Decatur, Illinois

Decatur, Illinois
Downtown Decatur
Nicknames: 
Soy City, Soybean Capital of the World, Limitless Decatur
Location of Decatur in Macon County, Illinois
Decatur
Location in Illinois
Decatur
Decatur (the United States)
Coordinates: 39°50′29.12″N 88°57′21.17″W / 39.8414222°N 88.9558806°W / 39.8414222; -88.9558806
Country United States
State Illinois
CountyMacon
TownshipsDecatur, Harristown, Hickory Point, Long Creek, Oakley, South Wheatland, Whitmore
Founded1823
Government
  MayorJulie Moore Wolfe
  City ManagerTim Gleason
Area
  Total
47.79 sq mi (123.78 km2)
  Land43.11 sq mi (111.65 km2)
  Water4.68 sq mi (12.13 km2)  10.0%
Elevation
677 ft (206 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
70,522
  Estimate 
(2022)
69,097
  Density1,500/sq mi (570/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (CST)
  Summer (DST)EDT
ZIP Codes
62521–62523, 62526
Area codes217, 447
FIPS code17-18823
Websitewww.decaturil.gov

Decatur (/dɪˈktər/ dih-KAY-tər) is the largest city in Macon County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 70,522. It is the 17th-most populous city in Illinois and the sixth-most populous outside the Chicago metropolitan area. Decatur has an economy based on industrial and agricultural commodity processing and production. The city is home to Millikin University and Richland Community College.