Charleston is a city in Coles County, Illinois, home to about 17,062 people across 8.9 square miles. Its ZIP code is 61920, and parts of 61938 are in Charleston too.
Homes sold for a median of $104 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Charleston
Mostly Mattoon; part is in Charleston
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Charleston. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Charleston’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Indianapolis International Airport (IND)102 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI)39 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Indianapolis, IN110 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL164 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Charleston; 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.
Charleston had 17,286 residents in the 2020 census, down 18% since 2000.
It’s the 148th largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.
Coles County grew from 34,146 residents in 1900 to 46,863 in 2020.
Coles County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 88°F in summer, and winter lows average 21°F. About 43.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 19 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Charleston, IL weather station (about a mile away).
20,638 jobs at 1,112 businesses in Coles County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
126 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Charleston.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 17 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 7 |
| Dentists | 7 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 21 |
| Mental health providers | 52 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 8 |
| Optometrists | 4 |
| Chiropractors | 10 |
| Pharmacies | 5 |
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 (10 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 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 1831.
Colleges and universities
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 Charleston CUSD 1, Clk/Cls/Cmbn/Dglas/Edgr/Mltr/Shlb. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Twain Elem SchoolCharleston | Pre-K–K | 221 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Carl Sandburg Elem SchoolCharleston | 1–3 | 555 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Jefferson Elem SchoolCharleston | 4–6 | 698 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Lerna TAOEPCharleston | 6–12 | — | Alternative Education | 7.4 mi |
| Shelbyville TAOEPCharleston | 6–12 | — | Alternative Education | 0.6 mi |
| Charleston Middle SchoolCharleston | 7–8 | 401 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Charleston High SchoolCharleston | 9–12 | 795 | Public | 1.0 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Mattoon.
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.