East Alton, Illinois
23 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1927 and the latest in 1993. It stands in Wood River Township. It lies in ZIP code area 62024. It stands on West Fork Wood River. The Survey maps it on the Bethalto quadrangle. 5,786 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 440 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresEast Alton fell from 6,301 to 5,786 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 | 6,301 | |
| 2020 | 5,786 | -515 (-8%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
12 surveys from 23 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.
- 1927 USGS Alton quadrangle1:62500
- 1934 USGS Alton quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1949 USGS Bethalto quadrangle1:24000
- 1949 USGS Saint Louis quadrangle1:250000
- 1949 USGS St. Louis quadrangle1:250000
- 1954 USGS Bethalto quadrangle1:24000, 5 printings
- 1955 USGS Alton quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1962 USGS St. Louis quadrangle1:250000
- 1963 USGS St. Louis quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1966 USGS St. Louis quadrangle1:250000
- 1985 USGS St Louis quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
- 1993 USGS Bethalto quadrangle1:24000
In the county-history sources
6,541 words on this townshipCentennial History of Madison County, Illinois, and Its People, 1812 to 1912, published 1912 names this settlement in its chapter on Wood River Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
A drawback to the still greater expansion of East Alton has been the periodical over¬ flow of Wood river, caused, it is claimed by some, at least in part, by embankments of the Big Four, north of town. This has caused the Equitable Powder Company to bring suit against the railroad company for $50,000 dam-
Passage source: Centennial History of Madison County, Illinois, and Its People, 1812 to 1912, published 1912.
East Alton has two churches, Baptist and Methodist, and a handsome public school building. Adjoining East Alton are the su¬ burbs of Blinn and Niagara, established by H. J. Bowman, and Silver Ridge, platted by Z. Silver. Niagara is directly opposite the old town of Milton, now extinct, on the east side of the river.
Passage source: Centennial History of Madison County, Illinois, and Its People, 1812 to 1912, published 1912.
East Alton has arrived at the distinction of sustaining a banking institution known as the People's Bank. Its officers are: C. B. Munages, a case now pending. A great drainage project is now before the County court for ratification involving the straightening of the channel of Wood river, which has more wind¬ ings than the ancient Meander, between East Alton and the Mississippi. The project is a gigantic one but will be of incalculable value, although its cost will be several hundred thou¬ sand dollars.
Passage source: Centennial History of Madison County, Illinois, and Its People, 1812 to 1912, published 1912.
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 Wood River Township - it names this place 2 more 2 times.
Fires near this place
3 since 2008Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 3 fires within 5 miles of East Alton in 2008, 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 May 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | HATFIELD |
| 21 May 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | ALLIANCE |
| 29 January 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | RUPPERT |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
8 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of East Alton: 5 past producers, 2 producers, 1 plant. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Sulfur, Stone. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Facility) Shell Oil Wood River Refinery | Sulfur | Plant | ||
| Alton Brick Co.Clay Shale Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Wood City Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Alton Dredge | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Twin River Loading Dock | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Alton Mine | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Reliance Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Reliance Quarry Inc. Alton Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Storms near this place
21 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names East Alton in 21 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 13 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | $5,000 | Ham radio spotters reported six to eight inch tree limbs snapped off and power lines down at East Alton along with gusts to 60 mph. The county sheriff also reported trees and power lines down from Worden to Holiday Shores between 1715 and 1725 CST. One lightning strike in East Alton caused a tree to catch fire. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | $500 | Ham radio spotters reported six to eight inch tree limbs snapped off and power lines down at East Alton along with gusts to 60 mph. The county sheriff also reported trees and power lines down from Worden to Holiday Shores between 1715 and 1725 CST. One lightning strike in East Alton caused a tree to catch fire. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | $500 | Ham radio spotters reported six to eight inch tree limbs snapped off and power lines down at East Alton along with gusts to 60 mph. The county sheriff also reported trees and power lines down from Worden to Holiday Shores between 1715 and 1725 CST. One lightning strike in East Alton caused a tree to catch fire. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | $500 | Ham radio spotters reported six to eight inch tree limbs snapped off and power lines down at East Alton along with gusts to 60 mph. The county sheriff also reported trees and power lines down from Worden to Holiday Shores between 1715 and 1725 CST. One lightning strike in East Alton caused a tree to catch fire. |
| March 2026 | Hail | East Alton | - | Quarter sized hail was reported in Wood River by Madison County SKYWARN. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous large tree limbs around town as well as a few power lines. |
| October 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs. |
| April 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs around town. |
| April 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous large tree limbs around Wood River and snapped a power pole. |
| September 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree and snapped a telephone pole. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous large tree limbs around town. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | - | Ham radio spotters reported power lines and poles down in Alton. Tree limbs up to five inches in diameter were snapped off in East Alton several minutes later. |
| April 2026 | Hail | East Alton | - | no account filed |
| May 2018 | Hail | East Alton | - | no account filed |
| April 2014 | Hail | East Alton | - | no account filed |
| April 2013 | Hail | East Alton | - | no account filed |
| October 2012 | Hail | East Alton | - | no account filed |
| March 2012 | Hail | East Alton | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | East Alton | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Alton | - | 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.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosewood Heights | 1.5 miles | 23 | |
| Wood River | 1.5 miles | 24 | |
| Rosedale | 1.5 miles | 23 | |
| Milton | 2.1 miles | 24 | |
| Oakwood Heights | 2.3 miles | 23 | |
| Cottage Hills | 2.7 miles | 23 | |
| Forest Homes | 2.7 miles | 23 | |
| Roxana | 2.9 miles | 24 |
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 East Alton | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1277727 | 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 407595. 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.











