Neoga is a city in Cumberland County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,398 at the 2020 census, down from 1,636 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Neoga was incorporated in 1856.
Neoga has two possible origins for its name. The first origin is that the town name directly means "deer" in the Kickapoo language. The second origin is that Neoga comes from an Iroquois word meaning "place of the deity".
Geography
Neoga is located in northwestern Cumberland County. U.S. Route 45 runs through the center of town as Oak Avenue, and Interstate 57 crosses the eastern side of town, with access from Exit 177, where it crosses US 45. Effingham is to the south, and Mattoon is to the north.
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Neoga has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Neoga had a population of 1,398. The median age was 42.3 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 81.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males age 18 and over.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census
Community facilities
Neoga is a community strongly tied to the early development of central Illinois’ railroad industry. A progressive community, Neoga hosts a variety of social events, with the largest banquet facility having a capacity of 150 persons.
Neoga hosts a strong banking and finance industry, with First Mid Bank and Trust and First Neighbor Bank having locations within Neoga. These locally managed, regional banks, with assets in excess of $600,000,000 are capable of assisting in any development projects requiring capital investment.
The Neoga News, a community newspaper, is published weekly and features news and sports coverage of interest to area residents.
The City of Neoga provides a variety of recreational facilities, with public parks featuring tennis and basketball courts. In addition to several area lakes with swimming, boating and water sports. For the avid outdoors person, nearby Fox Ridge and Lincoln Trail State Parks offer camping, hiking, snowmobiling, walking paths and horseback riding.
The Neoga District Library, located in downtown Neoga, affords residents with access to the latest resource materials, computers and technical services.
Lake Land College, located 12 miles north of the City of Neoga, offers access to higher education and workforce training programs.
Eastern Illinois University in Charleston (25 miles north-east) provides students access to educational programs leading to bachelor's and master's degrees in a variety of academic programs.