Alton is a city in Madison County, Illinois, home to about 25,279 people across 16 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 62002 and 62018.
Homes sold for a median of $129 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
Mostly Alton; also Godfrey and East Alton
Mostly Alton; also East Alton and Rosewood Heights
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Alton. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Alton’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)16 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | St. Louis, MO19 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL240 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Alton; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Alton had 25,676 residents in the 2020 census, down 16% since 2000.
It’s the 87th largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.
Madison County grew from 64,694 residents in 1900 to 265,859 in 2020.
Madison County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 22°F. About 41.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Alton - Melvin Price L&D, IL weather station (3 miles away).
93,915 jobs at 5,659 businesses in Madison County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
877 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Alton’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 72 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 101 |
| Dentists | 112 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 96 |
| Mental health providers | 386 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 77 |
| Optometrists | 8 |
| Chiropractors | 25 |
| Pharmacies | 13 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (23 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries (3 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (3 nearby)
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1818.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Alton CUSD 11, Region III Spec Ed Coop. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eunice Smith Elem SchoolAlton | K–2 | 188 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Lovejoy Elem SchoolAlton | K–2 | 230 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Mark TwainAlton | K–12 | — | Alternative Education | 1.8 mi |
| West Elementary SchoolAlton | 2–5 | 407 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| East Elementary SchoolAlton | 3–5 | 415 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Alton Middle SchoolAlton | 6–8 | 1,220 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Journeys SchoolAlton | 7–12 | — | Special Education | 2.1 mi |
| Alton High SchoolAlton | 9–12 | 1,823 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| L&C Elementary/Region IIICottage Hills | — | — | Special Education | 3.1 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Valley Christian SchoolAlton | Pre-K–12 | 83 | Baptist | 0.5 mi |
| St Mary SchoolAlton | Pre-K–5 | 166 | Roman Catholic | 1.8 mi |
| Center for Children To Heal and Achieve (Ccha)Alton | K–12 | 34 | Other religious | 2.3 mi |
| Marquette Catholic High SchoolAlton | 9–12 | 371 | Roman Catholic | 2.0 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Godfrey, East Alton, Rosewood Heights and Bethalto.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.