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Dixon, Illinois

12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1918 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Dixon Township. It lies in ZIP code area 61021. It stands on Plum Creek. The Survey maps it on the Dixon East quadrangle. 15,274 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 712 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Dixon within Lee County

On record in Dixon

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 7 records

Population over time

2 figures

Dixon fell from 15,733 to 15,274 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.

YearPeople Change
201015,733
202015,274-459 (-3%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

6 surveys from 12 printed sheets

Matched 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.

What happened here

An account from the chapter on Dixon township. The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.

From History of Dixon and Lee County, Chronological Record .., published 1880 - Dixon Township

The City Of Dixon, 107

The month of July had not passed, however, before the rejoicing of Independence day was shrouded in the deepest lamentation for those who had fallen victims to the cholera scourge of that year of sad memory. A writer of July 27, 1854, referring to this epidemic, said, " Death in its most frightful form swept through our heretofore healthy town like an avalanche, carrying away within twenty-four hours eighteen souls.

Read the rest of this passage

In the county-history sources

52,260 words on this township

History of Dixon and Lee County, Chronological Record .., published 1880 names this settlement in its chapter on Dixon Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

The old settle!s are pissing away, and with them many interesting facts in regard to the early history of our town are lost to our citizens. It is proper that in this, the fiftieth anniversary year of the founding of our town by the honored John Dixon, there should be gathered together, as far as it is now possi¬ ble, a record of' all the events of interest relating to the history of the place, from the earliest settlement to the present time, and that the results of this labor be published to the citizens of Dixon in such a shape that these facts and remin¬ iscences shall be preserved for their benefit and entertainment, and for the infor¬ mation of future residents of this beautiful city.

Passage source: History of Dixon and Lee County, Chronological Record .., published 1880.

The chronological plan has been adopted as the most feasible form in which to present a full and authentic record in as brief and compact manner as is con¬ sistent with the idea of a comprephensive history. This, in connection with the other portions of the work, brings within the scope of this little volume an amount and variety of historical informat ou not often comprehended in a work of this size.

Passage source: History of Dixon and Lee County, Chronological Record .., published 1880.

Much of the materials for this work has been gathered from newspaper files and in many cases the language of the writers has been preserved. Other por¬ tions are from the examination of different records, while a large number of the early items are the result of the memory of old and respected citizens. It is true there will be some discrepancies in the memory of different old settlers in regard to certain facts, but the publisher does not hesitate to say that but few errors in respect to dates, etc., will be found in this work, and that in tne important events noticed it can be relied upon as an accurate history.

Passage source: History of Dixon and Lee County, Chronological Record .., published 1880.

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 Dixon Township - it names this place 60 more 60 times.

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 37 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 37 workings within 5 miles of Dixon: 29 past producers, 5 occurrences, 3 producers. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Limestone, General. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Dixon Quarry & Cement PlantLimestone, GeneralProducer
Medusa QuarrySand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Rock River PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Dixon QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Gerdes QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Hallquist QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Law QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Limestone ProspectStone, Crushed/BrokenOccurrence
Limestone ProspectStone, Crushed/BrokenOccurrence
Limestone ProspectStone, Crushed/BrokenOccurrence

