The 10 Cities In Illinois With The Best Weather


The cities with the best weather in Illinois for 2024 are Springfield, Chatham, and Waterloo. Find out where your city or town ranks.

By: Chris Kolmar | About HomeSnacks
Last Updated: December 12, 2023

Everyone wants a bit of a blissful breeze or a scoop of sunny sanctuary when looking for a place to live in Illinois.

The more sun, the more you can go outside. The more you go outside, the more you’ll feel at peace. The more you’ll feel at peace, the more you’ll enjoy where you live.

So it makes sense to try and find the places with the best weather in Illinois. We used Saturday Night Science to compare the number of sunny days, total precipitation, and the deviation from the ideal 70-degree weather for 222 places in Illinois over 10,000 people.

Grab your shades and put away your raincoat as we look at the cities with the best weather in Illinois.

Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table

The 10 Cities With The Best Weather In Illinois For 2024

  1. Springfield
  2. Chatham
  3. Waterloo
  4. Quincy
  5. Macomb
  6. Belleville
  7. O’Fallon
  8. Peru
  9. Decatur
  10. Lincoln

Best Weather In Illinois Map

What city has the best weather in Illinois, with more than 10,000 people? The city with the best weather in Illinois is Springfield with 19.1 sunny days and an average high of 63.0 degrees.

Read on below to see where your city ranked.

And if you already knew these places were beautiful, check out the best places to live in Illinois or the cheapest places in Illinois.

The 10 Snowiest Cities In Illinois For 2024

1. Springfield

Springfield Location In Illinois

Springfield, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Éovart Caçeir (talk) | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 117,061
Average Annual High: 63.0 degrees
Average Annual Low: 42.6 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 19.1 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 36.9 inches
Sunny Days: 296.7 days
More on Springfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

2. Chatham

Chatham Location In Illinois

Chatham, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Maliwhite10 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 12,341
Average Annual High: 63.2 degrees
Average Annual Low: 43.0 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 18.9 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 37.0 inches
Sunny Days: 294.6 days
More on Chatham: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

3. Waterloo

Waterloo Location In Illinois

Waterloo, IL

Source: Wikipedia User | GFDL

Population: 10,151
Average Annual High: 65.7 degrees
Average Annual Low: 46.3 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 11.7 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 42.9 inches
Sunny Days: 299.8 days
More on Waterloo: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

4. Quincy

Quincy Location In Illinois

Quincy, IL

Source: Public domain

Population: 40,763
Average Annual High: 63.2 degrees
Average Annual Low: 43.0 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 17.9 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 38.6 inches
Sunny Days: 298.6 days
More on Quincy: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

5. Macomb

Macomb Location In Illinois

Macomb, IL

Source: Wikipedia User | CC BY-SA 2.5

Population: 18,944
Average Annual High: 61.7 degrees
Average Annual Low: 41.1 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 19.1 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 37.2 inches
Sunny Days: 297.0 days
More on Macomb: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

6. Belleville

Belleville Location In Illinois

Belleville, IL

Source: Public domain

Population: 42,898
Average Annual High: 66.2 degrees
Average Annual Low: 46.3 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 12.6 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 41.5 inches
Sunny Days: 295.8 days
More on Belleville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

7. O’Fallon

Population: 29,144
Average Annual High: 65.8 degrees
Average Annual Low: 45.9 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 12.5 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 41.2 inches
Sunny Days: 295.8 days
More on O’fallon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

8. Peru

Peru Location In Illinois

Peru, IL

Source: Public domain

Population: 10,019
Average Annual High: 60.2 degrees
Average Annual Low: 39.9 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 23.4 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 36.1 inches
Sunny Days: 296.5 days
More on Peru: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

9. Decatur

Decatur Location In Illinois

Decatur, IL

Source: Public domain

Population: 74,654
Average Annual High: 63.2 degrees
Average Annual Low: 42.6 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 15.3 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 39.7 inches
Sunny Days: 297.0 days
More on Decatur: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

10. Lincoln

Lincoln Location In Illinois

Lincoln, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Katherine Johnson from Springfield, IL | CC BY 2.0

Population: 14,285
Average Annual High: 62.6 degrees
Average Annual Low: 42.1 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 19.3 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 38.7 inches
Sunny Days: 297.0 days
More on Lincoln: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Rainiest States In The United States

How We Determined The Cities In Illinois With The Best Weather

To rank the most fair weather cities in Illinois, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Prairie State get the best weather.

