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Cairo, Il

Cairo, Illinois
City of Cairo
City
PublicLibraryCairoIL.jpg
Name origin: Cairo, Egypt
Country United States
State Illinois
County Alexander
Elevation 315 ft (96 m)
Coordinates 37°0′47″N 89°10′49″W / 37.01306°N 89.18028°W / 37.01306; -89.18028Coordinates: 37°0′47″N 89°10′49″W / 37.01306°N 89.18028°W / 37.01306; -89.18028 
Area 9.08 sq mi (24 km2)
 - land 6.97 sq mi (18 km2)
 - water 2.12 sq mi (5 km2)
Population 2,831 (2010)
Density 198.9/km2 (515/sq mi)
Founded 1858
Mayor Tyrone Coleman
Timezone CST (UTC−6)
 - summer (DST) CDT (UTC−5)
Postal code 62914
Area code 618
Location of Cairo within Illinois
Location of Cairo within Illinois

Cairo (generally pronounced /ˈkɛr/ CARE-o by natives, and /ˈkr/ KAY-ro by others) is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and is the county seat of Alexander County.

Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, a Civil War fort that was built in 1862 by Union General Ulysses S. Grant. Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location in Illinois and is the only Illinois city surrounded by levees. It is in the area known as Little Egypt.

Several blocks in the town comprise the Cairo Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The Old Customs House is also on the NRHP. The city is part of the Cape GirardeauJackson, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population at the 2010 census was 2,831, a significant decline from its peak population of 15,203 in 1920.


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