Brownstown, IL

Brownstown is a village in Fayette County, Illinois, United States. The 2020 census counted 690 residents. U.S. Route 40 passes through the south side of the village, leading east 6 miles to St. Elmo and west 8 miles to Vandalia, the Fayette County seat. Interstate 70 passes just south of Brownstown, with the closest exit 3 miles west at US 40. Brownstown is host to the annual Fayette County Fair, held each summer in mid-July. The fair includes livestock shows, fine arts and culinary exhibits, tractor pulls, stock car races, a talent show, and a queen pageant. That mix gives Brownstown a clear local shape within Illinois, with older layers still visible in current places. The local scoop is a place whose streets, landmarks, and institutions keep its earlier story close to the present.