Nelson

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Nelson

Total population

125

Median home value

$86,300

11.6%

Bachelor's+

Median income

$39,250

Nelson$39k

National$74k

Land area0.25 km²

Weather61°F · Mostly Cloudy then Isolated Rain Showers

Coordinates41.80°, -89.61°

Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

City facts

Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

Overview

Nelson is a village in Lee County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Nelson had a population of 127.

History & geography

Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).

Demographics & economy

Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Geography

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.

Current forecast

Forecast for Nelson, IL from NOAA NWS API.

Notable people from here

Paul Flory

American chemist (1910-1985)

Louie Bellson

American jazz drummer (1924–2009)

Terry Brooks

American writer (born 1944)

Jesse Lynch Williams

American dramatist (1871–1929)

L

Lelei Fonoimoana

American swimmer

O

Odell Shepard

American politician (1884-1967)

Don Edward Fehrenbacher

American historian (1920-1997)

Roy Clements

American film director and screenwriter (1877-1948)

A

Arlene Becker

American politician

Berta E. Baker

American politician

C

Cal Howe

American baseball player

D

Dan Kolb

former Major League Baseball relief pitcher

G

Gary Kolb

American baseball player

H

Harry B. Mulliken

American architect (1872–1952)

J

Joel Ryce-Menuhin

American musician (1933-1998)

L

Lew Andreas

American football player and coach

People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.

Nearby places in Illinois

• Harmon
  5.7 mi away · pop. 100
• Grand Detour
  12.4 mi away
• Milledgeville
  14.4 mi away
• Lost Nation
  14.7 mi away · pop. 714
• Morrison
  18.3 mi away
• Ashton
  20.4 mi away · pop. 935
• New Bedford
  20.5 mi away · pop. 43
• Forreston
  22.9 mi away
• Lanark
  24.1 mi away · pop. 1,541
• La Moille
  24.8 mi away
• Erie
  26.2 mi away · pop. 1,614
• Baileyville
  27.8 mi away

Browse all places in Illinois →

Geography & sun

Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.

Public attention

Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.

Books about Nelson

The man with the golden arm

Nelson Algren · 1949

Never come morning

Nelson Algren · 1942

Where did our love go?

Nelson George · 1985

The neon wilderness

Nelson Algren · 1947

Boys Enter the House

David Nelson · 2021

City of Decatur and Macon County, Illinois

William Edward Nelson · 1910

Illinky

Nelson Campbell · 1990

The influence of John Ellis on education in Illinois

Shirley Nelson Rawls · 1963

Search results from Open Library.

Recently spotted species

Chironominae

Chironominae

Seen 2026-09-13

Lumpy Bracket

Trametes gibbosa

Seen 2026-09-12

American hog-peanut

Amphicarpaea bracteata

Seen 2026-09-12

Coral-pink Merulius

Phlebia incarnata

Seen 2026-09-12

Golden Oyster Mushroom

Pleurotus citrinopileatus

Seen 2026-09-12

Black-shouldered Drone Fly

Eristalis dimidiata

Seen 2026-09-11

Carolina Mantis

Stagmomantis carolina

Seen 2026-09-10

purple rattlesnake root

Nabalus racemosus

Seen 2026-09-10

White-marked Tussock Moth

Orgyia leucostigma

Seen 2026-09-09

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).

Nearest stream gauge

Live readings from USGS NWIS · measured 2026-09-21 21:45 UTC.