Millsdale Ghost Town
Will County, Illinois41.4350, -88.1642
Can you visit?
Closed federal land
Joliet United States ArmyReserve Center/Joliet Training Area · No public entry
- Nearest town
- 2.7 miElwood, IL
- Mild months
- Apr–Oct7 of 12
- Next ghost town
- 19 miTracy
Millsdale, in Will County, Illinois, is a ghost town. The largest census count on record is 25 people in 1903.
On the map
- Military, DOE
- Private or unlisted
Star: Millsdale. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.
The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Elwood, IL, about 2.7 miles southeast in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Joliet, IL, 5.7 miles away.
Ghost towns nearby
- Tracy19 mi south
- Tedens20 mi northeast
- Cardiff27 mi south
- Weston29 mi north
- Orchard Place40 mi north
- Cayuga40 mi southwest
- Coltonville47 mi northwest
- Techny50 mi north
Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.
Who owns the land
Military or DOE land: Joliet United States ArmyReserve Center/Joliet Training Area
This spot falls inside Joliet United States ArmyReserve Center/Joliet Training Area, land held by the U.S. Department of Defense. Sites like this are usually closed to the public. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.
The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.
Weather by month
Mild months here run April to October, judging by NOAA normals from Joliet Brandon Rd Dam. Snow is normal from December to March.
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Joliet Brandon Rd Dam station (USC00114530), 5.7 miles away. About 38.0 inches of precipitation a year.
Facts
| Location | Will County, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41.43500, -88.16420 |
| Census counts | 1903: 25 |
| Also known as | Millsdale, Illinois |
| Sources | Wikidata Q6860023 · Wikipedia article |
Questions
Where is Millsdale ghost town?
In Will County, Illinois, at 41.4350, -88.1642. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Elwood, IL, about 2.7 miles southeast in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Joliet, IL, 5.7 miles away.
Can you visit Millsdale?
Closed federal land. This spot falls inside Joliet United States ArmyReserve Center/Joliet Training Area, land held by the U.S. Department of Defense. Sites like this are usually closed to the public. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.
When is the best time to visit Millsdale?
Mild months here run April to October, judging by NOAA normals from Joliet Brandon Rd Dam. Snow is normal from December to March.
Are there other ghost towns near Millsdale?
Yes. Tracy (19 mi), Tedens (20 mi), Cardiff (27 mi), Weston (29 mi).
