Vermilion County is a county in Illinois, United States, on the Indiana state line in the east-central part of the state. It had a population of 74,188 at the 2020 census and covers 901.28 square miles (2,334.3 km2), of which 898.37 square miles are land, centred near 40°07′N 87°38′W.
Danville is the county seat, and its postal code is 61832 (a second Danville ZIP, 61834, covers PO boxes). The county has 3 cities, 18 villages and about a dozen unincorporated communities, organized into 19 civil townships. Vermilion County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Vermilion County
Vermilion County’s largest population centers cluster around Danville in the center of the county and Hoopeston in the north. The table below lists every incorporated city and village plus the county’s census-designated places (CDP); populations not confirmed against the 2020 census are marked with an em dash.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danville | City · seat | Danville | 29,204 | 61832 |
| Hoopeston | City | Grant / Ross | — | 60942 |
| Georgetown | City | Georgetown | — | 61846 |
| Tilton | Village | Danville | — | 61833 |
| Westville | Village | Catlin / Danville | — | 61883 |
| Oakwood | Village | Oakwood | — | 61858 |
| Catlin | Village | Catlin | — | 61817 |
| Rossville | Village | Ross | — | 60963 |
| Potomac | Village | Newell | — | 61865 |
| Bismarck | Village | Blount | — | 61814 |
| Fairmount | Village | Love | — | 61841 |
| Ridge Farm | Village | Elwood | — | 61870 |
| Fithian | Village | Middlefork | — | 61844 |
| Rankin | Village | Butler | — | 60960 |
| Sidell | Village | Sidell | — | 61876 |
| Alvin | Village | Carroll | — | 61811 |
| Indianola | Village | Carroll | — | 61850 |
| Henning | Village | Vance | — | 61848 |
| Muncie | Village | McKendree | — | 61857 |
| Allerton | Village | South Ross | — | 61810 |
| Belgium | Village | Georgetown | — | 61846 (Georgetown) |
| East Lynn | CDP | Jamaica | — | 60932 |
| Olivet | CDP | Carroll | — | — |
A handful of unincorporated crossroads communities round out the county, including Armstrong, Collison, Jamesburg, Cheneyville and Unionville — none carries its own ZIP code beyond the nearest post office town listed above.
Townships
Vermilion County is fully organized into 19 civil townships. 2020 township-level population figures are not independently verified here and are marked with an em dash; each township’s main settlement is listed.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Danville | — | Danville, Tilton |
| Georgetown | — | Georgetown, Belgium |
| Catlin | — | Catlin, Westville |
| Ross | — | Hoopeston, Rossville |
| Grant | — | Hoopeston |
| Carroll | — | Alvin, Indianola, Olivet |
| Oakwood | — | Oakwood |
| Newell | — | Potomac |
| Blount | — | Bismarck |
| Love | — | Fairmount |
| Elwood | — | Ridge Farm |
| Middlefork | — | Fithian |
| Butler | — | Rankin |
| Sidell | — | Sidell |
| Vance | — | Henning |
| McKendree | — | Muncie |
| South Ross | — | Allerton |
| Jamaica | — | East Lynn |
| Pilot | — | rural, no incorporated town |
ZIP Codes
- 61832 — Danville (also serves surrounding rural Danville Township)
- 61834 — Danville (PO box only)
- 60942 — Hoopeston
- 61846 — Georgetown (also serves Belgium)
- 61883 — Westville
- 61858 — Oakwood
- 61817 — Catlin
- 61833 — Tilton
- 60963 — Rossville
- 61865 — Potomac
- 61814 — Bismarck
- 61841 — Fairmount
- 61870 — Ridge Farm
- 61844 — Fithian
- 60960 — Rankin
- 61876 — Sidell
- 61811 — Alvin
- 60932 — East Lynn
- 61850 — Indianola
- 61812 — Armstrong (PO box only)
- 61810 — Allerton
- 61848 — Henning
- 61831 — Collison (PO box only)
- 61857 — Muncie
Olivet has no ZIP code of its own and is served by the nearest post office town.
Geography
Vermilion County lies in the till plains of east-central Illinois, drained by the Vermilion River and its North and Middle Forks, which the county takes its name from. Most of the terrain is flat to gently rolling farmland, with wooded bluffs along the river valleys near Danville; Kickapoo State Park and Kennekuk County Park preserve some of the county’s remaining timberland.
Vermilion County borders Iroquois County to the north, Benton County, Indiana, to the northeast, Warren County, Indiana, to the east, Vermillion County, Indiana, to the southeast, Edgar County to the south, Douglas County to the southwest, Champaign County to the west, and Ford County to the northwest. Of these, the county pages currently live on this site are Iroquois County, Champaign County, Edgar County, Ford County, and Vermillion County, Indiana.
Demographics
Vermilion County had a population of 74,188 at the 2020 census, down from 81,625 in 2010. Danville, with 29,204 residents, is by far the largest community, followed by Hoopeston in the county’s northern townships. Median household income in the county runs well below the Illinois median of $80,306, reflecting the area’s manufacturing decline since the 1980s. Population density is about 83 people per square mile, concentrated around Danville and the Hoopeston/Rossville corridor along the Indiana border.
Economy & Local Life
Vermilion County’s economy centers on Danville, home to Danville Area Community College and OSF HealthCare Sacred Heart Medical Center, along with light manufacturing and distribution tied to the county’s rail and Interstate 74 access. Agriculture — corn and soybeans on the county’s flat farmland — remains the dominant land use outside the Danville-Tilton-Westville urban corridor. Hoopeston, in the county’s north, calls itself the “Sweet Corn Capital of the World” and hosts the National Sweet Corn Festival each Labor Day weekend.
History
Vermilion County was organized on January 18, 1826, the 45th of Illinois’s 102 counties, and takes its name from the Vermilion River, whose banks show reddish clay deposits. Abraham Lincoln practiced law on the county’s Eighth Judicial Circuit and appeared regularly in the Danville courthouse between 1841 and 1859, later giving a campaign address there in 1858. Danville grew through the 19th and early 20th centuries as a coal-mining and railroad town before shifting to manufacturing in the postwar era.
Getting There
Interstate 74 crosses the county through Danville, linking it to Champaign-Urbana to the west and the Indianapolis area to the east. US Routes 136 and 150 and Illinois Routes 1, 9, and 49 provide additional connections.
- Champaign — 35 miles west
- Indianapolis, Indiana — 85 miles east
- Terre Haute, Indiana — 45 miles south
- Chicago — 130 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Willard Airport in Champaign-Urbana; Vermilion Regional Airport in Danville serves general aviation only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Vermilion County, Illinois?
It is in east-central Illinois, on the Indiana state line, about 35 miles east of Champaign-Urbana.
What is the population of Vermilion County?
74,188 at the 2020 census.
How big is Vermilion County?
901.28 square miles (2,334.3 km2), of which 898.37 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Vermilion County?
Danville is the county seat and its largest city.
How many towns are in Vermilion County?
The county has 3 cities, 18 villages, and 2 census-designated places, spread across 19 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Vermilion County?
24 ZIP codes serve the county, led by 61832 and 61834 for Danville; see the ZIP Codes section above for the full list.
Why is Hoopeston called the “Sweet Corn Capital”?
The city’s canneries once processed more sweet corn than any other town in the country, a legacy the town keeps alive with its annual National Sweet Corn Festival.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Illinois.