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Pearl City, Illinois

14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1937 and the latest in 1981. It stands in Loran Township. It lies in ZIP code area 61062. The Survey maps it on the Pearl City quadrangle. 790 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 833 feet above sea level.

Pearl City within Stephenson County

Population over time

2 figures

Pearl City fell from 838 to 790 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
2010838
2020790-48 (-6%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

9 surveys from 14 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.

In the county-history sources

7,437 words on this township

The History of Stephenson County, Illinois : Containing ... Biographical Sketches ... War Record ... Statistics ... Portraits of Early Settlers ... History of the Northwest, History of Illinois, &c. .., published 1880 names this settlement in its chapter on Loran Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

DR. (jr. S. KLECKSfER, Postmaster, and dealer in dry goods, groceries and notions. Yellow Creek ; born in Union Co., Penn., in 1835 ; came to Stephenson Co. in 1860. Married Miss Susan B. Peters, of Milan, Erie Co., Ohio, in 1867 ; she was born in Union Co., Penn., in 1847. Mr. and Mrs. K. have two children - Malburn M., aged 9 years, and Edith C., aged 22 months. Mr. Klecknor served in the army, in Co. D, 93d I. V. I., as 2d Lieutenant, from 1862 to 1863 ; as Captain of the company, from 1863 to 1865 ; honorably discharged. Has served for five years consecutively as Supervisor of Loran Township, which office he now holds ; is President of Loran Township Mutual Insurance Company.

Passage source: The History of Stephenson County, Illinois : Containing ... Biographical Sketches ... War Record ... Statistics ... Portraits of Early Settlers ... History of the Northwest, History of Illinois, &c. .., published 1880.

AHOS W. Mccreary (deceased) ; bom in Adams Co., Penn., 1808 ; moved to Wisconsin 1839; came to this county in 1844. Was married to Miss Mary Babb Jan. 1, 1845; she was born in Northumberland Co., Penn.; moved from Lycoming Co., Penn., July 17, 1840, to this county. Mr. and Mrs. Mc- Creary have one child, Samuel B., born Nov. 10, 1845. Mr. McCreary died in 1846 ; is buried in the Lutheran Cemetery, Loran Township. Mrs. McCreary's father and mother were both born in the same year, 1784, and both died in the same year, 1861 ; they moved from Pennsylvania in 1840 ; they were among the earliest settlers of the county ; they are both buried in the Lutheran Cemetery, Loran Township. Mrs. McCreary owns 180 acres of land.

Passage source: The History of Stephenson County, Illinois : Containing ... Biographical Sketches ... War Record ... Statistics ... Portraits of Early Settlers ... History of the Northwest, History of Illinois, &c. .., published 1880.

PHIIililP MIIiliER, farmer, Sec. 22 ; P. O. Freeport ; born in Freeport April 16, 1857; attended school until 1871, when he commenced farming; has had two narrow chances of losing his life, once by a blow from a singletree, which slipped from its place, and struck him ; and second, by foul air inhaled upon going down into a well. He deserves great credit for his endurance and pluck.

Passage source: The History of Stephenson County, Illinois : Containing ... Biographical Sketches ... War Record ... Statistics ... Portraits of Early Settlers ... History of the Northwest, History of Illinois, &c. .., 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 Loran Township - it names this place 18 more 18 times.

Mines and quarries near this place

10 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 10 workings within 5 miles of Pearl City: 10 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, 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
Hallelman QuarryLimestone, GeneralPast Producer
Caudle Qy Formerly Msha #1100089Stone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

