Deep in the farmlands of Tazewell County, Washington, Illinois, is the last city along U.S. Route 24 before the state becomes increasingly rural. This community is 11 miles east of Peoria and is defined by its small-town, agricultural feel. Washington is a resilient community of about 16,000 residents who have worked to rebuild the city in the aftermath of a destructive 2013 tornado. They’re grounded by Thursday night markets on Washington Square, Friday night football games and Sunday morning church services. “This is a great, tight-knit community with friendly people and plenty of things to do,” says Chief of Police Mike McCoy. “It’s a conservative, churchgoing community with good hometown camaraderie. People support the town and the things going on.”
Washington is located approximately 3 miles west of Interstate 74 and 3 miles north of I-474.
Washington's motto is "Your Pathway To Discovery; Enjoyment And Knowledge."
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An abundance of land in Washington
Washington's housing options include bungalows, ranch-style and new traditional homes with a median price of $225,000, which is nearly $180,000 below the national median. Due to the area’s rural nature and long-lasting damage from a 2013 tornado, the majority of current listings are for land. “The problem is there are very few homes for sale in Washington,” McCoy says. “When we moved here [in 2017], it was hard. We bought a house that had just been built. A guy bought a lot and just built it. There are some empty lots, but there aren’t very many houses for sale.” He notes that demand is high and adds that buyers can’t go wrong when picking a location. “There’s a list of people who want to move here,” he says. “We get calls all the time from people who want to move here and who want to know which part of town to live in. It’s not like the bigger cities like Chicago where there are sections of town, you’d rather not live in. You can live anywhere here.”
Modern traditional homes are common throughout Washington.
Ranch style homes from the late 20th century can be seen frequently in Washington.
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Washington Park District
The Washington Park District contains 260 acres of parkland, 11 miles of recreational trails and nearly 2 miles of natural trails. The city’s Recreation Facility offers indoor programming, while nearby Washington Park and Oak Ridge Park offer outdoor programming. Washington Park has a pool, and Meadow Valley Park has an off-leash dog park.
Washington features many popular running trails throughout Washington Park.
Residents of Washington will love the playground at Oakridge Park.
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The top public high school in Tazewell County
Three elementary and middle school districts serve Washington students: Washington School District 50, Central School District 51 and Washington School District 52. Washington District 50 gets a C-minus rating from Niche, and both Central School District 51 and Washington School District 52 get A-minuses. The city’s one private school, St. Patrick School, is a Catholic school for preschoolers through eighth grade students run by the Catholic Diocese of Peoria. All public-school students attend Washington Community High School, which gets an A-minus score and also ranks as the top public high school in Tazewell County on Niche.
Students are the highest priority at Lincoln Grade School.
Washington Community High School offers plenty of AP and Honors courses.
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Washington Square taverns and a new Tangled Roots Brewery
“We have a lot of good bars,” McCoy says. “Most of them are not the great big taverns – they’re little homemade taverns, which makes them nice. You meet there, and nobody bothers you and you have a good time.” He recommends Parish’s Pub and W Down Under on Washington Square, the latter of which “has had a revitalization since they opened with new owners." McCoy also notes an upcoming addition, “They’re [also] building a new Tangled Roots Brewery in the square with rooftop seating. When it gets done in the spring, it’ll be a real hotspot,” he says. For dinner, he recommends Bernardi’s, a family-owned Italian restaurant that’s been in Illinois since 1933 and that opened a Washington location in 2001.
Lindy's Downtown Market was founded in October 1958 by Clarence ''Lindy'' Linsley.
Parish's Pub in Washington features over 20 beers on tap.
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A 2013 tornado and low crime rates for the Washington Police Department in 2024
Washington experiences snowy winters and humid summers. “It’s sort of funny: the river makes a big difference in the weather,” McCoy says. “It can snow in Peoria, and we don’t get any here, or vice versa. It’s a matter of whether the weather comes up from the south or the north, and it depends on how it hits the river.” In 2013, a tornado entered Washington from East Peoria, destroying an estimated 1,500 homes and killing three people. In the 10 years following, most of the neighborhoods have been rebuilt.
McCoy notes that crime rates have been lowering in Washington. “From 2023 to 2024, crime was down in 10 or 12 categories,” he says. “Accidents were down; criminal damage was down. We wrote less tickets; we wrote less warnings. People are paying attention to our distracted driving campaign.”
U.S. Route 24, CityLink’s Washington CityLift Service and the Peoria International Airport
U.S. Route 24 passes through Washington and connects it to Peoria, 11 miles east. “We just put in two new roads,” McCoy says. “One that would be Dallas extended and the other connects to Freedom Parkway and attaches lanes on the road to Menard’s and Walmart.” Residents with mobility challenges may qualify for CityLink’s Washington CityLift Service, which provides $2 rides within the Washington urban map area. Washington’s closest airport is the Peoria International Airport, 20 miles west, which offers routes to 13 destinations on three different airlines.
Good Neighbor Days and Thursday nights on Washington Square
Washington kicks off the summer each year with its Good Neighbor Days celebration, a weekend-long festival with carnival rides, a car show, fireworks and a 5K. During the summer months on Thursday evenings, Washington Specialty Shops hosts its Rove and Ramble on Washington Square events. During Rove and Ramble, local vendors set up to sell their wares, while live music plays and community members hang out, shop or eat. “Thursday nights are a big deal in the square,” McCoy says. The city has annual parades of the high school’s homecoming and at Christmas too. “Both of those get a lot of attention,” McCoy says.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
