Decatur, Illinois

Decatur, Illinois
City
Downtown Decatur Transfer House Millikin University Wabash Railroad Station James Millikin House
Seal
Nicknames:  Soy City, Soybean Capital of the World, Limitless Decatur
Interactive map of Decatur, Illinois
Decatur Location within Illinois Decatur Location within the United States
Coordinates: 39°50′29.12″N 88°57′21.17″W
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Macon
Townships	Decatur, Harristown, Hickory Point, Long Creek, Oakley, South Wheatland, Whitmore
Founded	1823
Government
• Mayor	Julie Moore Wolfe
Area
• Total	47.79 sq mi (123.78 km2)
• Land	43.11 sq mi (111.65 km2)
• Water	4.68 sq mi (12.13 km2)  10.0%
Elevation	676 ft (206 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	70,522
• Estimate  (2024)	68,763
• Density	1,635.9/sq mi (631.63/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	EDT
ZIP Codes	62521–62523, 62526
Area codes	217, 447
FIPS code	17-18823
Website	decaturil.gov

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Decatur (/dɪˈkeɪtər/ dih-KAY-tər) is the largest city in Macon County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 70,522. It is the 17th-most populous city in Illinois and the "fastest shrinking city" in Illinois. Decatur has an economy based on industrial and agricultural commodity processing and production. The city is home to Millikin University and Richland Community College.