Onarga

• Name — Onarga, Illinois • Settlement Type — Village • Mapsize — 150px • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — United States • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — Illinois • Subdivision Type2 — County • Subdivision Name2 — Iroquois • Subdivision Type3 — Township • Subdivision Name3 — Onarga • Leader Title — Village Mayor • Established Title — Founded • Established Date — 1854 • Unit Pref — Imperial • Area Total Sq Mi — 1.67 • Area Land Sq Mi — 1.67 • Area Water Sq Mi — 0.00 • Area Total Km2 — 4.33 • Area Land Km2 — 4.33 • Area Water Km2 — 0.00 • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Total — 1333 • Population Density Km2 — 307.50 • Population Density Sq Mi — 796.30 • Timezone — CST • Utc Offset — -6 • Timezone Dst — CDT • Utc Offset Dst — -5 • Elevation Ft — 676 • Postal Code Type — ZIP code • Postal Code — 60955 • Area Code — 815 • Blank Name — FIPS code • Blank Info — 17-56081 • Blank1 Name — GNIS feature ID • Blank1 Info — 2399574 • Website — http: villageofonarga.com/

Onarga was originally laid out in the mid-19th century alongside the development of the railroad from Chicago. Because of its close proximity to Spring Creek, Onarga was one of the first settled areas of Iroquois County. The town grew rapidly but it leveled off and it now maintains small population. The name Onarga likely comes from an Iroquois name meaning "a place of rocky hills." Onarga has tree and shrub nurseries that have been in business for over 100 years, earning Onarga the nickname, "The Nursery Capital of the Midwest." Many fields surrounding the town bear rows of trees and bushes rather than corn and soybeans, which are otherwise ubiquitous throughout the region. The prosperous nursery businesses have led to a great amount of ethnic diversity in Onarga, as many Mexican and Mexican-American migrant workers have chosen to maintain roots in the community. Onarga celebrated its sesquicentennial with a nearly week-long festival in the summer of 2004, which included social events and a strong focus on the history of the community. Onarga is the final resting place of Civil War spy and Pinkerton detective Timothy Webster. Onarga was also the location of Allan Pinkerton's weekend estate, The Larches.

Onarga is located in western Iroquois County. U.S. Route 45 passes through the center of the village, leading north 4 mi to Gilman and south 8 mi to Buckley. Interstate 57 runs along the western border of the village, with access from Exit 280. I-57 leads north 31 mi to Kankakee and south 46 mi to Champaign. Chicago is 90 mi to the north via I-57. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Onarga has a total area of 1.67 sqmi, all land.

Onarga has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) characterized by four distinct seasons. Winters are cold, with frequent snowfall and temperatures occasionally dropping to as low as -10 °F to -20 °F. Average high temperatures from late December through late February typically range from the mid-30s to upper 30s. Spring is generally mild but often marked by rain, wind, and cloudy skies, with high temperatures increasing from the 50s in late March to the 80s by early June. Summers are hot and humid, frequently accompanied by brief but intense thunderstorms. Average summer high temperatures are in the mid to upper 80s, with occasional highs in the lower 90s. Autumns are cooler and drier, with the first frost usually occurring by mid to late October. Onarga's summer conditions are particularly favorable for cultivating corn and soybeans, which dominate the surrounding rural landscape. The area receives an average annual precipitation of 40.44 inches.

Onarga has a golf course, several restaurants, and Lake Arrowhead. The only movie theater in Iroquois County is in Onarga.

• Illustration — Onarga welcome sign

As of the 2020 census, Onarga had a population of 1,333. The median age was 35.6 years; 28.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 104.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.4 males age 18 and over. The age distribution included 10.6% from 18 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, and 25.9% from 45 to 64. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas. There were 450 households in Onarga, of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 57.3% were married-couple households, 14.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 2.71. There were 493 housing units, of which 8.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.9%. The population density was 796.30 PD/sqmi, and housing density was 294.50 /sqmi. Racial composition as of the 2020 census • Race — Number — Percent • White — 754 — 56.6% • Black or African American — 20 — 1.5% • American Indian and Alaska Native — 6 — 0.5% • Asian — 7 — 0.5% • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander — 0 — 0.0% • Some other race — 296 — 22.2% • Two or more races — 250 — 18.8% • Hispanic or Latino (of any race) — 662 — 49.7%

The median income for a household in the village was $48,024, and the median income for a family was $54,896. Males had a median income of $31,821 versus $26,563 for females. The per capita income for the village was $19,380. About 16.5% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 19.5% of those age 65 or over.