BlockBefore

West Frankfort, Illinois

18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1909 and the latest in 1987. It stands in Denning Township. It lies in ZIP code area 62896. The Survey maps it on the West Frankfort quadrangle. 7,275 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 400 feet above sea level.

Research this city

West Frankfort within Franklin County

On record in West Frankfort

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 1 record

Population over time

2 figures

West Frankfort fell from 8,182 to 7,275 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
20108,182
20207,275-907 (-11%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

12 surveys from 18 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.

Fires near this place

5 since 2010

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 5 fires within 5 miles of West Frankfort between 2010 and 2013, burning about 10 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/undetermined4
Debris and open burning1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
25 September 2010Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIllinois Division of Forestry Resources10211
7 November 2010Missing data/not specified/undetermined5.0 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resources10301
14 November 2013Debris and open burning1.0 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resources13203
8 October 2010Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resources10236
30 October 2010Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresIllinois Division of Forestry Resources10293

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Franklin County

Storms near this place

60 of 68 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names West Frankfort in 68 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 23 thunderstorm wind, 23 hail, 12 flash flood, 3 flood. 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
April 1994Tornado (F1)West Frankfort1 hurt, $500,000A tornado touched down just east of West Frankfort at Old Ben Coal Mine Number 25. One mobile home was destroyed. A 100' by 300' mine building was 805 destroyed. There was 1 injury.
May 1996Flash FloodWest Frankfort$8,000,000no account filed
May 2009Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$6,000,000Widespread damaging winds across southern Franklin County caused lots of power outages. At the peak of the outages, 49 percent of the county was without power. A state disaster declaration was granted for Franklin County. Among the hardest hit cities was West Frankfort. Peak winds were estimated around 60 mph at Benton, but from 80 to 90 mph around West Frankfort and near the Williamson County line. Thirteen homes were destroyed beyond repair. Damage assessments indicated 184 dwellings sustained damage countywide. Of that number, 114 sustained minor damage, and 70 needed moderate repairs. Numerous trees were blown down, blocking some of the main roads. Near the Williamson County line, trees were blown across the southbound lanes of Interstate 57. Secondary roads stayed blocked for longer periods of time. The hardest hit areas were in and near Royalton, Zeigler, Orient, West Frankfort, and Thompsonville. In Christopher, sheds and carports were overturned, and trees were down on roads and power lines. An uprooted tree landed on a house. The community park in West Frankfort was closed for a little over a week due to downed trees and fences. Some schools were closed for part of the week following the storm.
April 1996Flash FloodWest Frankfort$3,000,000no account filed
June 2011Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$200,000Numerous trees were blown down across the city. The falling trees caused major damage to at least one vehicle. Several house roofs were damaged. Extensive damage occurred to a building that houses several businesses. A northwest corner wall was blown out. The sheet metal was torn away from the building, and a door was blown off. A loading dock roof was blown off another building and onto a vehicle. Numerous power lines were down. Winds were recorded at 80 mph.
June 1998Flash FloodWest Frankfort$100,000no account filed
October 2007Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$50,000A number of downed trees and power lines were reported countywide, especially in West Frankfort and Christopher. A tree fell on top of a house in West Frankfort. Other damage in the county included destroyed gazebos, overturned carports, and destroyed chicken coops. Most of the downed power lines were due to trees falling on them.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$30,000Trees were down in the city. At least one home was damaged when a large branch fell on it.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$25,000Trees were downed and a few power poles snapped in West Frankfort as a thunderstorm line moved through Franklin County.
July 2001Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$25,000Numerous trees were blown down in and near West Frankfort. Just north of West Frankfort, a few trees were down across Highway 37. In West Frankfort, a two-foot diameter tree knocked down power lines. A large tree limb fell on a car and damaged a roof. A tree fell on the side of a house and damaged the siding. Four power lines were down in the area.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$16,000A few trees were uprooted. Several large tree limbs and power lines were knocked down. A camper was damaged.
July 2025Flash FloodWest Frankfort$10,000Multiple roads were flooded in West Frankfort with stormwater drainage systems overloaded. Some structures were impacted. Radar estimated hourly rainfall amounts for West Frankfort peaked at just over 1.
June 2013Heavy RainWest Frankfort$10,000About six inches of water was over Highway 149 in places. Several back roads were impassable, and a few residents reported water getting into homes. Around 2.5 inches of rain was received during this event.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$10,000A National Weather Service employee reported a downed tree was blocking one of the lanes on Interstate 57 at mile marker 65. In the same location, at least two other trees were down and four to five tree tops were snapped off. Mile marker 65 is at the West Frankfort exit.
July 2000Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$10,000Near Thompsonville, a 40 by 80 foot pole barn was blown down, and two or three trees were down. In the West Frankfort area, several trees were knocked down near the old city lake. A power line was torn down by a falling tree in West Frankfort, causing a brief power outage.
