O'Fallon is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The 2020 census listed the population at 32,289. The city is the second largest city in the Metro East region and Southern Illinois. It sits from Scott Air Force Base and from Downtown St. Louis.

Like its namesake in St. Charles County, Missouri, O'Fallon is part of the St. Louis metro area. This makes O'Fallon (along with the two Troys in Illinois and Missouri) one of the few pairs of like-named municipalities to be part of the same metro region.

History

thumb|O'Fallon, 1938

Founded in 1854, O'Fallon's namesake comes from Colonel John O'Fallon who was a wealthy gentleman from St. Louis. In downtown O'Fallon, a Baltimore and Ohio Railroad railroad depot was built, which helped put O'Fallon on the map. City lots were platted and sold at a public auction on May 18, 1854. A post office was established the following year and the city began attracting German settlers looking for fertile farming land. On January 27, 1874, O'Fallon was incorporated as a village. On March 14, 1905, the citizens voted for a change to the city form of government. Since its founding, O'Fallon has gained population every decennial census year except 1930, when the census showed a net loss of six residents.

thumb|Tornado damage, 2006

The city center is approximately two miles east of the intersection of Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 50. Suburban growth in O'Fallon expanded considerably during the 1980s and following the expansion of Interstate 64 in the 1990s. Subdivisions include Thornbury Hill, Nolin Creek Estates, Fairwood Hills, Deer Creek, Forest Hills, and Fairwood East. O'Fallon Township High School's main campus at 600 South Smiley Street has undergone numerous additions over the past decades to ease overcrowding, including the creation of the separate 9th Grade Milburn Campus.

O'Fallon's city seal was designed in 1974 by Michael Donovan, an OTHS freshman, during a contest held by the O'Fallon Junior Woman's Club to create a city flag. In May 1975, the design was finalized by Louis Bradshaw and was then adopted by the city as its official flag. According to the 2004 publication by the O'Fallon Historical Society, O'Fallon Sesquicentennial History: <blockquote>"The design is yellow gold on a blue background—the colors of the high school. The pick and shovel represent the coal mines that were so important to O'Fallon's economy for over 100 years. The locomotive represents the railroad to which O'Fallon owes its existence. The planes represent Scott Air Force Base where many in O'Fallon find employment—both military and civil service."</blockquote>

Events

  • Tornado outbreak of April 2, 2006

Geography

O'Fallon is located at (38.591549, −89.912000). O'Fallon is:

  • from Scott Air Force Base
  • from McKendree University
  • and from St. Louis, Missouri

According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of , of which (or 99.10%) is land and (or 0.83%) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, O'Fallon had a population of 32,289 and 7,114 families living in the city; the population density was 2,959/sq mi (1,142/km<sup>2</sup>).

The median age was 38.0 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.1 males age 18 and over.

There were 12,559 households in O'Fallon, of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.6% were married-couple households, 15.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 22,792 || 70.6%

|-

| Black or African American || 5,288 || 16.4%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 72 || 0.2%

|-

| Asian || 887 || 2.7%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 32 || 0.1%

|-

| Some other race || 466 || 1.4%

|-

| Two or more races || 2,752 || 8.5%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 1,629 || 5.0%

|}

Annual events

  • May - Memorial Day To Honor Those Who Gave their lives in service of the nation (O'Fallon Veterans Monument)
  • November – Veterans Day Celebration at O'Fallon Veterans Monument; Veterans Day Parade - largest in the area
  • November, the Saturday after Thanksgiving - Lighted Holiday Parade

Parks and recreation

thumb|Rock Springs Nature Park

thumb|Public Library

O'Fallon Parks and Recreation

  • Family Sports Park
  • Hesse Park
  • Katy Cavin's Community Center
  • O'Fallon Community Park
  • O'Fallon Memorial Pool
  • Rock Springs Nature Park
  • Nature center
  • Jogging/cycling paths
  • Nature trails
  • Natural prairie
  • Dog Park
  • MCT Goshen Trailhead
  • St. Clair Recreation Complex
  • St. Ellen Mine Park
  • Thoman Park
  • Veteran's Monument

Library

  • O'Fallon Public Library

Registered historic places

  • Scott Field Historic District

Schools

thumb|Delores Moye School

  • O'Fallon Community Consolidated School District #90
  • Delores Moye Elementary School
  • Estelle Kampmeyer Elementary School
  • J. E. Hinchcliffe Sr. Elementary School
  • Laverna Evans Elementary School
  • Marie Schaefer Elementary School
  • Amelia V. Carriel Junior High School
  • Edward A. Fulton Junior High School
  • O'Fallon Central School District #104
  • O'Fallon Township High School District No. 203
  • O'Fallon Township High School
  • Includes Milburn Freshman Campus

Private schools

  • Discovery School
  • St. Clare Catholic School
  • First Baptist Academy

Notable people

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  • Bob Cryder, professional football player
  • Bernie Fuchs, illustrator
  • William Holden, Academy Award-winning actor
  • Joseph W. Schmitt, spacesuit technician for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

<gallery mode="packed" heights="132">

File:Alertronic High Powered Voice Siren.JPG|City Civil defense siren

File:War memorial, O'Fallon, Illinois.JPG|O’Fallon War Memorial

File:Hesse Park, O'Fallon, Illinois.JPG|Hesse Park

</gallery>

References

  • City of O'Fallon
  • O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce