The Amish in Illinois: 2024 Guide

The Illinois Amish population was 9,050 people as of 2024, spread across 20 communities. The Amish community at Arthur is by far the largest in Illinois, with well over half the state’s Amish. Other Amish settlements are found across the state, particularly in the south and west regions.

  1. The Arthur Amish Community
  2. Arthur Amish Stores
  3. Visit Arthur Amish Country
  4. Other Illinois Amish Communities
  5. Historical Illinois Amish Settlements
Silhouette of an Amish buggy backlit by the rising sun
An Amish buggy races across the sun outside Arthur, Illinois. Photo: Walter Blackledge

The Arthur Amish

The Arthur Amish community is the largest and by far the oldest Amish settlement in Illinois. Founded 160 years ago, today the community has population of around 5,600 Amish people. The settlement is centered around Arthur, a small town of around 2,000 souls.

Amish homes are located in both Moultrie and Douglas Counties (the county line bisects the town) as well as in Coles County to the south. Amish homes and farms extend in all directions, as far east as Arcola, towards Sullivan, the seat of Moultrie County in the southwest, and highway 36 to the north.

An Amish couple with children on bicycles
Bicycling is popular among Amish on the flat roads in the Arthur community area

The Arthur community was founded in 1864, by Amish from communities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa (see A History of the Amish, Steven Nolt p 232-3).

The Arthur Amish were not the first Amish community in the Prairie State, however, with two settlements having been founded in the central part of Illinois in the 1830s. But the Arthur community was destined to grow and ultimately survive, while the others eventually disappeared.

The Arthur Amish community has grown to 33 church districts (congregations) as of 2024.

While the Arthur Amish do not face quite the same external population pressures as Amish settlements in the east, farmland is still quite expensive. This has affected occupational choices – with small business and factory work popular. Nonetheless, many Amish at Arthur continue in the dairy farm tradition.

Views of the backs of Amish women's heads with a quilt hanging in the background
View from the seats an Amish quilt benefit auction in Arthur, Illinois.

The terrain of the Arthur community is buggy-friendly, generally very flat and with paved roads. Common names in the Arthur community are Miller, Kauffman, Gingerich, and Schrock.  Less-common names seen here include Jess, Otto, Diener, and Rocke.

While agriculture remains fairly common, Amish at Arthur work in a number of other trades. Some work for large overhead door manufacturer C.H.I. and can be seen bicycling to and from work at the local plant. Other Amish in the Arthur community are known for their small business activity, in particular furniture and wood-related enterprises.

Amish Stores & Businesses at Arthur

Arthur is home to a thriving Amish business community, with many Amish operating businesses in wood-related industries.

Lower-end wood businesses are found at Arthur, such as pallet makers.  More frequently seen are higher-end operations producing cabinets and furniture.

Beachy's Bulk Foods store sign with pie and other simple food images
Beachy’s Bulk Foods is one of many Amish stores & businesses in the Arthur community

These number in the dozens and employ hundreds of Amish males throughout the community. Arthur furniture businesses attract consumer attention from urban areas such as Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis, all within a three-hour drive. Find an Illinois Amish furniture business.

In addition to furniture, a number of other Amish-operated businesses can be found. One Amish family operates a jelly-making and canning business. Another runs a small bookstore catering to the Plain community. Machine, metal, and engine shops are also found throughout the Arthur settlement, as are construction businesses.

Visit the Arthur Amish

As one of the largest Amish communities in the Midwest, Arthur has a fairly developed tourist industry, welcoming visitors from across the region.

The area is also home to the Illinois Amish Heritage Center found at Arcola, which specializes in educating the public about the Amish and Anabaptist peoples. The Center features buildings important to Illinois Amish history, including two of the oldest historic Amish homes in the state, restored and preserved at the Center.

An Amish man and two sons ride in a pony cart past a field of brown corn stalks
An Illinois Amish family traveling by pony cart. Photo: Walter Blackledge

At least one Amish family in the Arthur community hosts non-Amish visitors for meals and overnight stays.

There are many small shops and stores run by the Amish throughout the community, including food and grocery, crafts, dry goods, and even an Amish-run coffee shop. Stopping in to patronize an Amish store is one of the best ways to meet and talk to the Amish.

The Arthur area is pretty easy to get around, and with its rural grid road system, hard to get lost. It can be fun to simply drive through the Amish areas (extending for miles in each direction around the town) and see what stores you come across. They are typically marked by simple signs at the end of Amish lanes.

Rockome Gardens was once a longstanding tourist destination located in the community. Rockome featured “rock gardens” comprised of numerous rock formations and stone fences, as well as a number of other attractions. However, Rockome closed operations in the 2010s.

Other Illinois Amish settlements

While Arthur is by far the largest Amish community in Illinois, there are numerous other small Amish settlements found throughout the Land of Lincoln.

After Arthur, the next oldest Illinois Amish community is located at Mt. Vernon in Jefferson County – founded over 120 years after Arthur, in 1987. Ava in southern Illinois is the site of the state’s second-largest Amish community. But at roughly 500 people, it is still less than 10% the size of the Arthur community.

Amish jams and jellies business sign
Millers Country Crafts is an Amish-owned business in the Ava settlement in southern Illinois. Photo: Don Burke

Another notable community is found at Macomb in McDonough County in western Illinois. This community is more conservative than the Arthur Amish. Along with the community at Opdyke in Jefferson County, this is the third-largest settlement in the state (each have an estimated Amish population of 415 people).

Most other Amish communities in Illinois can be found in the western and southern portions of the state.  Amish are found in Crawford County, home to three settlements, Jackson and Wayne Counties (home to two settlements each), and a number of others.

