Galena, Illinois
Galena, Illinois | |
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Main Street in 2023 | |
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| Etymology: Galena ore | |
Location of Galena in Jo Daviess County, Illinois | |
| Coordinates: 42°25′N 90°26′W / 42.417°N 90.433°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Jo Daviess |
| Township | East Galena, West Galena, and Rawlins |
| Settled | 1690s (French) |
| Founded | 1826 |
| Incorporated | 1835 |
| Chartered | 1841 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Galena City Hall |
| • Mayor | Terrence Renner |
| • City Council |
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| Area | |
• Total | 4.51 sq mi (11.67 km2) |
| • Land | 4.50 sq mi (11.65 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 633 ft (193 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,308 |
| • Density | 736.4/sq mi (284.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (North American Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 61036 |
| Area code | 815 |
| FIPS code | 17-28300 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Galena, Illinois |
| Website | http://www.cityofgalena.org/ |
Galena is the largest city in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 3,308 at the 2020 census. A 581-acre (235 ha) section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District. The city is named for the mineral galena, which was in the ore that formed the basis for the region's early lead mining economy.
Native Americans, primarily Meskwaki, Ho-Chunk, Sauk, and Menominee had mined galena in the area for more than a thousand years before European Americans settled in the area. Owing to these deposits, Galena was the site of the first major mineral rush in the United States. By 1828, the population was estimated at 10,000, rivaling the population of Chicago at the time. Galena developed as the largest steamboat hub on the Mississippi River north of St. Louis. Galena was the home of Ulysses S. Grant and eight other Civil War generals. Today, the city is a tourist destination known for its history, architecture, and resorts.