ohio, ^n application for a post-office, it was ascertained that an office by that name already existed in the state, and the founders of the town changed it to Hamilton, in honor of Col. L. D. Hamilton. Applying the second time for a post-office, they met with the same difficulty, and to avoid having a town and post-office of different names, a third name was chosen. Mr. R. T. Gill had some time previously spent a portion of a year in Atlanta, Georgia, and remembering the beauty of that city, suggested that name. As no post-oMce of that name existed in Illinois, that appellation was adopted. Several persons yet hold deeds of lots in the town of Xenia.
Passage source: History of Logan County, Illinois : Its Past and Present .., published 1878.
For several years following, the history of Atlanta is one of unprecedented growth and prosperity. Stores, shops and dwellings were rapidly erected ; schools and churches were established, and the highest hopes of the founders were being speedily realized. By the close of 1854, the town contained about five hundred people, and nearly a hundred houses. The grain trade was assuming vast proportions, and, indeed, within a few years Atlanta was the largest grain market on this railroad between the two cities at either extremity.
Passage source: History of Logan County, Illinois : Its Past and Present .., published 1878.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Atlanta Township - it names this place 154 more 154 times.
Fires near this place
1 since 2012Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1 fire within 5 miles of Atlanta in 2012, burning about 3 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 March 2012 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | EAST |
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Atlanta: 1 producer, 1 past producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitts Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Twomey Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
28 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Atlanta in 28 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 13 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail, 4 tornado, 2 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2015 | Flash Flood | Atlanta | $150,000 | Thunderstorms produced 5.00 to 8.00 of rainfall in northern Logan County during the evening hours. Flash flooding rapidly developed, which made many streets impassable in San Jose, Hartsburg and Atlanta. The biggest impacts were near the Logan/Tazewell County line where the water was three to four feet deep. A section of Canadian National Railroad tracks near U.S. Highway 136 and Emden were washed out. At least two water rescues had to be made for stranded motorists on roads near the county line. No injuries were reported. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | $65,000 | Several trees were blown down, including two that fell onto cars. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | $25,000 | Several large trees were blown down and a tin roof was blown off an outbuilding. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | $24,000 | Multiple power lines were blown down in Atlanta. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds damaged the roof on one home 5 NW of Atlanta. Damage was estimated around $5,000. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | $2,000 | A tree was blown down in Atlanta. |
| May 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Atlanta | $1,000 | A tornado briefly touched down in a field one mile north of Atlanta. It threw a farming sprayer tank half a mile. No injuries were reported. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | - | A few power lines were downed and some minor structural damage occurred just outside of Atlanta. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | - | Power lines were blown down in Atlanta. |
| March 2007 | Tornado (EF0) | Atlanta | - | A tornado briefly touched down in a field. No damage was reported. |
| March 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | - | A few powers poles down in Atlanta. |
| October 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree onto a garage causing moderate roof damage. Also, the winds destroyed a tool shed and blew a few shingles off of the roof of a house. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | - | One home sustained moderate roof damage and two homes sustained minor siding damage. No injuries were reported. |
| April 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Atlanta | - | A tornado briefly touched down in a field just north of Atlanta. No damage or injuries were reported. |
| May 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Atlanta | - | A tornado briefly touched down in a field. No damage or injuries were reported. |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down a tree on a golf course. |
| July 2002 | Flash Flood | Atlanta | - | Over 2 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time. Numerous roads were flooded, including Interstate 55 near Atlanta for a short time. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | - | A tree was blown down on a home in Atlanta causing minor roof damage. Also, several power lines were blown down. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Atlanta | - | Several large trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds estimated around 60 mph. One large tree was blown down on Highway 10 blocking both lanes near New Holland and another one fell onto a truck in Lincoln. No one was injured. |
| September 2025 | Hail | Atlanta | - | no account filed |
| April 2022 | Hail | Atlanta | - | no account filed |
| April 2022 | Hail | Atlanta | - | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Hail | Atlanta | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Atlanta | - | no account filed |
| October 2004 | Hail | Atlanta | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Atlanta | - | no account filed |
| April 1998 | Hail | Atlanta | - | no account filed |
| April 1995 | Hail | Atlanta | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Atlanta | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q575339 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 403701. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.