About one in 3 of Olney’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Olney (7%), Flora (2%) and Salem (2%). Half commute less than 21 miles.

34%work in town

Where working residents work

In Olney34%

Olney7%

Flora2%

Salem2%

Effingham2%

21 mi

median commute distance

3,582

jobs based in Olney

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →

Outdoors

2.2% of Olney is conserved land

2.0 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.

2.2%conserved

Map of Olney: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk — Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below

2.2%

conserved · 99 of 4,426 acres

2.0 mi

of trails · 0.3 per sq mi

#230

most walkable in IL

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Alvin Musgrove Park	1.2 mi	49
2. Olney City Park	0.7 mi	53

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →

Health

Healthier than 33% of U.S. towns

Olney beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.

CHealth Grade

32 measures vs. Illinois

1 better20 too close to call11 worse

What stands out	Olney	IL
Fewer uninsured adults	8.1%	9.9%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth	16.1%	10.3%

Carle Richland Memorial Hospital

0.6 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

20th

percentile among IL towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →

Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

Olney has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

11″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter25–41°

Spring45–65°

Summer65–86°

Fall46–68°

Oct 23

typical first frost

Apr 15

typical last frost

+0.8°

vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →

Safety

Less crime per resident than 42% of U.S. towns

Olney reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 58% report less.

C+Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Olney1.3

Illinois2.6

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Olney11.7

Illinois15.6

U.S.15.5

42nd

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

28th

percentile among IL towns

violent crimes reported in 2025

property crimes reported in 2025

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →

Natural hazards

Moderate risk, with earthquakes at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities.

52risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

EarthquakesInland floodingTornadoes

federal disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →

Larchmound · National Register of Historic Places

Olney’s story

178 years in pictures

4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1848Olney is settled

Explore the history →

Landmarks

4 places in Olney on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Larchmound

Elliott Street Historic District

Ambrose Hopkinson House

Olney Carnegie LibraryBuilt 1904

About Olney

City in Illinois, United States

Official town website ↗

Olney ( AWL-nee) is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Olney had a population of 8,701.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1848
Population: 8,701
Area: 7.2 sq mi
Elevation: 489 ft
ZIP code: 62450
Area code: 618

More about Olney

The handbookEverything you need to know about Olney

Olney Public Library400 West Main Street

PlacesBusinesses & favorite spots

Town HallMeetings, officials & offices

Still missing for Olney:archive photos upcoming events

OlneyIL

What makes Olney stand out

Illinois Eastern Community Colleges calls Olney home

Olney’s report card

Now in Olney

Weather

Local news

Upcoming events

The data

About one in three working residents works right in Olney