City Town Info

Chester, IL


  • Overview
  • Almanac
  • People
  • Local
  • Schools
  • Comments

Chester, Illinois

Introduction to Chester, Illinois

Chester, Illinois, in Randolph county, is 55 miles SE of St. Louis, Missouri. The city’s population is approximately 5,185.

Chester History

This area was originally called Smith's Landing in honor of Samuel Smith, the founder of the community. In 1829, he began the construction of a mill, established a ferry and erected a business building. His wife hailed from Chester, England, and renamed the town after her hometown. Chester became the county seat of Randolph County in 1844. Elzie Segar, the creator of the cartoon character Popeye, was a resident of Chester. As a result, the city is also referred to as the Home of Popeye.

Chester and nearby Attractions

  • Eugene Field House and Toy Museum
  • Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum
  • Lake Murphysboro State Park
  • International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame
  • Illinois Caverns State Natural Area

Things To Do In Chester

The Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area, the Hawn State Park and Piney Creek Ravine State Natural Area are all accessible from Chester. Nearby historic sites include the Louis Bolduc House, Fort Kaskaskia, and Fort de Chartres. The Popeye Museum, the Heritage House Museum and the Gen. John A. Logan Museum are nearby as well.

Chester Transportation

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport is nearby.

Chester Higher Education

Nearby colleges and universities include Southwestern Illinois College, Jefferson College and Southeast Missouri State University.

High Points

Chester strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Illinois):

CategoryTrophy
Short Commute Times
(vs. State)
Top 2%trophyChester Short Commute Times
Affordability of Rents
(vs. Peers)
Top 12%Chester Affordability of Rents

Comparative Profile of Chester, IL

Comparing Chester to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Illinois (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Male Share of the Population1010
Senior Citizens99
Age of the Population88
Well-Paid Single Men89
Racial Diversity37
Children Under 5 Years Old22
Female Share of the Population11

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Portion of People Married53
Average Household Size32

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Median Family Income66
People Above Poverty54
People in Middle Class or Better54
College Educated Adults24

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Short Commute Times1010
Working at Home33
Walking and Biking to Work23
Public Transportation Use12

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Affordability of Rents98
People Living Alone89
Affordability of Property Taxes88
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals47
Seasonal and Vacation Housing24
Housing Recently Built23
Detailed pages on related topics: Chester travel

You are visiting:
All StatesIllinois > Chester

Find a school near you

Additional Details

Chester Hotels & TravelChester Hotels & Travel
Chester hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation.

Career and College Resources on CityTownInfo

Real-World Career Reports

Career Stories from workers: daily activities, job tips, best/worst job aspects, training, etc.

Daily Career & Education News from our staff. We're an approved Google News provider!

Career References and Original Articles

Resource Center. A starting point for all CityTownInfo career and college resources.

Career Overviews of hundreds of careers: descriptions, salaries, forecasts, schools, more.

Best Careers Not Requiring Degrees: Good pay, job growth, low need for degrees.

Helpful Articles, many in "how-to" format; e.g., "How to Become a Chef".

College Directories and Lists

These lists link to thousands of detailed school profiles.

Colleges by State. Nearly every college and trade school in the country.

Colleges Listed Alphabetically. About 7,000 colleges & trade schools, including online schools.

Colleges by Major City. Browse cities with multiple college options.

Online Colleges. Colleges with online degree programs.

Graduate Schools by State. Colleges offering graduate degree programs.

Graduate Schools by Major City. Find cities with multiple graduate school options.

Places Similar to Chester

We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.

Find places similar to Chester

Additional Resources


Large City Map

Info for Chester Government Officials

Are you an official in the Chester government or quasi-government agency such as the chamber of commerce, visitors bureau or economic development council? If so, visit our information page for government officials to see how CityTownInfo can support you.

Spread The Word

Webmasters & Bloggers: Please link to this page on Chester. Just copy the HTML below and paste it into your web page or blog.


Copyright © QuinStreet, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Click to verify BBB accreditation and to see a BBB report.    TRUSTe online privacy certification