Rantoul is a village in northern Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,371 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area.
History
thumb|Rantoul in 1930
The first permanent settlement in the area known as Mink’s Grove (originally called “Neipswah” by Native Americans) was established by Archa Campbell, who later served as the first mayor of Urbana. Campbell settled in the area in 1848, where he constructed a log cabin.
Mink's Grove was laid out in 1854 for the Illinois Central Railroad by John Penfield. A post office was established in 1856 as Rantoul Station; the name was changed to Rantoul in May 1862.
During the late nineteenth century, Rantoul’s economy was closely tied to agriculture. Champaign County was characterized by highly fertile soil and extensive grain production, particularly corn. Towns such as Rantoul functioned as shipping and trade centers for local farmers, and the Illinois Central Railroad enabled crops to be transported efficiently to larger markets, including Chicago. This pattern of gradual growth continued until the establishment of Chanute Field in 1917.
In 1917, Rantoul was chosen by the United States Army to be the site of Chanute Field, due to its proximity to the Illinois Central railroad and the War Department's ground school at the University of Illinois. In the 1930s, Chanute Field grew, dominating the local economy as thousands of airmen were stationed there to train recruits. Renamed Chanute Air Force Base after World War II, it was closed in 1993, but was partly reoccupied by the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, which was permanently closed on December 30, 2015, and the Rantoul National Aviation Center. Rantoul's economy has taken a sharp decline due to the base's closing, from which it has never recovered. The book Eye of the Storm: Chanute Closes by Katy B. Podagrosi tells the story of this period.
Rantoul Family Sports Complex opened in August 2021 as a premier amateur sports facility featuring 10 all weather baseball / softball and 8 all weather multi-purpose fields. The complex plays host to thousands of amateur teams for tournament and local play. It also serves as home field for the University of Illinois "Fighting Illini" men's lacrosse team. In 2022, the Rantoul Family Sports Complex was visited by nearly 1 million people.