Group made orphans by Cherry Mine disaster where 400 men were entombed, Nov. 13, 1909, 1909
Cherry’s story
120 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1909.
- 1906Cherry is settled
CherryIL
A town of 417, settled in 1906.
Population
417
2025 Census estimate · −3% since 2020
Median home value
$108K
Census ACS
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
51.3
years
Jobs based here
24
A commuter town
Is Cherry a good place to live?
Cherry’s median age is 51.3 years, against 40.7 years in Illinois’ towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Only 8 of the 769 Illinois towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Cherry. Cherry has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
417 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cherry: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cherry, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCherry water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cherry’s trash rules yet
SchoolsDimmick Community Consolidated School District 175Hall High School District 5022 districts serve Cherry; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBureau County ClerkBureau County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes61317, 6131261317 98% · 61312 2%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cherry.
Work & commute
Cherry has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Cherry for work: only 1% work in town. Cherry’s average trip to work is 22 minutes, where Illinois’ towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The median household income in Cherry is $60,000.
1%work in town
| Cherry | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Cherry1%
Peru9%
Mendota7%
Peoria5%
Princeton5%
29 mi
median commute distance
24
jobs based in Cherry
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Cherry
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 77% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cherry.
23risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
7
paid flood claims since 1982
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Cherry, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Cherry has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 15° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–34°
Spring39–61°
Summer61–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Cherry
No violent or property crimes were reported in Cherry in 2025. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Cherry is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
0
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Cherry is
Cherry beats the Illinois average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 18% of adults binge drink in Cherry.
| Cherry | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 33% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
2 better26 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Cherry | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.5% | 13.2% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 66.9% | 60.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 8% | 6.3% |
Carle Health Proctor Hospital
7.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Cherry has set aside 0.7% of its land for conservation
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.7%conserved
0.7%
conserved · 2 of 334 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cherry Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cherry
18pages on Cherry
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cherry
About 1 of every 100 Cherry residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Cherry for work
Where Cherry’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
24jobs based in Cherry
1%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Cherry
Village in Illinois, US
Cherry is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 435 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is located northwest of LaSalle-Peru, just a few miles north of Interstate 80, and is about 75 miles (121 km) east of the Quad Cities. Cherry was the site of the Cherry Mine Disaster, which killed 259 coal miners in November 1909. This was the third most deadly mine disaster in U.S. history (as of 2024).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 679 ft
- ZIP code
- 61317
Questions about Cherry
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cherry, IL a good place to live?
Cherry has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.