Hamilton, IL

Hamilton is Hancock County’s largest city, sitting on the Illinois bank of the Mississippi River directly across from Keokuk, Iowa. The 2020 census counted 2,753 residents. Lock and Dam 19 sits just downstream, and the Keokuk-Hamilton bridge gives the city its most obvious regional connection. Hamilton was laid out in 1852 and incorporated as a town in 1854, then became a city in 1859. It has always looked toward the river for both its work and its routes.

The river crossing has changed shape over time. Hamilton once had a long covered bridge, remembered as the longest covered bridge in Illinois; a newer roadway bypassed it in 1955. The dam brought its own industrial chapter, while Hamilton’s school district, main streets, and riverfront keep the city tied to Keokuk and the county around it. The name itself came from a bit of local persuasion: the founders hoped honoring Artois Hamilton might encourage him to help finance the young town. Hamilton is a small river city with a big piece of infrastructure beside it.