We used the following criteria to find the best weather:

  • Number of sunny days
  • Highest average low
  • Average high deviation from 70 degrees
  • Least amount of rain
  • Least amount of snow

We ranked each city of over 10,000 people in Illinois from best to worst on each criterion. We then averaged each ranking into a weather quality index. The city with the best index, Springfield, was anointed the city with the best weather in Illinois.

Before we get too far, here are the annual precipitation rates for major cities:

  • Chicago — 38.1 inches
  • Aurora — 36.9 inches
  • Rockford — 35.2 inches

The cities with the best weather in Illinois are Springfield, Chatham, Waterloo, Quincy, Macomb, Belleville, O’Fallon, Peru, Decatur, and Lincoln.

There’s a complete chart at the bottom.

If you’re curious, here are the places with the worst weather in Illinois:

  1. Woodstock
  2. Crystal Lake
  3. Glenview

For more Illinois reading, check out:

Detailed List Of Places With The Best Weather In Illinois

Rank City Population Sunny Days Avg. High Precipitation (Inches) Snow (Inches)
1 Springfield 117,061 296.7 63.0 36.9 19.1
2 Chatham 12,341 294.6 63.2 37.0 18.9
3 Waterloo 10,151 299.8 65.7 42.9 11.7
4 Quincy 40,763 298.6 63.2 38.6 17.9
5 Macomb 18,944 297.0 61.7 37.2 19.1
6 Belleville 42,898 295.8 66.2 41.5 12.6
7 O’fallon 29,144 295.8 65.8 41.2 12.5
8 Peru 10,019 296.5 60.2 36.1 23.4
9 Decatur 74,654 297.0 63.2 39.7 15.3
10 Lincoln 14,285 297.0 62.6 38.7 19.3
11 Peoria 115,847 294.9 61.4 36.4 23.2
12 Ottawa 18,565 296.3 60.3 36.6 21.1
13 Morris 14,402 296.6 60.1 36.3 23.6
14 East Moline 21,422 296.1 59.8 36.1 29.3
15 Marion 17,588 295.4 66.3 46.6 13.0
16 Taylorville 11,068 295.4 63.6 39.1 15.7
17 Streator 12,990 297.4 60.4 37.5 25.3
18 Glen Carbon 12,882 293.6 65.4 42.0 12.5
19 Rock Island 38,946 296.1 59.8 36.2 30.4
20 Jacksonville 19,241 295.8 63.3 39.6 17.7
21 Canton 14,539 297.8 61.8 38.3 20.7
22 Alton 27,335 293.7 65.0 41.2 15.2
23 Fairview Heights 17,014 293.4 66.2 41.9 12.9
24 Cahokia 14,740 293.4 66.2 41.9 12.9
25 Swansea 13,869 293.4 66.2 41.9 12.9
26 Shiloh 12,902 293.4 66.2 41.9 12.9
27 Mount Vernon 15,136 293.9 65.3 43.4 12.2
28 Moline 43,062 296.2 59.7 36.4 30.6
29 Pontiac 12,085 294.2 60.8 37.0 20.8
30 Collinsville 25,025 293.1 65.3 41.6 13.1
31 Edwardsville 24,896 293.1 65.3 41.6 13.1
32 Wood River 10,417 293.1 65.3 41.6 13.1
33 Granite City 29,421 292.7 65.7 41.7 14.4
34 Pekin 33,905 292.8 61.9 37.1 24.4
35 Joliet 147,918 296.6 59.8 37.4 28.5
36 Centralia 12,798 292.5 65.1 42.7 10.6
37 Morton 16,534 292.6 61.7 37.4 23.2
38 Washington 15,824 292.6 61.7 37.4 23.2