Every working recorded in Stephenson County

Storms near this place

37 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Pearl City in 37 storm reports between 1996 and 2026: 20 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 4 flash flood, 4 heavy rain. The reports record 1 injury. 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
July 2003Thunderstorm WindPearl City1 hurt, $20,000Limb down on a tent
April 1996Thunderstorm WindPearl City$1,200,000no account filed
August 1998Tornado (F1)Pearl City$80,000no account filed
July 2003Heavy RainPearl City$15,000Ditches full. Some erosion along edges of Pearl City to Elroy Rd.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindPearl City$10,000Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down several trees and wires in Pearl City, IL around 230 pm June 18. This report was relayed by emergency management.
August 2003HailPearl City$10,000no account filed
July 2009Thunderstorm WindPearl City$5,000Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph broke a telephone pole near the intersection of Pearl City Road and Mill Grove Road about 1 mile east of Pearl City, IL around 633 pm July 24.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindPearl City$5,000Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew some tree limbs down onto some wires along Goldmine Road near Pearl City, IL at 10:50 pm June 12.
August 2008Thunderstorm WindPearl City$5,000Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph blew down some utility poles in Pearl City, IL at 628 pm August 4.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindPearl City$5,000Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew down numerous trees and powerlines in the vicinity of Pearl City, IL around 2:15 pm June 28. One tree about two feet in diameter was blown over about 2 miles east of Pearl City. In addition, a four foot by four foot piece of roofing was torn off a structure and struck a vehicle. The vehicle sustained damage.
July 2003Heavy RainPearl City$2,000Streets flooded
June 1998Thunderstorm WindPearl City$1,000Trees and power lines were downed between Pearl City and Lena after thunderstorms roared across the county.
April 2026Tornado (EF1)Pearl City-A tornado formed briefly in the occlusion of an rear flank downdraft northwest of Pearl City. It heavily damaged and destroyed several farm outbuildings, lifted a large farm wagon into an outbuilding, damaging the roof and side. The tornado also snapped several tree trunks and tree damage. Power poles were also snapped as the tornado crossed Illinois Highway 73 before lifting shortly thereafter. The tornado caused EF-1 damage with maximum estimated winds of 105 mph.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindPearl City-Widespread wind damage in and east of Pearl City consistent with 80 to 95 mph. Damage was to trees, numerous snapped half way up and some uprooted, as well as some structural damage including a coffee trailer rolled. This damage appeared to be caused by the rear flank downdraft of the storm that produced a tornado just north of Pearl City.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPearl City-Law Enforcement reports tree limbs blown down.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPearl City-A public photo received via social media showed a large tree limb down that nearly fell on a garage.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindPearl City-Tree limbs were blown down.
July 2017Flash FloodPearl City-The Illinois Department of Highways reported Route 73 near Pearl City was Flooded.
July 2017Flash FloodPearl City-The Illinois Department of Highways reported Route 73 near Pearl City was flooded.
September 2015Thunderstorm WindPearl City-Small tree branches were blown down in town with sideways rain at times.
May 2012HailPearl City-A trained spotter reported dime sized hail with leaves shredded off of trees.
July 2011Heavy RainPearl City-As of 650 am CDT July 28, the rainfall total 1 mile west southwest of Pearl City, IL was 5.20 inches.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindPearl City-Wind gusts estimated to be 65 mph were observed in Pearl City, IL at 10:50 pm June 12.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindPearl City-Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew down some 4 to 6 inch diameter branches in Pearl City, IL at 10:58 pm June 12.
June 2006Thunderstorm WindPearl City-A tree was downed by severe thunderstorm winds.
July 2006Heavy RainPearl City-Ditches full with some water on the highway.
June 2002Flash FloodPearl City-Several basements flooded and some roads closed due to high water.
June 2002Flash FloodPearl City-Busch Road washed out and needed repairs to reopen. Loran Road inundated with high water and closed.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindPearl City-Thunderstorm winds snapped six to ten inch diameter limbs. Reported by trained spotter.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindPearl City-74 mph thunderstorm gust measured by handheld anemometer. Reported by trained spotter.
April 2000HailPearl City-Pea-sized hail reported by trained spotter.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindPearl City-Large tree branches down.
July 2009HailPearl City-no account filed
April 2002HailPearl City-no account filed
April 2002HailPearl City-no account filed
August 1998Thunderstorm WindPearl City-no account filed
June 1998HailPearl City-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Stephenson 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
Yellow Creek3.2 miles14
Loran4.9 miles14
Kent5.0 miles14
Bolton5.6 miles14
Eleroy5.8 miles14
Salem6.0 miles14
Sunnyside7.8 miles14
Lena7.9 miles15

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 Pearl CityAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q430722The 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 415493. 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.