Onarga is a village in Onarga Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,333 at the 2020 census.
History
Onarga was originally laid out in the mid-19th century alongside the development of the railroad from Chicago. Because of its close proximity to Spring Creek, Onarga was one of the first settled areas of Iroquois County. The town grew rapidly had population growth but it leveled off and it now maintains small population.
The name Onarga likely comes from an Iroquois name meaning "a place of rocky hills."
Onarga has tree and shrub nurseries that have been in business for over 100 years, earning Onarga the nickname, "The Nursery Capital of the Midwest." Many fields surrounding the town bear rows of trees and bushes rather than corn and soybeans, which are otherwise ubiquitous throughout the region. The prosperous nursery businesses have led to a great amount of ethnic diversity in Onarga, as many Mexican and Mexican-American migrant workers have chosen to maintain roots in the community.
Onarga celebrated its sesquicentennial with a nearly week-long festival in the summer of 2004, which included social events and a strong focus on the history of the community.
Onarga is the final resting place of Civil War spy and Pinkerton detective Timothy Webster. Onarga was also the location of Allan Pinkerton's weekend estate, The Larches.
Geography
Onarga is located in western Iroquois County. U.S. Route 45 passes through the center of the village, leading north to Gilman and south to Buckley. Interstate 57 runs along the western border of the village, with access from Exit 280. I-57 leads north to Kankakee and south to Champaign. Chicago is to the north via I-57.
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Onarga has a total area of , all land.
Climate
Onarga has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) characterized by four distinct seasons. Winters are cold, with frequent snowfall and temperatures occasionally dropping to as low as -10 °F to -20 °F. Average high temperatures from late December through late February typically range from the mid-30s to upper 30s.
Demographics
thumb|Onarga welcome sign
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Onarga had a population of 1,333. The median age was 35.6 years; 28.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 104.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.4 males age 18 and over.
The age distribution included 10.6% from 18 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, and 25.9% from 45 to 64.
There were 450 households in Onarga, of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 57.3% were married-couple households, 14.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 2.71.