39 Bloomington 78,206 294.8 61.4 38.5 20.7
40 Kewanee 12,736 298.7 59.4 36.9 25.6
41 Effingham 12,513 292.7 64.3 42.0 14.8
42 Sterling 15,170 297.7 59.5 36.5 29.7
43 Normal 54,488 294.2 61.5 38.4 20.1
44 East Peoria 23,137 290.1 61.4 36.0 23.1
45 Rantoul 13,256 295.7 61.8 39.2 18.9
46 Galesburg 31,696 293.8 60.1 38.1 23.1
47 Carbondale 26,192 290.6 66.8 45.3 9.8
48 Godfrey 17,868 291.9 65.0 41.2 14.2
49 Columbia 10,029 289.6 66.2 42.9 12.6
50 Lockport 25,088 296.6 59.7 38.2 31.3
51 Herrin 12,797 289.7 66.3 45.7 11.7
52 Elmhurst 45,469 298.1 59.3 37.9 32.1
53 East St. Louis 26,689 289.6 66.2 42.2 13.6
54 Dolton 23,283 294.3 59.6 38.3 31.1
55 Charleston 21,552 291.5 63.3 40.9 16.0
56 Riverdale 13,106 294.2 59.6 38.4 31.5
57 Woodridge 33,321 296.3 59.6 38.3 29.4
58 Channahon 12,845 292.2 60.1 36.7 22.3
59 Montgomery 19,196 294.4 59.3 36.6 28.6
60 Mattoon 17,646 289.5 63.2 40.4 14.7
61 New Lenox 25,024 293.3 59.7 38.0 28.2
62 Homer Glen 24,358 293.3 59.7 38.0 28.2
63 Mokena 19,369 293.3 59.7 38.0 28.2
64 Frankfort 18,295 293.3 59.7 38.0 28.2
65 Shorewood 16,354 293.3 59.7 38.0 28.2
66 Yorkville 18,222 293.2 59.4 36.3 27.0
67 North Aurora 17,154 294.4 59.0 35.9 27.7
68 Batavia 26,105 294.4 59.0 34.8 28.8
69 Aurora 200,614 294.4 59.3 36.9 28.1
70 Kankakee 26,821 292.4 60.4 37.8 24.3
71 Bourbonnais 18,656 292.4 60.4 37.8 24.3
72 Bradley 15,763 292.4 60.4 37.8 24.3
73 Romeoville 39,774 296.3 59.6 38.4 30.9
74 Oswego 32,468 292.7 59.3 36.4 26.4
75 Plano 11,920 292.7 59.3 36.4 26.4
76 Forest Park 14,194 295.9 59.6 38.9 34.8
77 Minooka 11,505 290.1 59.8 36.7 22.2
78 Danville 32,337 287.2 62.2 40.4 18.0
79 Addison 37,270 295.9 59.0 37.4 33.2
80 Carpentersville 38,264 294.3 58.6 35.9 30.0
81 St. Charles 33,685 294.3 58.6 35.9 30.0
82 Geneva 21,704 294.3 58.6 35.9 30.0
83 Campton Hills 11,012 294.3 58.6 35.9 30.0
84 North Chicago 29,925 298.7 56.7 34.8 38.8
85 Dixon 15,196 295.7 58.4 36.3 28.2
86 Brookfield 18,964 292.5 59.8 38.9 34.1
87 Wheaton 53,585 293.6 59.3 37.5 30.8
88 Lombard 43,957 293.6 59.3 37.5 30.8
89 Glen Ellyn 27,890 293.6 59.3 37.5 30.8
90 Lisle 22,747 293.6 59.3 37.5 30.8
91 Darien 22,263 293.6 59.3 37.5 30.8
92 Bloomingdale 22,261 293.6 59.3 37.5 30.8
93 Villa Park 21,800 293.6 59.3 37.5 30.8
94 Bensenville 18,485 293.6 59.3 37.5 30.8
95 Wood Dale 13,923 293.6 59.3 37.5 30.8
96 Warrenville 13,373 293.6 59.3 37.5 30.8
97 Burr Ridge 10,753 293.6 59.3 37.5 30.8
98 Downers Grove 49,504 293.2 59.6 38.3 29.8
99 Belvidere 25,741 297.8 57.8 35.5 33.7
100 Sycamore 17,572 298.0 58.1 36.7 31.4
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

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