Cairo

History

Cairo was named after the Egyptian city of the same name because its location at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers was reminiscent of the Nile Delta. The first municipal charter for Cairo and the Bank of Cairo were issued in 1818, but without any settlement and without any depositors. A second and successful effort to establish a town was made by the Cairo City and Canal Company in 1836–37, with a large levee built to encircle the site. who planned to make it the terminus of the projected Illinois Central Railroad, which finally arrived there in 1855. Cairo had been growing as an important river port for steamboats, which traveled all the way south to New Orleans. The city had been designated as a port of delivery by Act of Congress in 1854. A new city charter was written in 1857, and Cairo flourished as trade with Chicago to the north spurred development. By 1860, the population exceeded 2,000. During the Civil War, Admiral Andrew Hull Foote made Cairo the naval station for the Mississippi River Squadron on September 6, 1861. Since Cairo had no land available for base facilities, the navy yard repair shop machinery was afloat aboard wharf-boats, old steamers, tugs, flat-boats, and rafts. In January 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant occupied the city, and had Fort Defiance constructed to protect the confluence. Cairo became an important Union supply base and training center for the remainder of the war. After the Civil War, the city became a hub for railroad shipping in the region, which added to its economy. By 1900, several railroad lines branched from Cairo. In addition to shipping and railroads, a major industry in Cairo was the operation of ferries. Into the late 19th century, nearly 250,000 railroad cars could be ferried across the river in as…

Geography

Cairo is located at the confluence of the Ohio River with the Mississippi, near Mounds, Illinois. The elevation above sea level is . The lowest point in the state of Illinois is located in Cairo at the Mississippi River. In the 2021 census, Cairo has a total area of , of which (or 76.72%) is land and (or 23.28%) is water. The city of Cairo has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) and has many characteristics of a city in the Upper South. Summers are hot and humid, with a daily average in July of . Temperatures reach on an average of 40 days annually. Winters are generally cool with mild periods, though extended stretches of cold can occur. Cairo's winter is typically mild by Illinois standards. The January daily average is . Precipitation is spread relatively uniformly throughout the year. On average, Cairo's low elevation and proximity to the Mississippi and Ohio rivers prevent strong winter lows and plunging temperatures. During the summer months, those similar features retain heat and humidity, creating muggy conditions.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  864
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  781
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  713
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  643
• Bald Eagle

  Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  587
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  575
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  567
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  565

Largest nearby schools

• Cairo Elementary School
  Elementary · Cairo · 182 students · 15.2:1 ratio
• Cairo Jr/Sr High School
  High · Cairo · 120 students · 10.9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.64 — 2026-05-15
  8 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
• M 2.84 — 2026-03-02
  3 km NW of Marston, Missouri
• M 2.52 — 2025-12-30
  12 km WNW of Newbern, Tennessee
• M 2.73 — 2025-11-09
  7 km SE of Ridgely, Tennessee
• M 2.6 — 2025-11-01
  5 km SW of Puxico, Missouri
• M 3.07 — 2025-09-06
  4 km S of Puxico, Missouri