Downs

History

Downs was originally a small community known as "Delta", established by McLean County settlers in 1829. Previously, the area served as a trading post for the Kickapoo people. When the Indiana, Bloomington and Western Railway was built in 1869, several buildings were dismantled and reconstructed further south to put the town closer to the railroad. The town was then renamed "Priceville" in honor of John Price, a resident who owned the land near the tracks. In 1902, the town's name was changed to "Downs", after postal clerks commonly confused Priceville with the similarly named Illinois town of Princeville. Downs is named for Lawson Downs, one of the area's pioneer settlers.

Geography

Downs is in southern McLean County, southeast of Bloomington, the county seat. U.S. Route 150 passes through the northeast side of the village, leading northwest to Bloomington and southeast to Le Roy. Interstate 74 passes through the southwest side of the village, with access from Exit 142. I-74 leads northwest to Bloomington and southeast to Champaign. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Downs has a total area of , all land. Kickapoo Creek flows through the northwest side of the village, leading southwest to Salt Creek, a tributary of the Sangamon River, near Lincoln.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  7,184
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,455
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  6,317
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,894
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,873
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,540
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,283
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,003

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2025-03-15
  6 km W of Dwight, Illinois
• M 3.6 — 2023-11-15
  1 km SSW of Standard, Illinois