Maroa

History

The city was named after the Maroa people. The first settler of the township was James Pettyjohn, who came from Kentucky and settled in 1839. The next group of settlers came from Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee. The first schoolhouse was built in 1852. Maroa at one time was the second largest township, besides county seat Decatur, as it sat at the junction of both the Illinois Central Railroad and the Midland Railroad Company. Maroa was officially incorporated as a town on March 7, 1867.

Geography

Maroa is located in northern Macon County. Its northern boundary is the DeWitt County line. U.S. Route 51 passes through the west side of the city, leading south to Decatur and north to Clinton. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Maroa has a total area of , all land. The headwaters of the North Fork, a west-flowing tributary of the Lake Fork and part of the Sangamon River watershed, pass through the northern part of the city. On January 3, 2023, An EF1 tornado with estimated peak winds of 110 miles per hour hit the northwest outskirts of Maroa. The tornado damaged silos and caused minor shingle damage to 2 homes.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Maroa-Forsyth Grade School
  Elementary · Forsyth · 596 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Argenta-Oreana Elementary School
  Elementary · Oreana · 446 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Warrensburg-Latham Elem Sch
  Elementary · Warrensburg · 437 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• Maroa-Forsyth Senior High Sch
  High · Maroa · 338 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• Warrensburg-Latham High School
  High · Warrensburg · 330 students · 18.3:1 ratio
• Argenta-Oreana High School
  High · Argenta · 285 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• Maroa-Forsyth Middle School
  Middle · Maroa · 260 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Warrensburg-Latham Middle Sch
  Middle · Warrensburg · 225 students · 16.1:1 ratio