De Soto, Illinois

De Soto
Village
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Jackson
Coordinates	37°48′56″N 89°13′41″W / 37.81556°N 89.22806°W / 37.81556; -89.22806Coordinates: 37°48′56″N 89°13′41″W / 37.81556°N 89.22806°W / 37.81556; -89.22806
Area	0.92 sq mi (2 km2)
- land	0.91 sq mi (2 km2)
- water	0.01 sq mi (0 km2)
Population	1,653 (2000)
Density	1,752.4/sq mi (677/km2)
Timezone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code	62924
Area code	618
Location of De Soto within Illinois

De Soto is a village in Jackson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,653 at the 2000 census. It is named for Hernando de Soto, the discoverer of the Mississippi River.

De Soto was largely destroyed by the Great Tri-State Tornado of 1925. Sixty-nine people died in De Soto when approximately 30% of the town was destroyed, and of this total 33 were children at a local school that collapsed from the winds. The tornado affected Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 and injuring over 2,000.

De Soto is located at 37°48′56″N 89°13′41″W / 37.815660°N 89.228184°W / 37.815660; -89.228184.

According to the 2010 census, De Soto has a total area of 0.922 square miles (2.39 km²), of which 0.91 square miles (2.36 km²) (or 98.7%) is land and 0.012 square miles (0.03 km²) (or 1.3%) is water.

De Soto was laid out in 1854 when the railroad was extended to that point. The village's name honors Hernando de Soto (c. 1496/1497–1542), a Spanish conquistador. A post office has been in operation at De Soto since 1855.

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,653 people, 673 households, and 444 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,752.4 people per square mile (679.0/km²). There were 726 housing units at an average density of 769.7 per square mile (298.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.58% White, 0.73% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.