Eldorado, Illinois
Eldorado (/ˌɛldəˈreɪdoʊ, -də/) is a city in Saline County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,122 at the 2010 census, with a 1980 peak of 5,198. Although the city's name is spelled as if it were Spanish, the name was originally "Eldereado" or “Elder-Reado” (depending on the source)—a combination of the last names of the town's two founders, Judge Samuel Elder, his son William, grandson Francis Marion, and neighbor Joseph Read, and his brother William. According to legend, a signpainter for the railroad painted the name "Eldorado" on the train depot; as a result, the spelling and pronunciation (el-do-RAY-doh) was forever changed.
Eldorado | |
|---|---|
City | |
| City of Eldorado | |
According to the 1945 Film Daily Yearbook, the 500-seat Grand was one of three movie houses in operation at that time, which also included the Orpheum and the Knox. Today the former Grand is used as a meeting place for a fraternal order. | |
| Nickname: City of Daffodils | |
Location of Eldorado in Saline County, Illinois. | |
Location of Illinois in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 37°48′51″N 88°26′27″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Saline |
| Founded by | Samuel Elder and Joseph Read |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Rocky James |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.54 sq mi (6.59 km2) |
| • Land | 2.50 sq mi (6.48 km2) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2) |
| Elevation | 390 ft (120 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 3,743 |
| • Density | 1,495.41/sq mi (577.32/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 62930 |
| Area code | 618 |
| FIPS code | 17-23009 |
| GNIS ID | 2394639 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Eldorado, Illinois |
Eldorado is included in the Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area and is a bedroom community in the Harrisburg micropolitan statistical area.