Roxana, IL

Roxana is a small village in the Metro East's River Bend area, sitting just across the river from the St. Louis region. Anyone looking at a map will immediately notice its defining feature: the massive Wood River Refinery. Built back in 1917 and operated today by Phillips 66, the facility sprawls across thousands of acres right alongside the community. The town essentially grew up around the plant, creating a unique landscape where quiet residential streets, front porches, and industrial towers exist side by side.

ATTRMurve33 / CC0

Despite its heavy industrial footprint, the village holds onto a close-knit, small-town atmosphere with amenities you might typically expect in a larger community. Roxana operates its own independent school district, dedicated police and fire departments, a local library, and a park district complete with a community pool. Living here means being comfortable having a major refinery as your immediate neighbor, but residents benefit from affordable housing, self-contained local services, and a strong, enduring working-class community.