Cattle Bank building, constructed in 1858, is the oldest extant building in Champaign.
Champaign was founded in 1855, when theIllinois Central Railroad laid its rail track two miles (3 km) west of downtown Urbana. Originally called "West Urbana", it was renamed Champaign when it acquired a city charter in 1860. Both the city and county name were derived fromChampaign County, Ohio,[6] which took its name from the French word for "open, level country".[7][8]
In February 1969,Carl Perkins joined withBob Dylan to write the song "Champaign, Illinois", which Perkins released on his albumOn Top.[9] The bandOld 97's took another Bob Dylan song, "Desolation Row", and combined its melody with new lyrics to make a new song "Champaign, Illinois", which they released with Dylan's blessing on their 2010 albumThe Grand Theatre Volume One. It achieved considerable popularity. The two "Champaign, Illinois" songs are not similar to each other, except that Bob Dylan was involved in both of them.
On September 22, 1985, Champaign hosted the firstFarm Aid concert at theUniversity of Illinois'Memorial Stadium. The concert drew a crowd of 80,000 people and raised over $7 million for American family farmers.
In 2005, the University of Illinois in Champaign was the location of the NationalScience Olympiad Tournament, attracting young scientists from all 50 states. The city also hosts the state Science Olympiad competition every year. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign once again hosted the National competition on May 20–22, 2010.
Joan Severns was the city's first female mayor, serving between 1979 and 1983.[10] Deborah Frank Feinen, who has served as mayor since 2015, is the city's second female mayor.[10] In May 2017, the city's first female-majority city council was sworn in.[11]
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Champaign has a total area of 23.14 square miles (59.93 km2), of which 22.99 square miles (59.54 km2) (or 99.37%) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.39 km2) (or 0.63%) is water.[1]
Champaign is a city in central Illinois and is located on relatively high ground, providing sources to theKaskaskia River to the west, and theEmbarras River to the south. Downtown Champaign drains into Boneyard Creek, which feeds the Saline Branch of theSalt Fork Vermilion River.[12]
Champaign shares a border with the neighboring city ofUrbana; together they are home to theUniversity of Illinois. Champaign, Urbana, and the bordering village ofSavoy form theChampaign–Urbana Metropolitan Area, also known as "Champaign–Urbana". It may also be colloquially known as the "Twin Cities", "Chambana" or "Shampoo–Banana".[13]
The city has ahumid continental climate, typical of the Midwestern United States, with hot summers and cold, moderately snowy winters. Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32.2 °C) on an average of 24 days per year, and typically fall below 0 °F (−17.8 °C) on six nights annually.[14] The record high temperature in Champaign was 109 °F (42.8 °C) in 1954, and the record low was −25 °F (−31.7 °C), recorded on four separate occasions − in 1899, 1905, 1994 and 1999.[15]
Climate data for Champaign 3S, Illinois (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1888–present)
As of the2020 census[20] there were 88,302 people, 34,851 households, and 15,624 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,816.81 inhabitants per square mile (1,473.68/km2). There were 40,314 housing units at an average density of 1,742.55 per square mile (672.80/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 53.45%White, 17.97%African American, 0.37%Native American, 16.69%Asian (6.34%Chinese, 3.92%Indian, 1.83%Korean, 1.05%Filipino, 0.86%Vietnamese, 0.46%Thai, 0.27%Pakistani),[21] 0.05%Pacific Islander, 3.96% fromother races, and 7.52% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 8.74% of the population.
There were 34,851 households, out of which 21.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.63% were married couples living together, 8.77% had a female householder with no husband present, and 55.17% were non-families. 39.97% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.01% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.13 and the average family size was 2.30.
The city's age distribution consisted of 17.0% under the age of 18, 29.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $49,467, and the median income for a family was $78,118. Males had a median income of $36,680 versus $27,805 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $30,245. About 10.3% of families and 23.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Champaign, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
In addition to the University of Illinois, Champaign is also home to Parkland College.Herff Jones, formerly Collegiate Cap and Gown, and Kraft also form part of the city's industrial base. Kraft's plant is one of the largest pasta factories in North America. The Champaign-Urbana community is a well-known hub for startups, including a top ranking from Silicon Prairie News in 2019.[25]
Champaign is home to nationally recognized record labels, artist management companies, booking agencies, and recording studios.Polyvinyl Records,Undertow Music,Parasol Records, Great Western Record Recorders, Pogo Studios, and Nicodemus Booking Agency are all based in Champaign.
