Venice, IL

Venice is a city in Madison County, Illinois, on the east bank of the Mississippi River opposite St. Louis. The 2020 census counted 1,498 residents. Illinois Route 3 runs through the city, with Madison to the north and east, Brooklyn and East St. Louis to the south, and the river forming the western edge. The McKinley Bridge links Venice to north St. Louis, making the city part of a metropolitan road network while keeping its riverfront setting unmistakable.

Venice was platted in 1841 and grew as a small industrial and transportation town. The McKinley Bridge carried rail and road traffic across the Mississippi, and later carried Route 66 traffic for a short period. After a long closure, the bridge reopened in 2007, and Venice Park was dedicated beside Route 3. Those pieces—river, bridge, park, and highway—give Venice a strong local map. The city is small compared with St. Louis, but its crossing has always mattered. Venice remains a Madison County city built at the point where Illinois streets meet a major river and a bridge to Missouri.