About Village of Cerro Gordo

Nestled in the heart of central Illinois farm country, you’ll find the Village of Cerro Gordo. Conveniently located between Decatur (12 miles) and Champaign-Urbana (35 miles), Cerro Gordo makes the perfect “small town” location; and being within driving distance of Chicago (170 miles), St. Louis (150 miles), and Indianapolis (160 miles) means day-trip getaways are fun and easy.

Cerro Gordo is a great place to settle down and raise a family. With a population of around 1300, our community is small enough that you know your neighbors, but large enough to offer many services and businesses that may not be available in smaller towns.

Established in 1844 as “Griswold”, veterans of the Mexican-American War renamed the town in 1855 in honor of the early citizens who fought and were wounded in the heroic battle at the mountain pass of Cerro Gordo, Mexico, in the Mexico War 1845-1848. The name Cerro Gordo translates to “Fat Hill” in Spanish.

Cerro Gordo has special youth and grade school groups. A Youth League offers baseball, softball, and football to boys and girls ages 5 through 18. Summer programs for children are available in one of the three parks. The library also holds a Summer Reading Program every year.

Cerro Gordo maintains its own school system with a closed campus policy for grades K through 12. Average class size is 17 students. The high school graduation rate is over 90% with an average 70% going on to college. Pre-School is available through the public school and at the Methodist Church.

At the heart of Cerro Gordo lies in the community members who give it life.  Our teachers, business leaders, children – everyone contributes in their own way to the growth of the community.

 

Considering moving to Cerro Gordo?