In April 2011,The Christian Science Monitor named Champaign-Urbana one of the five cities leading the economic turnaround based on jobs; the information sector added over 300 jobs within a year and unemployment dropped 2.1%.[26]
The technology incubator at Research Park, EnterpriseWorks, has launched 350+ startups since opening in 2014. Famous graduates of EnterpriseWorks include Agrible, which was sold to Nutrien in 2018 for $63 million.[29] Another success story is Starfire, which graduated from EnterpriseWorks and moved into other space at the Research Park. In 2022, Starfire was growing so fast, it bought its own 190,000 SF building in the northwest side of Champaign.[30]
Other major employers includeHorizon Hobby,Jimmy John's, Plastipak,SuperValu, andWolfram Research. Numerous other software and technology companies also have offices in Champaign includingAnsys,Amdocs, Cloudflare, Instarecon,Phonak, Power World, and Caterpillar Simulation Center. The largest high technology employer isWolfram Research, with more than 400 employees in Champaign.[32] TheUnited States Army Corps of Engineers maintains the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) in Champaign.
In the 1980s, part of the downtown Champaign area (Neil St.) was closed to vehicular traffic to create a pedestrian mall, but this short-lived experiment was scrapped when business declined. As part of a revitalization effort, One Main Development constructed two new mixed-use buildings: One Main and M2 on Neil. The City of Champaign gave $3.7 million in tax incentives for the building of M2 and agreed to pay nearly $11 million for a new parking deck.[33][34][35][36]
This growth in downtown Champaign coincided with the larger growth of the "north Prospect" shopping district on the city's northern boundary. The growth in the north Prospect area relied, in part, on leapfrogging, moving out to the countryside and developing more remote farmland that eventually connects to the main development. Given the overwhelming success of such suburban shopping areas nationally, new development within any city center represented an alternative to the dominant movement out and away from the cities.
TheChampaign City Building serves as the City Hall and is a recognizable landmark. The building replaces the original city building, which sat on the same site until 1937.
The historicVirginia Theatre is a restored 1463-seat movie theater which opened on December 28, 1921. It has an ornate, Spanish Renaissance-influenced interior, full stage and dressing rooms, and its original Wurlitzer pipe organ. It hostsEbertfest[37] and has a single 56' x 23' screen. The theater does not have a daily show schedule, but schedules special screenings and live performances several times each month.
The Art Theater Co-op, which showed independent and foreign films, was built in 1913 as the Park Theatre. From 1969 to 1986, it showed adult films.[38] Until October 2019, it was the only single-screen movie theater operating daily in Champaign-Urbana, and was the United States's first co-operatively owned art movie theater. It closed in October 2019.[39][40]
Located along Green Street, this commercial district serves as the entertainment and retail center for students at the University of Illinois and citizens of theChampaign–Urbana metropolitan area. This area has been undergoing change since 2002 with the completion of a new $7 million streetscape project. Campustown is now attracting new retail and entertainment stores as well as serving as the center for new construction projects. Several new projects opened in 2008 including the 18-storyBurnham 310 high-rise and grocery store at 4th and Springfield, and a new 24-story apartment building called 309 Green.[41]
The newly renamed Tower at 3rd (formerly Champaign Hilton, Century 21, Quality Inn, University Inn, Presidential Tower) is located in the University District and is over twenty stories high. A hotel until 2001, it currently houses student apartments.[42]
A new 14-story apartment complex was completed in 2014 at the intersection of 6th and Green streets (site of the former Gameday Spirit).[43] A 12-story, mixed-use complex consisting of a hotel, apartments and parking was scheduled to be completed by August 2015. The mixed-use complex is reported to consist of two towers which will be connected by a skywalk. A 27-story apartment building is planned at 308 East Green Street.[44] This high-rise is reported to have an automated parking vault which will be operated by an elevator.[45]
Champaign County Historical Museum.[49] Located in the historicCattle Bank built in 1858. Features exhibits on the history of the area and the Midwest as a whole.
Built from 1922 to 1923,Memorial Stadium was named in honor of the students and faculty members who died overseas during World War I. Since opening in 1923, Memorial Stadium has been home toIllinois Fighting Illini football. The stadium also was the temporary home of the NFL'sChicago Bears for the 2002 season while its regular venueSoldier Field was being renovated.
