Mendota, Illinois

Mendota, Illinois
City
Illinois Avenue
Illinois Avenue
Motto: 
The World's Greatest Little City
Location of Mendota in LaSalle County, Illinois.
Location of Mendota in LaSalle County, Illinois.
Mendota, Illinois is located in Illinois
Mendota, Illinois
Mendota, Illinois
Coordinates: 41°33′12″N 89°07′57″W / 41.55333°N 89.13250°W / 41.55333; -89.13250[1]
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyLaSalle
Incorporated1855[2]
Government
 • TypeMayor
 • MayorDavid W. Boelk (I)
Area
 • Total
5.15 sq mi (13.34 km2)
 • Land5.06 sq mi (13.09 km2)
 • Water0.10 sq mi (0.25 km2)
Elevation742 ft (226 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
7,061
 • Density1,396.56/sq mi (539.25/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code
61342
Area code815, 779
FIPS code17-48333
GNIS feature ID2395095[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

Mendota is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, in the state's north-central region. The population was 7,061 at the 2020 census.[4] It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Mendota is located approximately 85 miles west of Chicago, 70 miles east of Moline and 55 miles south of Rockford. The current mayor is David W. Boelk, an independent elected to a four-year term.

The name "Mendota" is derived from a Lakota word meaning "junction of two trails", which was found appropriate for the city since there was a nearby railroad junction for the Illinois Central Railroad and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.[5][6]

  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mendota, Illinois
  2. ^ "About Us/History". Graves Hume Public Library. October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  3. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  4. ^ "2020 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  5. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 205.
  6. ^ The Past and present of La Salle County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, general and local statistics, map of La Salle County, history of Illinois, Constitution of the United States, miscellaneous matters, etc, etc. Chicago: H.F. Kett & Co. 1877. pp. 314–323.