Town guide

Lost Nation, Illinois

Lost Nation is a community in Lee County, Illinois, home to about 714 people across 2.4 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 61021.

Homes sold for a median of $126 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population714293 per sq mi
Median home value$236,300Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$126Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking31%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Lost Nation

1 ZIP code, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Lost Nation. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

The Lost Nation guide is on the way

We’re writing up Lost Nation’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Lost Nation

Distances

Nearest major airportChicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)82 miles away
Closer regional airportChicago Rockford International Airport (RFD)31 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Madison, WI86 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL93 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Lost Nation; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Lost Nation

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Lost Nation had 714 residents in the 2020 census, up 1% since 2010.

It’s the 813th largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.

Lee County grew from 29,894 residents in 1900 to 34,145 in 2020.

Lost Nation population by census2010: 708, 2020: 71470820107142020

Lee County, 1900–2020

Lee County population, 1900 to 20201900: 29,894, 1910: 27,750, 1920: 28,004, 1930: 32,329, 1940: 34,604, 1950: 36,451, 1960: 38,749, 1970: 37,947, 1980: 36,328, 1990: 34,392, 2000: 36,062, 2010: 36,031, 2020: 34,14530K’00’1028K’20’3035K’40’5039K’60’7036K’80’9036K’00’1034K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 40.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 31 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near Lost NationJan: high 29°F, low 14°F, 2 in; Feb: high 34°F, low 17°F, 1.8 in; Mar: high 46°F, low 28°F, 2.6 in; Apr: high 60°F, low 39°F, 4 in; May: high 71°F, low 51°F, 4.8 in; Jun: high 80°F, low 61°F, 5.6 in; Jul: high 83°F, low 64°F, 4.3 in; Aug: high 81°F, low 62°F, 4.2 in; Sep: high 75°F, low 54°F, 3.7 in; Oct: high 63°F, low 42°F, 3 in; Nov: high 48°F, low 31°F, 2.4 in; Dec: high 35°F, low 20°F, 2.2 in29°14°Jan2.034°17°Feb1.846°28°Mar2.660°39°Apr4.071°51°May4.880°61°Jun5.683°64°Jul4.381°62°Aug4.275°54°Sep3.763°42°Oct3.048°31°Nov2.435°20°Dec2.2Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Dixon 1w, IL weather station (2 miles away).

Jobs in Lee County

10,894 jobs at 690 businesses in Lee County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Lee CountyManufacturing: 3,410 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 2,360 jobs; Retail trade: 1,284 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 1,035 jobs; Wholesale trade: 473 jobs; Other services: 455 jobs; Administrative and support: 319 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 308 jobsManufacturing 31% Health care and social assistance 22% Retail trade 12% Hotels and restaurants 10% Wholesale trade 4% Other services 4% Administrative and support 3% Transportation and warehousing 3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

456 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Lost Nation.

Nearest hospitals

  • Osf Saint Katharine Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · DixonUnder a mile
  • Cgh Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 1 of 5 · Sterling11.2 miles
  • Rochelle Community HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Rochelle22.6 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors34
Specialist doctors44
Dentists16
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants37
Mental health providers281
Physical and occupational therapists27
Optometrists5
Chiropractors12
Pharmacies9

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.

Places in and around Lost Nation

Parks (17 nearby)

  • Page Park · 47 acres0.3 mi
  • Vaile Park · 10 acres1.2 mi
  • Ballou Park · 6 acres1.1 mi
  • Reynolds Field · 5 acres1.1 mi
  • Washington Field · 5 acres0.9 mi
  • John Dixon Park · 2 acres0.2 mi

Grocery stores (1 nearby)

  • County Market1.2 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Dixon Public Library0.5 mi

Museums (3 nearby)

  • Northwest Territory Historic Center0.6 mi
  • Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home Visitor Center0.9 mi
  • Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home0.9 mi

Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)

  • The Dixon: Historic Theatre0.5 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 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.

Schools in Lost Nation

Public schools here are run by Dixon USD 170, Lee County Spec Educ Assoc. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (10)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Washington Elem SchoolDixonPre-K–1424Public0.8 mi
Jefferson Elem SchoolDixon2–3344Public0.5 mi
Madison SchoolDixon4–5323Public1.4 mi
Reagan Middle SchoolDixon6–8585Public1.4 mi
Dixon High SchoolDixon9–12760Public0.1 mi
Lee Cty SpEd-ECEDixon——Special Education0.8 mi
Lee Cty SpEd-Life Skills (2-5 GraDixon——Special Education1.4 mi
Lee Cty SpEd-Life Skills (6-8 GraDixon——Special Education1.4 mi
Lee Cty SpEd-Life Skills (9-12 GrDixon——Special Education0.1 mi
Lee Cty SpEd-TransitionsDixon——Special Education0.1 mi
Private schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
St Anne SchoolDixonPre-K–552Roman Catholic0.9 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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Where Lost Nation is

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Towns near Lost Nation

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Shares ZIP codes with Dixon, Amboy, Grand Detour and Nelson.

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.