Welcome to Eureka, IL
The city of Eureka is located in Woodford County, Illinois, just 18 miles east of Peoria and 138 miles southwest of Chicago. Established by no more than 60 families in the early 1800’s as a rural community named Walnut Grove, Eureka had no local government and few institutions or businesses before 1850. When a Dayton, OH man named John Darst arrived in 1851, he purchased a large amount of Walnut Grove land and platted the town of Eureka, selling lots around the present courthouse yard. In the next 40 years, the population of Eureka more than doubled, and the city was chosen as the Woodford County seat in 1894.
Today Eureka continues to be a strong and spirited community of central Illinois and boasts a growing population of approximately 5,000 people. Eureka is the proud home of a four-year liberal arts college—Eureka College, established in 1855—which was just ranked 4th in the state and 28th in the Midwest among the U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 list of “America’s Best Colleges.” Eureka College was the alma mater of former President of the United States Ronald Reagan (Class of 1932), and was where Reagan gave his well-known 1982 “Eureka Speech” in which he challenged the Soviet Union to re-enter negotiations over nuclear arms. Eureka College houses a Ronald Reagan Museum with over 1,000 pieces of memorabilia, as well as the Reagan Peace Garden, established in 2000 to commemorate his important speech.
In addition to the highly acclaimed Eureka College, residents of Eureka enjoy many big-city amenities, such as shopping, dining, theatre and entertainment in the Peoria and Bloomington areas. Eureka itself has many small, locally owned shops, services, and a mixture of chain restaurants and unique establishments. The community also features the 9-hole Kaufman Golf Course, a 240-acre park, and the beautiful 36-acre Lake Eureka. The park is a popular gathering place for community events, festivals, and holiday celebrations, and the lake is a favorite for local outdoor enthusiasts who love to boat and fish.
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