Elsah Illinois Map

About Elsah, Illinois

Elsah is a locality in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. It is a small community with a population of 708. The population density is 231.5 people per km². Elsah is located at 38.9562°N, 90.3598°W. It observes the Central Time (America/Chicago) timezone. ZIP code: 62028.

Elsah lies cradled by the bluffs that rise from the Mississippi River, a place where the land folds and dips with the quiet persistence of water carving stone. It lies 10.5 miles west-north-west of Alton, IL (from Alton, IL: bearing 296°T), and is situated 9.0 miles north-north-west of Old Jamestown. The air here, especially in late afternoon, carries a weight of humidity and the scent of damp earth mingled with the faint, sweet perfume of honeysuckle that spills over weathered fences. Sunlight, filtering through the dense canopy of oaks and maples that cling to the inclines, paints the narrow streets with shifting patterns of gold and shadow, transforming the very pavement into a dappled, living thing. The houses, many of them built of local limestone, seem to have grown organically from the slopes, their porches and gardens reaching out as if to embrace the wilder beauty of the surrounding ravines and wooded hillsides. The history of Elsah is as layered as the bedrock beneath it, a story etched by generations who found sustenance and shelter along this generous stretch of river. Early settlers, drawn by the fertile bottomlands and the promise of timber, established a community that has always felt a deep connection to the natural world. The local economy, once tied to the robust river trade and the quiet industry of farming, now finds a different kind of life, particularly through the presence of Principia College, whose students and faculty lend a youthful energy to the town’s serene character. The bluffs themselves, a dramatic backdrop to everyday life, also hold echoes of earlier inhabitants, their presence felt in the silent, enduring landscape that continues to shape the rhythm of Elsah.

About This Elsah Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Elsah, Illinois — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 38.956159, -90.359836. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Elsah and Jersey County.

Detailed location data for Elsah includes the ZIP code (62028), telephone area code (309), county seat of Jersey County (Jerseyville), and school district assignment (Jersey Community Unit School District 100). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Elsah is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.