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Slackwater

Ghost town · Stark County, Illinois

Elmwood quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1944, 1:62,500)
Elmwood quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1944, 1:62,500) · U.S. Geological Survey, Historical Topographic Map Collection · Public domain

Slackwater is a ghost town in Stark County, Illinois. It is one of 2 former communities in Stark County on the federal names register. That ranks the county 49th among the 78 Illinois counties with a vanished settlement on record.

The U.S. Geological Survey lists Slackwater as a historical populated place on the Princeville topographic quadrangle: the name is no longer in official use for a community, whether the settlement was abandoned, absorbed into a neighbouring town or renamed. The recorded location is 40.9825° N, 89.8209° W.

Key facts

USGS quadranglePrinceville
Elevation658 ft
Nearest living townPrinceville, IL
Distance to it4.8 miles
GNIS feature ID1829245
Coordinates40.98254, -89.82094

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What's there now

Slackwater is no longer a community in its own right. The nearest living town is Princeville, IL (population 1,932), about 4.8 miles away in a straight line, and the site sits at roughly 658 feet above sea level. Much of the land around former townsites is private; check access before you visit.

Nearby places

Questions

Where is Slackwater?

Slackwater is in Stark County, Illinois, at 40.9825, -89.8209.

How many ghost towns are in Stark County?

Stark County, Illinois has 2 ghost towns on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.