WorkspaceTop ListsAboutContact Us

St. Elmo, IL

View of St. Elmo, IL
Image credit: Djmaschek / CC BY 4.0
Population
1,213
U.S. Census Population Estimates Program · 2025
Elevation
618 ft
Median Home Value
$82,600
U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year · 2024
Median Rent
$762/mo
U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year · 2024
Median Income
$45,294
U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year · 2024

Explore

St. Elmo in context.

OverallBest places in IllinoisPopulation rankingHighest population places in IllinoisNearest larger communityEffingham, Illinois18 miles away · 12,406 residents.

About St. Elmo

St. Elmo is a Fayette County city of 1,254 residents in the 2020 census, established in 1871 along the Illinois route of the National Road. The earlier settlement of Howard's Point began here in 1834; St. Elmo was platted in 1868, and the first house followed in 1869. U.S. Route 40 still follows the National Road through town, while the old railroad crossings show why St. Elmo grew as a transportation place in the county.

St Elmo, IL

The town had an oil boom in 1938, when roughly 1,500 wells helped earn it the nickname Little Tulsa of Illinois. It also has an aviation footnote: Charles Lindbergh landed at the local airport in 1927 and stayed with friend Joe Wright. Today St. Elmo Community Unit School District 202 operates an elementary school on West Second Street and a junior-senior high school on West Twelfth. A National Road kiosk near the public library ties the current town map back to the route that started it.

Top Rating Signals

Highest current ratings for this town.

Lower County Wildfire Hazard Potential ClassA+100.0ratingLower Projected Late-Century County-Area Exposure to Sea-Level RiseA+100.0ratingLow PopulationA+100.0rating

Loading town details...