Princeton is a city in Bureau County, Illinois, home to about 7,975 people across 8.2 square miles. Its ZIP code is 61356.
Homes sold for a median of $128 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Princeton; also De Pue and Dover
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Princeton. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Princeton’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)89 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA)50 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Chicago, IL96 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Princeton; 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.
Princeton had 7,832 residents in the 2020 census, up 4% since 2000.
It’s the 265th largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.
Bureau County grew from 41,112 residents in 1900 to 33,244 in 2020.
Bureau County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 39.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 29 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Princeton, IL weather station (about a mile away).
9,051 jobs at 699 businesses in Bureau County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
101 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Princeton.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 9 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 10 |
| Dentists | 8 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 14 |
| Mental health providers | 32 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 15 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| 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 (2 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
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.
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 Princeton ESD 115, Princeton HSD 500. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Elementary SchoolPrinceton | Pre-K–K | 217 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Jefferson Elem SchoolPrinceton | K–3 | 220 | Public | 2.7 mi |
| Lincoln Elem SchoolPrinceton | 3–4 | 211 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Logan Jr High SchoolPrinceton | 5–8 | 443 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| Princeton High SchoolPrinceton | 9–12 | 479 | Public | 1.9 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 De Pue, Dover and Hollowayville.
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.