Fulton is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, home to about 3,709 people across 2.3 square miles. Its ZIP code is 61252.
Homes sold for a median of $88 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Fulton. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Fulton’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)116 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Quad City International Airport (MLI)33 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Madison, WI93 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL127 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Fulton; 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.
Fulton had 3,647 residents in the 2020 census, down 6% since 2000.
It’s the 398th largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.
Whiteside County grew from 34,710 residents in 1900 to 55,691 in 2020.
Whiteside County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 34.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Fulton L&D #13, IL weather station (3 miles away).
17,838 jobs at 1,158 businesses in Whiteside County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
14 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Fulton.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 2 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 6 |
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
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 (3 nearby)
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 1 mile 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.
Public schools here are run by River Bend CUSD 2. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Step Pre-SchoolFulton | Pre-K | 65 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Fulton Elem SchoolFulton | K–5 | 421 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| River Bend Middle SchoolFulton | 6–8 | 228 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Fulton High SchoolFulton | 9–12 | 284 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unity Christian SchoolFulton | K–12 | 140 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.2 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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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.