Fayette County Map, Illinois

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Fayette County, Illinois

Fayette County is a slice of rural Illinois, about an hour east of St. Louis. Vandalia, the county seat, used to be the state capital way back when in the 1800s. These days, it’s pretty quiet.

The Kaskaskia River cuts through the county, good for fishing if you know the right spots. Farming is the backbone here. There’s lots of corn and soybeans. You’ll see more deer than people in some parts.

The old statehouse in Vandalia is worth a look if you’re into history. Don’t expect much nightlife, but the stars are amazing on a clear night. It’s the kind of place where a traffic jam means getting stuck behind a tractor on a country road.

Category	Details
County Name	Fayette County
County Seat	Vandalia
Population	Approximately 21,000
Cities, Towns, and Communities	Vandalia, St. Elmo, Ramsey, Brownstown, Farina (part), St. Peter, Bingham, Shobonier, Loogootee, and various other unincorporated communities.
Interstates and Highways	Interstate 70, U.S. Highway 40, U.S. Highway 51, Illinois Route 33, Illinois Route 185, Illinois Route 128
FIPS Code	17-051
Total Area (Land and Water)	725 square miles (land: 716 sq mi, water: 9 sq mi)
Adjacent Counties (and Direction)	Shelby County (Northeast), Effingham County (East), Clay County (Southeast), Marion County (South), Clinton County (Southwest), Bond County (West), Montgomery County (Northwest)
Time Zone	Central Time Zone (CT)
State	Illinois
Coordinates	38.9604° N, 89.0950° W
Etymology	Named after Marquis de Lafayette (Gilbert du Motier), a French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War
Major Landmarks	Vandalia State House State Historic Site, Little Brick House, Kaskaskia River, Vandalia Lake, Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area
Website	Fayette County Website