Alton, Illinois

Alton, Illinois is a historic Mississippi River town located in Madison County. Most of Alton's 16.6-square miles are located on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River Valley. Alton, IL is a popular tourist retreat. Alton's location and its history make it a popular destination for antique shopping, touring historic areas, and enjoying the scenic, natural beauty of the area. Alton is known as "the wedding capital of the Midwest" and has become a popular destination for weddings and honeymoons. Alton is only 18 miles from St. Louis, MO, making wedding travel very convenient.

Alton is located at the River Bend Region, the site where three rivers meet: the Mississippi, the Illinois and the Missouri. This picturesque region includes Northern Madison County, Elsah, Godfrey, Grafton and Jerseyville.

In 2007, Alton, Illinois was home to 27,329 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. There were 12,000 households in Alton with an average household size of 2.3 people. Families made up 61 percent of the households. The most common occupations are management and professional, service occupations, and sales and office occupations.

Alton, IL was developed as a river town in 1818 by Rufus Easton, a river ferry operator, who named the community after his son. The area was home to Native Americans long before Rufus Easton operated his ferry. Alton's written history dates back as far as 1673, when French explorers first discovered the famous prehistoric Piasa bird painting high above the bluffs. The painting was most likely done by the Illiniwek, a group of Native American tribes in the upper Mississippi River Valley.

During the Civil War, Alton, IL housed the infamous Alton Federal Military Prison where 1,345 Southern soldiers perished. The prison was a fortress with 30-feet-high stone walls and small, cramped cells. Alton boasts the tallest monument in the state, the Lovejoy Monument, dedicated to abolitionist printer and martyr Elijah Lovejoy, who was murdered trying to protect his printing press from pro-slavery mobs.

In 1918, Robert Wadlow was born in Alton, Illinois. He grew to become the world's tallest man at 8 feet, 11.1 inches. A life-size bronze statue of Wadlow is a popular attraction in town where visitors often have their picture taken.

Numerous transportation venues are available for residents and visitors to Madison County. Madison County Transit provides public transportation service to Alton. The nearby St. Louis Lambert International Airport also serves the community. The Madison County Bikeway System allows cyclists to explore more than 85 miles of scenic Alton and Madison County. Drivers will enjoy the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, 33 miles of spectacular scenery that winds through Alton.

The Alton School District operates nine public schools in Alton, Illinois as well as the nearby Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and Lewis and Clark Community College, a two-year community college providing post-secondary education. In 2007, 85 percent of people 25 years and older in Alton, IL had at least graduated from high school and 16 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. Health care is provided by two medical centers -- Alton Memorial Hospital and Saint Anthony's Health Center.

The Alton Police Department provides professional police services to those who live in or visit the City of Alton. The Circuit Court in Madison County is part of the Third Judicial Circuit of Illinois. There is a branch court location in Alton at The Law Enforcement Center, 1700 East Broadway, Alton, IL, 62002. The Branch Courts are used primarily to hear the Traffic and Misdemeanor cases filed in those municipalities.