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Ottawa

A city of 18,447 people in Illinois
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Now in Ottawa

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Around town

The places and views that make it Ottawa

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Outdoors in Ottawa

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Map of Ottawa: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Conserved land5.2%512 of 9,875 acres
Trails11 mi0.7 mi per sq mi
Parks & preserves1328 conserved acres per 1,000 residents

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

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Know Ottawa

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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About Ottawa

City in Illinois, United States
1853Established
18,840Population
13.5 sq miArea
482 ftElevation

Ottawa is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the confluence of the navigable Fox River and Illinois River, the latter being a conduit for river barges and connects Lake Michigan at Chicago to the Mississippi River. The population was 18,840 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Ottawa, Illinois, micropolitan area.

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

Living in Ottawa

Housing in Ottawa

$216K▲ 5.7% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Ottawa home is worth about $216,000, up 5.7% in a year, 27% below the Illinois typical home.

A balanced market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s
Days on market61
Sale-to-list97.2%
Sold in May18
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Ottawa

C+

Safety Grade C+

Ottawa reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 60% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000
Ottawa 2.5
Illinois 2.6
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000
Ottawa 12.3
Illinois 15.6
U.S. 15.5
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →
Famous people from OttawaWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Ottawa.Meet them →

How things work in Ottawa

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Ottawa

Illinois · IL
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01