Taylorville, Illinois
Taylorville is a city in central Illinois and the county seat of Christian County. It had 10,506 residents in 2020, making it the county’s largest city. The town was founded on May 24, 1839, and named after John Taylor, a state planning official. Its motto is “A Great Place To Live, Work, and Visit.”
Geography and people: Taylorville covers about 12 square miles, mostly land with a small amount of water. There are about 5,064 households and 2,507 families. The population is mostly White, with small numbers of other races. The median household income is around $41,400, and the per‑capita income is about $26,500.
History and notable events: In the 1990s, Taylorville faced concerns about a high rate of a childhood cancer called neuroblastoma linked to groundwater contamination from a local power company. The town has experienced several serious weather events, including an EF1 tornado in 2006 and a damaging EF3 tornado in December 2018 that injured many people and damaged hundreds of homes and businesses. A Beechcraft Model 18 airplane crash in 2012 killed the pilot but caused no ground injuries.
Education, sports, and culture: Taylorville High School once set an IHSA boys’ basketball record with a 45–0 season in 1944. The area has a history in minor league baseball, and Hall of Fame pitcher Ray Schalk once played for a Taylorville team. The local newspaper is the Breeze-Courier. Nearby larger papers include the State Journal-Register and the Herald & Review.
Transportation: Taylorville is served by Illinois Routes 29, 48, and 104, linking it to Springfield, Decatur, and Jacksonville, among others.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:02 (CET).