Rantoul, Illinois
Encyclopedia
For the Illinois village previously known as Rantoul see Alma, Illinois
Alma, Illinois
Alma is a village incorporated in 1854 in Marion County, Illinois, United States. The population was 386 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Alma is located at ....


Rantoul is a village in Champaign County
Champaign County, Illinois
Champaign County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 201,081, which is an increase of 11.9% from 179,669 in 2000.. It is the 10th most populous county in Illinois...

, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 13,674 at the 2010 census. The present mayor is Neal Williams, who was re-elected in 2009. The community was named after Robert Rantoul, director of the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...

.

In 1917, Rantoul was chosen to be the site of the Chanute Field due to its proximity to the Illinois Central railroad and the War Department’s ground school housed at the University of Illinois. In the 1930s, Chanute grew, dominating the local economy as thousands of Airmen were stationed there to train new recruits who cycled in and out. Renamed Chanute Air Force Base
Chanute Air Force Base
Chanute Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located south of and adjacent to Rantoul, Illinois, about south of Chicago. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training....

 after World War II, the base was closed in 1993, and partly reoccupied by the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum
Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum
The Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, the largest aviation museum in Illinois, occupies part of the grounds of the decommissioned Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. It and the base were named for Octave Chanute, railroad engineer and aviation pioneer...

 and the Rantoul National Aviation Center
Rantoul National Aviation Center
Rantoul National Aviation Center , also known as Frank Elliott Field, is a public-use airport located in Rantoul, a village in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. It is owned by the Village of Rantoul.Although most U.S...

.

The major employers in Rantoul are C.I. Telecom, JELD-WEN
JELD-WEN
Jeld-Wen is a corporation with over 150 divisions and 20,000 employees worldwide. The business manufactures building products, including windows, interior and exterior doors, and garage doors. Jeld-Wen owns several distribution facilities and operates several resort properties...

, Bell Sports, Combe Laboratories, Eagle Wings Ind., Conair Corporation
Conair Corporation
Conair Corporation is a US-based multinational corporation which sells small appliances, personal care products, and health and beauty products for both professionals and consumers...

, Microfilm Service, AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...

, and Pactuco.

Geography

Rantoul is located at 40°18′17"N 88°9′7"W (40.304600, -88.152070).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the village has a total area of 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²), of which, 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.50%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 12,918 people, 5,330 households, and 3,368 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,776.5 people per square mile (685.7/km²). There were 6,161 housing units at an average density of 851.3 per square mile (328.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 76.69% White, 16.88% African American, 0.47% Native American, 1.75% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 3.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.

There were 5,330 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the village the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $36,904, and the median income for a family was $43,543. Males had a median income of $32,440 versus $22,382 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the village was $17,948. About 8.5% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Rail Transportation

Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Rantoul. Amtrak Train 391, the southbound Saluki
Saluki (Amtrak)
The Saluki is a 310-mile passenger train line operated by Amtrak running between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation...

, is scheduled to depart Rantoul at 11:10am daily with service to Champaign-Urbana, Mattoon, Effingham, Centralia, Du Quoin, and Carbondale
Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...

. Amtrak Train 393, the southbound Illini
Illini (Amtrak)
The Illini is a 310-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation and by local governments along the route...

, is scheduled to depart Rantoul at 6:00pm daily serving the same points as the southbound Saluki. Amtrak Train 390, the northbound Saluki, is scheduled to depart Rantoul at 10:27am daily with service to Gilman, Kankakee, Homewood, and Chicago
Union Station (Chicago)
Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams...

. Amtrak Train 887, the northbound Illini, is scheduled to depart Rantoul at 7:02pm daily serving the same points as the northbound Saluki.http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/oct06/P58.pdf

Partial List of Village Mayors

  • Neal Williams (2001–present)
  • Joseph T. Brown (1997–2001)
  • Charles Irvin (1996–1997)
  • Katy Podagrosi (1984–1996)
  • Jack McJilton (1969–1984)
  • C.O. Hobson (1965–1969)
  • Ellis Zook (1961–1965)
  • Byron Gates (1957–1961)
  • Hap Parker (1953–1957)

Notable Persons from Rantoul

Justin King-WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)Referee
  • Josh Mihaly, Filmmaker

Activities

  • Illinois Skydiving Center, a major center of that sport, located in nearby Flatville.
  • Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum
    Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum
    The Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, the largest aviation museum in Illinois, occupies part of the grounds of the decommissioned Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. It and the base were named for Octave Chanute, railroad engineer and aviation pioneer...

    , detailing the history of Flight, Military Aviation, and Chanute Air Force Base, located on the old Base.
  • Korean War Veterans Museum, a Museum currently under construction detailing the history of the Korean War, located on the old Base.
  • Rantoul Theater Group, offering drama, comedy, and musical live entertainment
  • Champaign County Sports Car Club hosts Autocross events on the old base next to the AT&T building about 2 weekends a month, during the warm months.

Schools

  • Rantoul Township High School, the only high school in Rantoul, Illinois and stands as its own district. RTHS serves students from Rantoul, Gifford, Thomasboro, Ludlow and the surrounding rural area. More information is provided through the provided link. The University of Illinois football scrimmage game is usually held at the high school field in August.
  • St. Malachy Grade School a Catholic Grade School in Rantoul, IL.
  • http://www.rcs.k12.il.us/ Rantoul City Schools District 137 is a K-8 District with Grade Level Centers, made up of 5 schools: Eastlawn (K-2), Pleasant Acres (K-2), Broadmeadow (3-5), Northview (3-5), and Eater (6-8).
  • Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy In 1993, the Center for Strategic and International Studies published a study entitled, Forging a Military Youth Corps. That same year, Congress, acting upon the studies recommendations, provided funding in the 1993 Defense Authorization Act for the National Guard Bureau to conduct a pilot youth intervention program. The purpose of this pilot program was to determine if life coping skills and employability of a high school dropout could be significantly improved through participation in a life skills program using a military model.
  • University of Illinois Advanced Transportation and Research Engineering Laboratory (ATREL) ATREL is a 47 acre laboratory site where pavement, railroad, and transportation systems are researched, studied, and tested.

External links

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