Discover the Smallest Town in Illinois — Everyone Could Fit In a School Bus

Small towns are charming parts of the American midwest, including in Illinois. The smallest town in The Prairie State is home to just a handful of families and homes. Valley City, Illinois has a population of 14, according to the 2020 official census.

Because of its small population, it’s easy to consider the population demographics of Valley City by household. There are four total households within the town. Only one includes a resident under the age of 18. One of the households included a resident over the age of 65. Three of the four households included a married couple and the remaining household did not.

With such a small population, it must be hard to maintain a lot of businesses and other organizations in town. Fortunately for the residents of Valley City, the town is near other cities. It is located in Pike County, a rural area in western Illinois. According to the same census, the population of the entire county is around 14,700 people. While that is significantly larger than a school bus, it is still small compared to the state’s largest city, Chicago, which has almost 2.7 million residents.

Geography of Valley City

Although never a booming metropolis, Valley City was once a bit larger than its current size. However, flooding in December 2015 and January 2016 flooded many of the town’s streets. It’s unclear if there were many more residents, even at that time. But after the flooding, a lot of the town’s streets were underwater.

The entire town covers less than half of a square mile. With only four households, there isn’t a lot of space required. According to the census, there are three families represented in the four households. We have to imagine that Valley City residents know each other well and can only hope that they get along. If not, that would result in quite an awkward neighborhood get-together!

Pike County is located between two rivers, the Illinois to the east and the Mississippi to the west. It is these highlands that make it especially good for hunting with plenty of forests that are undisturbed and unchanged by development. The rural location is also suitable for hunting since there are plenty of natural areas that support populations of white-tailed deer. Part of the Great River National Wildlife Refuge also goes through Pike County. You can hunt in parts of the refuge during designated hunting seasons.

History of Pike County

At one time, the population of Valley City was closer to 50 or 60 people. But by the 1990s, it had fewer than 30 residents and has remained small ever since. Even at its largest, the town was tiny and the type of place where neighbors knew each other well.

Pike County was founded in 1821 with the county seat located in the town of Pittsfield. The county was named to honor Zebulon Pike, an Army Officer, and explorer who explored major portions of the Louisiana Purchase. Pike’s Peak in Colorado is also named for him.

Illinois is home to many forgotten or abandoned towns. Another small town in Pike County is no longer in existence but is on the list of National Historic Sites. New Philadelphia, Illinois was founded by Free Frank McWorter. McWorter was born into slavery but bought his freedom and went on to become the first black man to found a town, which he named New Philadelphia. He became the town’s mayor and lived there with his family. Even though the population declined and the town was abandoned decades later, it is still an important site for archaeologists and historians.

Pike County has plenty of other small towns, known as villages. While Valley City is the smallest, there are at least five others that have fewer than 100 residents. Florence had only 17 residents listed in the 2020 census, beating Valley City by only a few people. While Valley City has been pretty tiny for many years, Florence has seen a significant decline in size just since 2000, when the census listed 71 residents. One of the fascinating things about small midwest villages like these is how quickly their sizes can change as people move away.

Pittsfield History

As the county seat of Pike’s County, the small town of Pittsfield is the largest in the county with around 4,500 people. It dates back to the 1820s when settlers from Pittsfield, Massachusetts came to Illinois. They named their new settlement after their previous home.

The town and the courthouse in particular are notable because of one prominent figure who practiced law here: future President Abraham Lincoln. The Pike Press, a local newspaper, was one of the first publications to suggest Lincoln as a political figure in an editorial. John Milton Hay, Lincoln’s personal secretary and later a diplomat under Presidents McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt, was from Pittsfield. In addition to the courthouse, there are other sites in Pittsfield tied to Lincoln. The John Shastid House was host to Lincoln often while he was in town practicing law. It is a timber frame house that is a great example of that style of building. You can visit it by appointment for a tour.

Today, Pittsfield is known for its pork production and hosts an annual “Pig Day” to celebrate the tasty food. High school sports, especially football and basketball, are also points of pride for the midwest town and county.

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