Map of Mill Shoals village

Mill Shoals is a village in Wayne and White counties in the U.S. State of Illinois. The population was 235 at the 2000 census, down to 176 at the 2020 census. In Fall 2022, Drew Lane Consultants LLC conducted a village-wide survey that totaled population at 157. The Village of Mill Shoals is located 4 hours and 14 minutes driving directly south of the City of Chicago (with no traffic), 58 minutes driving directly northwest of Evansville, Indiana, 2 hours and 9 minutes driving directly west of Louisville, Kentucky, and 1 hour and 42 minutes directly east of St. Louis, Missouri. The Village is home to a U.S. Post Office, community center, private grain elevator, and two churches. Residents are active members of the 4-H, FFA, and Ruritans.

Mill Shoals village overview:
Name:	Mill Shoals village
LSAD Code:	47
LSAD Description:	village (suffix)
State:	Illinois
County:	Wayne County, White County
Founded:	1869
Elevation:	390 ft (120 m)
Total Area:	0.77 sq mi (1.99 km²)
Land Area:	0.77 sq mi (1.99 km²)
Water Area:	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Total Population:	176
Population Density:	230/sq mi (88/km²)
Area code:	618
FIPS code:	1749347

Online Interactive Map

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Mill Shoals online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Mill Shoals location map. Where is Mill Shoals village?

Mill Shoals location on the U.S. Map. Where is Mill Shoals village. — Mill Shoals location on the U.S. Map.

Mill Shoals location on the Illinois map. Where is Mill Shoals village. — Location of Mill Shoals in Illinois.

History

The first Euro-American settlers, primarily of Scotch-Irish descent, came to White County, Illinois between 1807 and 1809. The first settlements were near the Little Wabash River and Big Prairie, one of the numerous prairies in the county. Many came through the land office at Shawneetown, which was a port for flatboats which traveled the Ohio River. The second half of the 19th century saw the establishment of the towns of Norris City, Springerton including Mill Shoals. Once the home of a thriving barrel-making industry which depleted the nearby virgin forests Mill Shoals had primarily been an agriculture village until 1939 when oil was discovered in the area. In the early 1970s the oil industry declined steeply and thus returned Mill Shoals to its agricultural roots. However, the town was greatly devastated by a large fire in the early forties and seventies and retains the authentic WPA Post office mural.

Many residents commute to nearby towns for employment including education, service, factories, and farms.

A Portrait of the Village of Mill Shoals in 1978

From the Institute of Cultural Affairs 1978 Human Development Project Report:

Mill Shoals Road Map

Mill Shoals city Satellite Map

Geography

Mill Shoals is located at 38°14′52″N 88°20′48″W / 38.24778°N 88.34667°W / 38.24778; -88.34667 (38.247904, -88.346608).

According to the 2010 census, Mill Shoals has a total area of 0.79 square miles (2.05 km), all land.

Mill Shoals is located in Illinois, two-thirds of the way from St. Louis, Missouri, to Evansville, Indiana, at the juncture of Interstate 64 and U.S. Highway 45.