Danville, Illinois is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois. The population was 30,460 at the 2010 census.
It is the county seat of Vermilion County.
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Danville is located along the Vermilion River in the northeastern part of Illinois. The Vermilion River is a tributary of the Wabash River, which flows southward into Indiana and Ohio.
Danville’s economy is dominated by the presence of Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center, which employs over 3,000 people. The medical center is a regional center for cancer care and surgery.
Other major employers include Meijer, Walmart, and Provena United Samaritans Medical Center.
The city has a council-manager form of government. The City Council consists of nine members, each elected from one of three wards for four-year terms.
The City Council elects a mayor from among its members to serve a four-year term.
The Danville Area Community College District 509 serves the city and surrounding communities. DACC has an enrollment of over 4,000 students and offers associate’s degrees and certificate programs.
The city is home to the Danville Braves baseball team, a minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The team plays its home games at Legion Field, located on the north side of town.
Danville is also home to the Vermilion County War Museum, which houses exhibits on the American Civil War and World War II. The museum is located in the former courthouse in downtown Danville.
The city has several parks, including Lincoln Park, which contains a playground, tennis courts, and a swimming pool. There is also an amphitheater in Lincoln Park that hosts concerts and other events during the summer months.
Elks Lodge Park contains a walking trail, while Fairchild Park has an exercise trail and a disc golf course.
The Vermilion County Fairgrounds are located just outside of town and host the Vermilion County Fair each summer. The fairgrounds also host tractor pulls and other events throughout the year.
Danville has a history that dates back to 1827 when it was founded by James Harrison Danforth (for whom the city is named). Danforth built a log cabin on what is now Main Street (then known as Harrison Street).
He also built a mill on Kickapoo Creek (now known as Mill Creek). The mill provided flour to settlers in the area and was an important early source of income for Danforth and his family.
In 1829, Harrison Street was renamed Main Street after James Main, another early settler who built his cabin on what is now Main Street (then known as College Street). In 1837, Danforth donated land to establish Illinoi College (now known as Knox College). This made Danville one of only two cities in Illinois with two colleges (the other being Chicago).
In 1853, when the college closed due to financial difficulties, its library collection was given to Danville’s public library (which is now housed in the former courthouse on North Vermilion Street). In 1865, during the American Civil War, Danville served as an important hospital center for Union soldiers wounded in battles such as Shiloh and Vicksburg. Several thousand soldiers were treated at hospitals in Danville during the war; many of them died here and are buried in cemeteries in town or just outside its borders.
