Eureka is a city in and the county seat of Woodford County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Eureka had a population of 5,227. Eureka is part of the Peoria metropolitan area.
Eureka is a small community centered on the intersection of what is now U.S. 24 and Illinois 117. It is also one of the towns along the Ronald Reagan Trail, a series of roads that connect towns in central Illinois that were of importance to Reagan's early life. President Reagan attended and graduated from Eureka College.
History
Eureka was originally laid out as Walnut Grove in 1855. The name was changed to Eureka because of a naming conflict with another Walnut Grove. Sources differ on who proposed the name Eureka. The city is named from the Greek expression Eureka, meaning "I have found it".
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Eureka has a total area of , of which (or 98.44%) is land and (or 1.56%) is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Eureka had a population of 5,227. The median age was 38.0 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.6 males age 18 and over.
99.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.6% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,981 households in Eureka, of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.9% were married-couple households, 16.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
Economy
The largest employers in Eureka are:
- Maple Lawn Homes - Independent and Assisted Living - 240 employees
- District 140 - School System - 220 employees
- Apostolic Christian Home - Independent and Assisted Living - 190 employees
- Woodford County Courthouse - County Seat - 161 employees
- Eureka Hospital - 150 employees
- Cox Transfer - Trucking Company - 125 employees
- Eureka College - 123 employees
- Mangold Ford Mercury - Auto Dealership - 64 employees
- Washington Equipment Co. - Overhead Cranes - 43 employees
Attractions
Eureka College
Eureka is known for Eureka College, a private liberal arts college associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the alma mater of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan graduated in 1932 with a degree in economics and sociology and, throughout his life, remained very close to the college. Reagan returned to the town at least twelve times, including twice as President of the United States. In 1947, serving as the grand marshal for Eureka's annual pumpkin festival parade, the largest recorded parade crowds in the history of Eureka gathered along the streets to welcome back the Hollywood actor to his college hometown. Reports are the crowds were more than tenfold the town's 4,000 residents at the time. In 1967, as newly elected Governor of California and widely rumored prospective presidential candidate, Ronald Reagan returned to Eureka to dedicate the Melick Library at his alma mater, drawing more than 5,000 spectators. Eureka had styled itself the "pumpkin capital of the world" until its pumpkin-processing plant moved to nearby Morton, Illinois. The Reagan Museum and Peace Garden at Eureka College is a top tourist attraction in the community, especially after the 2010-2011 renovation of the Museum and of the Reagan special collection section at Melick Library at Eureka College. It is now estimated to be the largest center of Reagan memorabilia after the Reagan Presidential Library in California. People from all over the world visit the Ronald Reagan museum at Eureka College.
Parks and recreation
Kaufman Park is the local 9 hole public golf course.
Eureka Lake Park is a man-made impoundment lake with of land. It was built in the 1940s as a WPA project to provide a water source for the city until 1982. The park also contains a dog park and disc golf course.
Notable people
<!-- Note:
· Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here. This establishes notability.
· The article must mention how they are associated with Eureka, whether born, raised, or residing.
· The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited.
· Alphabetical by last name please
· All others will be deleted without further explanation
-->
- Donald Attig (b. 1936), boat designer and yachtsman, graduated from Eureka College
- Dan McCoy (b. 1978), comedian and television writer, is a 1996 graduate of Eureka High School
- John Peffers (1878–1936), Illinois state representative and lawyer, was born in Eureka
- Ronald Reagan, 40th U.S. president, who attended college in Eureka, Illinois at Eureka College
- Andy Studebaker (b. 1985) former NFL player, is a 2004 graduate of Eureka High School
- Mary Lou Sumner (1927–2002), Illinois state legislator
- Ben Zobrist (b. 1981), Major League Baseball player for the Chicago Cubs, was born and raised in Eureka