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The Nelson handbook

Living in Nelson, IL: what to set up and who to call

Two school districts split the grades in Nelson: East Coloma-Nelson Consolidated Elementary School District 20 and Rock Falls Township High School District 301. For a library card, the closest branch is Sterling Public Library, 4.7 miles out.

Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes

I’m new in town

What to set up in Nelson, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerCommonwealth Edisoninvestor-owned utility · 17.7¢/kWhMore →Internet5 providers91% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsMore →Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Nelson’s trash rules yetMore →SchoolRock Falls Township High 301 and East Coloma-Nelson Consolidated Elementary 20 districtsWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteOnlineRules from vote.govMore →ZIP code61021Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Nelson.

Electricity

Power comes from Commonwealth Edison

Commonwealth Edison (Commonwealth Edison Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Nelson. Its homes paid an average of 17.7¢ per kWh in 2025, about $107 a month (its average across Illinois, for customers on its standard service). Illinois lets you buy power from another supplier; 20% of Commonwealth Edison’s home customers do, and Commonwealth Edison still delivers it.

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Internet

5 home internet providers serve Nelson

91% of 82 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 89% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
Surf InternetFiber94%8,000/8,000
BrightspeedDSL28%100/10
Rise BroadbandFixed wireless56%50/10
T-MobileFixed wireless44%100/20
VerizonFixed wireless41%300/20

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Nelson’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Nelson.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileOpenStreetMap lists no public drop-off in Nelson or within 5 miles (as of Oct 9, 2026); map coverage varies by town.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Nelson kids go to
PK–8East Coloma - Nelson Elem Schin Rock Falls
9–12Rock Falls Township High Schoolin Rock Falls

Nelson is in two districts that split the grades: East Coloma-Nelson Consolidated Elementary School District 20 and Rock Falls Township High School District 301.

Test scores and every school: see Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

Town hall and registering to vote

Who to call, and how to register.

Town HallBudget, officials, electionsNelson’s government in one page
Who runs elections hereLee County ClerkElections here are run by Lee County (county election office). 112 East 2nd St., P.O. Box 329, Dixon, IL 61021 · (815) 288-3309 · [email protected]FVAP, Jun 2025
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.govCheck your registration and polling placeova.elections.il.govThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.

ZIP codes & area codes

Nelson is in ZIP code 61021

ZIP codes where Nelson residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of NelsonZIP’s residents in Nelson
61021Dixon, IL100%1%

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

Nearest emergency roomCGH Medical Center4.6 miles awayGet a library cardSterling Public Library102 West Third Street · (815) 625-1370

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Nelson

Who provides electricity in Nelson?

Commonwealth Edison (Commonwealth Edison Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve Nelson?

Surf Internet, Brightspeed, Rise Broadband, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Nelson?

61021. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Nelson in?

East Coloma-Nelson Consolidated Elementary School District 20 and Rock Falls Township High School District 301.

How do I register to vote in Nelson?

In 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). Elections here are run by the Lee County Clerk. Check your registration at ova.elections.il.gov.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  • ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
  • Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
  • Registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
  • Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
  • Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.