Matherville, IL

Matherville is a village in northeastern Mercer County, Illinois, five miles north of Viola and 11 miles northeast of Aledo, the county seat. The 2020 census counted 707 residents. The village sits on a hillside that drains south toward the Edwards River, a west-flowing tributary of the Mississippi. Farm roads lead through open Mercer County country, while Aledo handles county government and larger services nearby. Matherville’s streets follow the slope, so water and elevation are part of the town’s geography instead of background details.

The village’s name and local map belong to the small-scale pattern of western Illinois: a central crossroads, a few blocks of homes and businesses, and fields stretching out in every direction. The Edwards River watershed ties Matherville to a larger network of creeks and lowlands, even though the village itself sits above the river bottom. Its short distance from Viola and Aledo keeps errands and school routes regional. Matherville is a compact Mercer County village whose character comes from the hillside, the farm roads, and the river system below.