Chenoa is a village in Central Illinois. It sits north of Champaign-Urbana on I-55 and has a population of about 1,700 (2020).
Understand
Chenoa was laid out on 13 May 1856 by Matthew T. Scott. Scott anticipated the place where the Chicago and Alton railroads would cross and platted the town which he called Chenoa. The plan of Chenoa is complex because it is the blending of two rival townsites. Scott’s original town, which lies west of the railroad, was built around a central park, is much more like the plan like central Illinois towns of the 1830s than that of other towns laid out in the 1850s. However, Scott only owned the in Section 2, while his rival, and former business companion, William Marshall had managed to purchase Section 1. Chenoa sat directly on the path of Historic Route 66 and therefore holds multiple Route 66 historic landmarks.
Get in
By plane
Chenoa is serviced by the 1 Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal(BMI IATA) which has daily arrivals from Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Dallas, along with 4-times-a-week service from Orlando and Denver.
By car
Chenoa is easily reached by road. The city is located at the intersections of Interstate 55 north to south, Historic Route 66 north to south, and U.S. Route 24 east to west.
By train
An Amtrak route runs through the city. However, the closest stations are at 2 Bloomington-Normal Amtrak Station to the south and 3 Pontiac Amtrak StationPontiac to the north.
Get around
Chenoa is a small town and has very few walkable streets. Getting around almost requires a car. There are no local taxi services or any public transport within the town. Most streets in the street are light on traffic so biking around is also another option.
See
- 1 Matthew T. Scott House, 227 N 1st Ave, ☏ +1 815-945-4555. The Matthew T. Scott House is a historic house that Chenoa founder Matthew T. Scott and his wife Julia Green once lived in. The House was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 1983.
- 2 Chenoa Historical Society Museum, 239 Green St. A small local history museum ran by the historical society. Holds multiple local historical artifacts and information.
- 3 Historic Route 66 Old Bridge, Eppards Point Township. 24 hours. This bridge is part of the original Route 66 road and is not passable by car.
- 4 Weatherwax House, 410 S Division St. A historical landmark in the center of town.
Do
- 1 Chenoa 4th of July Celebration, 200-298 S Division St, ☏ +1 815-867-7806, chenoas4thofjuly@gmail.com. Sunrise-Sunset July 4th. A large 4th of July celebration at Main City Park with the largest fireworks display in central Illinois. Activities include a flea market and food vendors at City Park, a parade, and a fireworks display by the football field.
- 2 Chenoa Public Library, 230 Green St, ☏ +1 815-945-4253, chenoapl@frontier.com. Tu-F 1-4PM, Sa 10AM-2PM. A local public library with a collection of over 2,000 books.
- 3 Main City Park, 200-298 S Division St. Sunrise-sunset daily. A nice city park in the center of town. The park has a baseball field, basketball court, playground, etc.
- 4 Chenoa Swimming Pool, 205 N Morehead St, ☏ +1 815 945-7386. M-Sa 11AM - 8PM. $3.00 per person per day. $1.00 for children 3 and under.
Buy
- 1 Chenoa Tattoo Company, 102 E Cemetery Ave, ☏ +18155102872, chenoatattoocompany@gmail.com. Tu-Sa 10AM - 5PM. Tattoos, piercings, walk-ins welcome
- 2 VerClare Boutique, 231 Green St, ☏ +1 815-310-5356. Th 10AM - 8PM, F 10AM - 5PM, Sa 10AM - 3PM. A clothing boutique with tops, bottoms, and jackets. $40.
- 3 Blessings From Above, 919 E Cemetery Ave, ☏ +1 309-319-3514. M-Sa 10AM - 5PM. A flower shop
- 4 Old Chenoa Co, 905 E Cemetery Ave. Tu-F 10AM - 5PM, Sa 10AM - 4PM. An antique shop
Eat
- 1 Crossroads Cafe, 1000 E Cemetery Ave, ☏ +1 309-434-4353. M-F 6AM - 6PM, Sa 7AM - 1PM. A cafe with coffee, tea, smoothies, and treats.
- 2 The Butler's Pantry, 224 S Green St, ☏ +1 815-310-0913, butlers.pantry@yahoo.com. F 3:30PM - 5:30PM, Sa 10AM - noon.
- 3 Chenoa Family Restaurant, 508 W Cemetery Ave, ☏ +1 815-945-7015. Daily 7:30AM - 8PM.
Drink
- 1 Brown Jug, 318 W Cemetery Ave, ☏ +1 815-945-2408. M-Th 11AM - midnight, F Sa 11AM - 1AM, Su noon - 10PM. Bar and Grill. Drinks and tavern style food.
- 2 Finish Line Sports Bar, 138 S Veto St, ☏ +1 815-945-9079. M-F 10AM - 1AM, Sa noon - 10PM. A sports bar and sports apparel shop.
Sleep
- 1 Super 8 by wyndham Chenoa, 505 Hoselton Dr, ☏ +1 815-945-5900. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. $70.
Go next
Routes through Chenoa |
Chicago ← Pontiac ← | N S | → Lexington → Normal |
Peoria ← El Paso ← | W E | → Piper City → Fort Wayne |
Normal ← Lexington ← | W E | → Pontiac → Chicago |