July 2012LightningWest Frankfort$9,000Lightning struck a tree and a house. The house caught fire, resulting in damage to the roof.
June 1996Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$8,000no account filed
July 2023Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$6,000In West Frankfort, three trees were down. A trained spotter estimated peak winds were near 60 mph. Just south of Benton, trees were down near State Route 37 and Yellow Banks Road.
April 2011Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$6,000Wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph by a trained spotter near West Frankfort. A couple of trees and power lines were down just north of Benton.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$5,000In West Frankfort, a large tree was uprooted and fell onto a detached garage. The garage sustained significant damage. A couple miles east of West Frankfort, one living tree was uprooted and a dead tree was snapped at the base.
August 2016Flash FloodWest Frankfort$5,000A motorist was stranded in three to four feet of water at an intersection in West Frankfort. Public bystanders rescued the motorist. Numerous streets were closed in the city. A Cocorahs (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network) observer in West Frankfort measured a three-day rainfall total of 7.90 inches. Ditches were overflowing onto Route 149 east of Zeigler.
April 2005Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$5,000Numerous trees were blown down in Thompsonville, and a tree was down in the eastern part of West Frankfort.
August 2006Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$4,000Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in and around West Frankfort. The southwest portion of the city was hardest hit. About a mile west of West Frankfort, wind gusts estimated near 70 MPH downed trees, including one tree that fell on a house. A couple miles south of Thompsonville, the tin roof of a barn was damaged, and two or three large trees were down.
October 2025Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$3,000A large tree limb was snapped off and fell onto a pickup truck in West Frankfort.
September 1997Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$3,000Large tree limbs and a large tree were blown down.
February 2023Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$2,000In West Frankfort, a couple of large trees were uprooted, one of which fell onto a fence. The winds were associated with a passing line of showers.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort$2,000A few maple tree limbs were down.
September 2024Flash FloodWest Frankfort-Multiple social media posts and comments reported flash flooding in and around West Frankfort. Radar and rain gauge reports suggest approximately 2 inches of rain in under 90 minutes as two lines of heavy rain merged.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort-Large branches were blown down.
March 2020Flash FloodWest Frankfort-Flooding was reported across parts of the county due to water drainage being impeded by hail on the ground.
June 2020Flash FloodWest Frankfort-Numerous roads were flooded in West Frankfort. A rain gage near Zeigler measured 2.92 inches.
February 2018Flash FloodWest Frankfort-Several roads were impassable in the southeast portion of the county. In the West Frankfort area, water was over parts of Highway 149 and nearby side roads.
July 2017FloodWest Frankfort-A trained spotter reported six inches of water over both lanes of Route 149 in the Frankfort Heights area, which is on the east side of West Frankfort.
December 2015Heavy RainWest Frankfort-A storm total of 4.66 inches was reported since the early morning of the 26th. There were pockets of street flooding due to sewer overflow.
January 2013Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort-A wind gust to 70 mph was measured by a trained spotter.
April 2011Flash FloodWest Frankfort-Flooding was up to the doors of cars on Highway 37 and on a city street.
June 2011Funnel CloudWest Frankfort-Trained spotters reported rotating funnel clouds in the area near West Frankfort and Benton.
June 2008HailWest Frankfort-Nickel to quarter size hail was reported several miles east of West Frankfort and at Thompsonville.
June 2008HailWest Frankfort-Quarter to half dollar size hail was reported in West Frankfort. Penny size hail occurred a few miles east of town.
January 2007Heavy RainWest Frankfort-Heavy rain caused the flooding of a lesser travelled secondary road.
March 2006Flash FloodWest Frankfort-Widespread flash flooding occurred in West Frankfort after five inches of rain fell in a relatively short period of time. Numerous residents reported several inches of standing water in their neighborhoods. Some floodwaters entered a high school gymnasium, but the water was cleaned up with no permanent damage. A few streets were under water. Just east of Christopher, Andes Creek was out of its banks and covering a roadway.
June 2004HailWest Frankfort-Hail slightly smaller than tennis balls was reported on the Williamson/Franklin County line.
January 2000Thunderstorm WindWest Frankfort-Tree limbs were down near West Frankfort.
June 2023HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
July 2023HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
March 2020HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
June 2019HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
April 2016HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
April 2015HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
February 2014HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
July 2012HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
July 2012HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
March 2012HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
March 2012Funnel CloudWest Frankfort-no account filed
March 2012HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
March 2012HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
April 2011HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
June 2008HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
April 2005HailWest Frankfort-no account filed
May 2005HailWest Frankfort-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Franklin 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
Frankfort1.6 miles18
Pershing2.2 miles18
Deering City2.5 miles18
Orient2.8 miles18
Cambon3.5 miles18
Plumfield4.0 miles18
Lake Creek5.3 miles18
Groat5.8 miles18

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 West FrankfortAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q575514The 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 420843. 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.

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.