Overview

Home of the Central Illinois Jazz Festival and the Decatur-Macon County Fair, Decatur is situated on the banks of the Sangamon River, also known as Lake Decatur. With an average winter temperature of 31� and a summer average of 74�, the Central Illinois town enjoys relatively mild weather throughout the year. Visitors find its Civil War and Depression-era architecture fascinating and its over 80,000 residents warm and inviting. The city was named after Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr., U.S. naval hero during the Battle of Tripoli. Known as the town where Abraham Lincoln won the Republican nomination for President in 1860, Decatur, prior to 1900, had an economy that was largely dependent on coal mining and farming. Today, manufacturing and processing are foremost, and companies like Archer Daniels Midland have contributed considerably to the about-face. The city is also attractive to history buffs, and several walking tours showcase Art Deco, Georgian Revival, Italianate, Neoclassical, Romanesque and Queen Anne buildings, many of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Additional points of interest include Governor Oglesby Mansion, Scovill Zoo, Children's Museum of Illinois and the Hieronymus Mueller Museum, which showcases this amazing inventor's contributions to modern technology. For the outdoor enthusiasts, there is Lake Decatur for boating and water sports, as well as conservation areas and parks for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Furthermore, in recent years, the downtown area has emerged as a popular dining and entertainment destination thanks to the introduction of new restaurants and nightspots. Over 300 festivals and various events providing musical entertainment, arts, crafts and sports take place each year in Decatur and the surrounding area.

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