During its history, the city has been home to several separate minor league baseball clubs. The first in 1889 was a shared club between Champaign andLogansport, Indiana, called the Logansport/Champaign-Urbana Clippers. The Clippers played for one season in theIllinois–Indiana League before folding.[53] The city hosted its second team, the Champaign-Urbana Velvets from 1911 to 1914 who played in theIllinois–Missouri League until the league disbanded after 1914.[54] The city's most recent minor league team was theChampaign-Urbana Bandits who played during the single 1994 season of theGreat Central League.[55] The Bandits played atIllinois Field. Prior to holding postseason play, the league folded.
Twice Champaign was also home to aCollegiate Summer Baseball League team. The city's Champaign County Colts were a founding member of theCentral Illinois Collegiate League from 1963 to 1964. In 1990 the Colts were revived as the Champaign-Urbana Colts until the team folded in 1996. The more recent club played its home games atIllinois Field.[56]
Champaign is also served by threeprivate high schools. The largest of the three isSt. Thomas More High School which is located on the city's far northwest side. The school opened in 2000 and is the newest charter of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Peoria.Judah Christian School, which is located just south ofI-74 on Prospect Avenue, opened in 1983 and serves grades pre-kindergarten through 12. Academy High is a private, independent high school located in South Champaign which opened in 2017.[58][59] The school is designed to be student-centered, highly collaborative, and project-based.
NOAA Weather Radio station WXJ76 transmits from Champaign and is licensed to NOAA's National Weather Service Central Illinois Weather Forecast Office at Lincoln, broadcasting on a frequency of 162.550 MHz (channel 7 on most newer weather radios, and most SAME weather radios). The station activates the SAME tone alarm feature and a 1050 Hz tone activating older radios (except for AMBER Alerts, using the SAME feature only) for hazardous weather and non-weather warnings and emergencies, along with selected weather watches, for the Illinois counties of Champaign, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Moultrie, Piatt, and Vermillion. Weather permitting, a tone alarm test of both the SAME and 1050 Hz tone features are conducted every Wednesday between 11 am and Noon.
Interstate 57 enters in Champaign County after a diamond interchange with Curtis Road. It makes twoCloverleaf interchanges withInterstate 72 towardsDecatur, Illinois, and the second (soon to be changed)Cloverleaf interchange withInterstate 74 in Illinois toIndianapolis. After making the two major interchanges, it runs out of Champaign County with aPartial cloverleaf interchange withU.S. Route 45 toRantoul, Illinois. Interstate 74 starts withU.S. Route 150 in Illinois withMahomet, Illinois, it makes two total interchanges within the city's limits. After making those interchanges, it makes one interchange with Interstate 57. After making the main interchange it starts to make interchanges with the city's streets. Interstate 74 goes out of Champaign County withSt. Joseph, Illinois. Interstate 72 enters Champaign County with an interchange towards Monticello and north towards Mahomet after the main route that heads north crosses Interstate 74. Interstate 72 then heads into the cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 57 and then continues east for 1 1/2 to 2 miles eventually terminating itself at University Avenue on the southeast side of Champaign.
In 1999, a newly designedintermodal transportation center, aptly namedIllinois Terminal by historic reference to the defunctelectric interurban rail line that once ran through Champaign, was completed and serves as a central facility for intercity passenger rail, bus services as well as the MTD's local bus network.Danville Mass Transit andChampaign County Area Rural Transit System, which primarily provide transit services to Danville and Rantoul respectively, have connecting services to Illinois Terminal.
The local bus system, which is supported by the taxpayers of theChampaign–Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) and the University of Illinois, serves Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, and surrounding areas. The C-U MTD has twice been named as the best local transit system in the United States.[62]
C-CARTS provides bus service connecting Champaign, Urbana and Rantoul.[63]
The formerIllinois Central Railroad line—now part of theCanadian National Railway system—runs north to south through the city. A spur line from the Canadian National line provides service to several large industries, including two large food processing plants, on the west edge of Champaign and two grain elevators in outlying communities to the west.Norfolk Southern Railway operates an east-to-west line through Champaign, connecting eastern Urbana to the Norfolk Southern main line atMansfield, Illinois, along the formerPeoria & Eastern Railway.
^"Station: Champaign 3S, IL".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. RetrievedJuly 21, 2021.
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