Every working recorded in Lee County

Storms near this place

59 since 1995

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Dixon in 59 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 33 thunderstorm wind, 20 hail, 2 lightning, 1 tornado. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
March 2009Thunderstorm WindDixon$30,000A garage was destroyed. A roof was blown off a building and trees were blown down.
August 2006LightningDixon$5,000Lightning struck a utility pole, the pole and power lines caught on fire.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindDixon$2,000Trees and power lines were blown down.
November 2010Thunderstorm WindDixon$1,000Trees and power lines were blown down.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindDixon$1,000A tree was blown down across a road. Power lines and a utility pole were also blown down.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindDixon$1,000Trees and power lines were blown down.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindDixon$1,000Tree limbs were blown down onto powerlines.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindDixon$1,000Trees and power lines were blown down.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindDixon$500A street light pole was blown down.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindDixon-An emergency manager estimated 60 to 70 mph thunderstorm winds in Dixon.
March 2024HailDixon-Quarter size hail was reported on the north side of Dixon.
April 2023Thunderstorm WindDixon-Photos shared on social media showed a storage shed that had been destroyed with debris blown across a 2 to 4 block area, including a large section of the shed landing on the roof of a house near the intersection of 2nd Street and College Avenue.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindDixon-Two large trees were blown down and a porch roof had collapsed in Dixon.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindDixon-Trees and electrical wires were reported down in Dixon. Wind speed was estimated using radar.
March 2022Thunderstorm WindDixon-A photo was shared on social media showing a fence that was blown down.
November 2022Thunderstorm WindDixon-A tree limb damaged a power line in the 500 block of East Bradshaw Street.
August 2022Thunderstorm WindDixon-A photo showed a large live tree that was snapped near its base.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindDixon-A private weather station measured a wind gust to 92 mph. Winds gusted above 50 mph for 20 to 30 minutes.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindDixon-Multiple power lines down in the town of Dixon. Time estimated from radar.
August 2016Flash FloodDixon-Route 26 and Route 52 closed due to water up to 2 feet deep. Businesses nearby flooded. Numerous streets across Dixon flooded. Three to five inches of rain fell. Lowell Park Road was closed due to flooding. Many ditches filled with water.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindDixon-Two separate reports were received from just north of Dixon of wind gusts to 74 mph. Multiple large trees and power lines were blown down across the area.
September 2010Thunderstorm WindDixon-A seven inch diameter tree limb was blown down.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindDixon-Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Dixon. A truck was blown over on Route 26 in Dixon.
August 2009Heavy RainDixon-Rainfall of 2.03 inches was reported in the past 24 hours.
May 2008HailDixon-Pea to grape size hail was reported four miles west of Dixon.
August 2008Thunderstorm WindDixon-Large trees and tree limbs were blown down.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindDixon-Trees and tree limbs were blown down.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindDixon-A tree was blown down at 9th and Highland.
July 2007FloodDixon-Flooding near Route 2 on the northeast side of Dixon, 4.36 inches of rain measured in Dixon.
April 2006HailDixon-Hail ranging in size from nickels to baseballs was reported in Dixon.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindDixon-A gust to 58 mph was reported in Nachusa Township.
October 2006Thunderstorm WindDixon-Trees were reported down across many locations of Lee County.
September 2005Thunderstorm WindDixon-Tree limbs were blown down.
July 2004HailDixon-A swath of hail cut across Lee County, beginning at 6 miles south of Polo or 6 miles northwest of Dixon, through Dixon, Amboy, Sublette to 1 mile south of Sublette. Large hail was observed throughout this path. The following reports were received:4.00 inches in diameter, was observed by a Farm Service Agent 1 mile south of Sublette. 2.00 and 1.25 inch hail was observed in the town of Sublette. 1.00 inch hail in Amboy2.75 inch hail in Amboy by law enforcement0.88 inch hail 6 miles south of Polo0.75 inch hail in Dixon
May 2000Thunderstorm WindDixon-Trees were blown down on Route 26 south of I-88 near Dixon.
February 1999Thunderstorm WindDixon-A tree blew down on a house in Dixon. A wind gust to 60 mph was reported at Compton Airport.
April 1995Thunderstorm WindDixon-A wind gust to 60 mph was recorded at the Dixon toll plaza.
May 1995HailDixon-State Police reported a tornado on the ground southwest of Harmon. No damage was reported. Golf ball-size hail fell near Dixon.
July 1995Tornado (F0)Dixon-Emergency management reported a tornado at Sterling and Lyons Road east of Dixon. No damage was reported.
April 2026HailDixon-no account filed
July 2025HailDixon-no account filed
July 2025HailDixon-no account filed
September 2021HailDixon-no account filed
February 2017HailDixon-no account filed
June 2010HailDixon-no account filed
May 2006HailDixon-no account filed
September 2006HailDixon-no account filed
September 2006HailDixon-no account filed
September 2006HailDixon-no account filed
May 2004HailDixon-no account filed
May 2004HailDixon-no account filed
May 2003LightningDixon-no account filed
June 2002HailDixon-no account filed
June 2001Thunderstorm WindDixon-no account filed
May 2000HailDixon-no account filed
June 1999Thunderstorm WindDixon-no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindDixon-no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindDixon-no account filed
June 1995HailDixon-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Lee County

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.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Lincoln Heights2.5 miles11
Woodland Shores4.7 miles11
Nachusa4.8 miles12
Palmyra5.3 miles11
Kingdom5.9 miles12
Eldena6.0 miles12
Prairieville7.0 miles11
Nelson7.1 miles11

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 DixonAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q113602The 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 407250. 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.

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.