For a full list of Illinois Amish communities, see “Amish Population in the United States by State, County, and Settlement, 2024” linked at bottom.

Historical Amish settlements in Illinois

A number of Amish settlements which once existed in Illinois no longer do today. A few were of significant size.

The community in Tazewell and Woodford Counties was formed in 1831, in large part by direct immigrants from Lorraine in France. Over the next 20 years, around 130 Amish families moved to the area, and by the early 1850s, five congregations had been formed.

Amish historian David Luthy tells us that at by this time, the Tazewell/Woodford settlement was larger than the Lancaster County settlement. It was also equal to, or larger in size than the community at Holmes County, which had been founded over 20 years before the Tazewell/Woodford community (Settlements that Failed, Luthy pp 75-80).

Eventually Amish in this community were influenced by progressive religious movements which were in the ascendant in America at the time. Amish in the area began to build meetinghouses, typically a key step in the journey from a traditional to progressive alignment.

Silhouette of an Amish farmer in field working with a horse team in winter
An Illinois Amish farmer hard at work. Photo: Walter Blackledge

Many Amish at Tazewell and Woodford Counties eventually formed the “Western District Amish Mennonite Conference” in 1884. Some congregants in this community also joined other movements, including the “Egly Amish” and the “Stuckey Amish” groups.

At the time, many other Amish settlements which were affected by progressive change (such as the Kalona, Iowa Amish, or Elkhart/Lagrange County community in Indiana) formed an Old Order element as well, which kept to traditional practices and beliefs.

Such was not the case with the Tazewell and Woodford County settlement – which is why no Old Order Amish are found today at what was once one of the largest Amish communities in North America.

As a result, Luthy notes that many Amish surnames once found in this community are unseen anywhere among Amish today, such as Yordy, Roggy, Litwiller, and Klopfenstein (Settlements that Failed, Luthy, p. 80-81).

Another Amish community was founded in 1835 in Bureau and Putnam Counties, also in north-central Illinois. In a sense, this community followed a similar progressive path as that of the settlement at Tazewell and Woodford Counties, with member eventually joining the Western District Amish Mennonite Conference mentioned above.

Further failed settlements were found at Prairie Bird in Shelby County (lasting from 1871 to 1884), and Vandalia in Fayette County (1893-1906) (Settlements that Failed, Luthy, pp. 81-91)

Illinois: Not an Amish “Hot Spot”

Illinois is a state with a long history of Amish settlement – and well-established Amish population, seen most obviously in the sizeable Arthur community.

Through the first decade of the 2000s, Illinois consistently saw new Amish communities founded across the state. At least 11 communities were started by Amish, either from in-state or by out-of-state arrivals, in the 2000s.

The community in Saline County, for instance, originates from a Wisconsin Amish settlement. On moving to this area, one of the Amishmen commented to a local newspaper that he hoped they can “blend in here without being too much of a nuisance to anybody”, and expected to enjoy the warmer weather.

Rear view of Amish buggy on flat asphalt road among summer cornfields
Buggies have been increasingly common on the road in some parts of Illinois, though new Amish settlement has slowed

However, in recent years, new Amish settlement has nearly stopped. In the past 15 years, only two new Amish communities have been added to the state’s current tally.

The total Illinois Amish population has grown, but it has done so at a slower rate than typical for the Amish. This is likely due to out-migration to other states, with some Illinois communities having ceased to exist since 2010.

This is in contrast to the prior 20-year period, when Illinois was listed as a “High Growth State” by the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies for the time span 1991-2010. In that period, the Amish population increased by 133% due in part to in-migration from communities outside the state.

In contrast, over the past 10 years (2015-2024), the Illinois Amish population has grown at a slow pace for Amish – only about a 20% increase in that time span.

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    90 Comments

    1. dianna Linderman

      Walnut trees

      I have two very large black walnut trees that I would like to have removed from my yard. There may be more I’m not sure. But I am positive of two of them. They are in good condition very straight and I know that one of them measures 6 ft around. Is there anyone that is interested in these trees?

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      1. Kody McKee

        Oquawka Illinois.. where you located

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        Barn dismanteling

        We have a barn damaged by storm we are looking to sell for dismanteling. Do you perform this service

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        Howard Dinkelman
        Nashville Ilinois

    3. Mary Kay Fulton

      Amish Garage Builder for a 2 1/2 car garage with loft

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      Mary Kay Fulton (Mrs. Don)
      13 Pine Tree Road
      Kewanee, IL 61443-9639
      Email: marykay13@hughes.net
      Phone: 309/853-8649

    4. Need a builder

      Hello. My family and I are looking to build a mudroom between our house and our garage to connect the two buildings. We are interested in hiring an Amish builder and live in Keokuk,IA, about 45 miles from Macomb. Any chance someone would be interested? Or know of a closer Amish community that might be able to help us out?

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      Roofing

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    6. Mischa Arnold

      We purchased a electric fireplace several years ago from you.. We used it so much that it quit working.The wood cabinet is still good. We need to get an insert to be able to use it again this winter that is coming soon here in California. We have looked for a new insert here but have not been able to find one. Can you ship one to us? Let us know if you can. We can give you the measurements. We get comments from friends how well it’s made. Hope to hear from you with good news. Thanks so much.

    7. Barbara Glab

      QUILTERS

      I am looking for an experienced quilters to quilt my tops.

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    9. James Jones

      Men's Amish Dress and Work Hats

      Where may I find an Amish Community Hat Store that will sell Amish Hats over the Computer or by Mail Catalog. I live in southern Illinois near the Missouri border. I once ordered my mail from Stutzman’s in Salem, Missouri but can no longer find their address to write to or phone number to request a retail catalog as they once had. Can anyone please help me?
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