Westervelt Christian Church · National Register of Historic Places
Ridge Township’s story
Ridge Township in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Ridge TownshipIL
A town of 406.
4 bordering townsMap →
Westervelt Christian Church · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
406
2025 Census estimate · −1.9% since 2020
Household income
$111K
median
Median age
38.7
years
Jobs based here
11
A commuter town
Is Ridge Township a good place to live?
Ridge Township’s typical journey to work is 44 minutes, above both the Illinois town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 6 of the 769 Illinois towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Ridge Township. Westervelt Christian Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Ridge Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
406 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Rural TownshipPickaway TownshipRose TownshipOkaw TownshipRidge Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ridge Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ridge Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEJ Water CooperativeNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers60% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ridge Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsShelbyville Community Unit School District 4Okaw Valley Community Unit School District 3022 districts serve Ridge Township; 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 hereShelby County ClerkShelby County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes62565, 62534, 6257162565 90% · 62534 7% · 62571 3%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 Ridge Township.
Work & commute
Ridge Township has 0.1 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
The top destinations are Shelbyville (23%), Decatur (9%) and Springfield (6%). Only 1% of working residents stay in Ridge Township for work; the rest commute out. In Ridge Township, just over one in ten residents live below the poverty line.
1%work in town
Where working residents work
In Ridge Township1%
Shelbyville23%
Decatur9%
Springfield6%
Assumption5%
26 mi
median commute distance
11
jobs based in Ridge Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Top of a high hazard risk in Ridge Township: inland flooding
Expected losses in Ridge Township break down as 37% from inland flooding and 23% from cold waves. Ridge Township’s risk rating from FEMA is 68 of 100, where Illinois’ towns sit at 50 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100.
68risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesDrought
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Ridge Township
Expect July afternoons of 86° and January nights of 20°, with about 15 inches of snow a winter.
15″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–39°
Spring43–64°
Summer64–85°
Fall45–66°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Ridge Township is
26% of adults get no exercise outside work in Ridge Township. CDC measures, 32 in all: Ridge Township beats Illinois on 3 and trails on 9. Among adults locally, 15% report frequent physical distress and 14% have diabetes.
| Ridge Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
3 better20 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Ridge Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.5% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.3% | 13.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 6.3% |
HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital
5.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ridge Township
15pages on Ridge Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ridge Township; the nearest are
Millikin UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Decatur25.9 mi$26,892 tuitionLake Land CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mattoon26.1 mi$4,415 in-state tuitionEastern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Charleston36.6 mi$13,679 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Ridge Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Ridge Township for work
Where Ridge Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
11jobs based in Ridge Township
1%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ridge Township
Township in Illinois, United States
Ridge Township is located in Shelby County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 427 and it contained 194 housing units. It contains the census-designated place of Westervelt.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 650 ft
Questions about Ridge Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ridge Township, IL a good place to live?
Ridge Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.