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Nelson Illinois Map

Explore Nelson, Illinois, with this interactive street and satellite map.

This page also offers TOPO MAPS — the official USGS topographic sheets — plus USGS aerial imagery, a labelled USNG grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below.

Interactive Map of Nelson, Illinois

How to Use This Nelson, Illinois Map

This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Nelson, Illinois. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture. Drag the map to pan to any area of Illinois or beyond.

Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).

TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the official USGS topographic maps from The National Map — contours, hydrography, land cover and shaded relief, the same mapping used for hiking, hunting and back-country navigation in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Imagery shows USGS aerial photography, mostly 1-metre NAIP. The search box finds any US town, county or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Nelson.

Reading the map like a paper quad. Click Grid to overlay the U.S. National Grid (USNG), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.

Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as a USNG grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — USNG being the format FEMA and US search and rescue teams work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need cell coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load.

City	Nelson
State	Illinois (IL)
County	Lee County
Country	United States of America
Timezone	Central Time (America/Chicago)

Latitude	41.796421
Longitude	-89.601772
Population	127
Density	227.0 /km²
Incorporated	Yes
ZIP Codes	61021, 61071
Area Code	847, 224
County Seat	Dixon
School District	East Coloma-Nelson Consolidated Elementary School District 20

🌦 Goto Nelson Weather Page: Nelson, Illinois — Weather Warnings, Forecast, Radar, Satellite & Current Conditions

About Nelson, Illinois

Nelson is a locality in Lee County, Illinois, United States. It is a small community with a population of 127. The population density is 227.0 people per km². Nelson is located at 41.7964°N, 89.6018°W. It observes the Central Time (America/Chicago) timezone. Nelson is an incorporated locality. ZIP codes: 61021, 61071.

Nelson commands a quiet stretch of the Illinois prairie where the horizon widens into an endless, shifting canvas of seasonal color. It lies 4.9 miles east of Sterling, IL (from Sterling, IL: bearing 84°T), and is situated 6.9 miles west-southwest of Dixon. The land here remains largely flat, a vast expanse of rich soil that drinks in the heavy Midwestern light, broken only by the distant, hazy silhouette of Indian Ridge on the far periphery. Barely a mile away, the Rock River carves a deliberate path through the earth, its slow, dark currents providing a constant, rhythmic pulse to the landscape. A few miles further, the waters of Crystal Lake offer a still, reflective reprieve from the heat of the summer sun, while the local terrain remains defined by expansive fields that turn from the vibrant emerald of early growth to the brittle, golden hues of autumn harvest.

Nelson bears the imprint of a long history rooted in the iron and steam of the railroad, which once dictated the flow of commerce and the very movement of the population. The daily economy still echoes this industrial heritage, though the pace has softened into a steady, methodical routine defined by the rhythms of agriculture and regional transit. Leisure finds its place at the Emerald Hill Golf Course, where the manicured fairways offer a contrast to the rugged, unyielding nature of the surrounding farmland. Life in Nelson proceeds without fanfare, guided by the changing of the seasons and the quiet persistence of a community that understands the value of a steady, grounded existence.

Nearby Outdoor Places

Sauk Rock (Monument) — 1.5 mi, 008° N
9-11 Monument (Monument) — 1.5 mi, 006° N
SVCC Art Gallery (Gallery) — 1.5 mi, 010° N
Jerry Mathis Theater (Theatre) — 1.5 mi, 011° N
Emerald Hill Golf Course (Local Recreation) — 2.2 mi, 328° NW
Sinnissippi Park (Local Park) — 2.5 mi, 270° W
Hoover Park (Local Park) — 2.5 mi, 271° W
Sinnissippi_Mounds (Historic Ruins) — 3.0 mi, 271° W
Hennepin Canal (State Recreation Area) — 3.8 mi, 261° W
Liberty Bell Monument (Monument) — 4.7 mi, 255° W
F-105D Thunderchief (Attraction) — 6.2 mi, 055° NE
Westwood Fitness & Sports Center (Local Recreation) — 6.6 mi, 275° W
The Next Picture Show (Gallery) — 6.9 mi, 062° NE
Wings of Peace and Freedom (Public Artwork) — 7.0 mi, 062° NE
Springs Slough (State Conservation Area) — 7.1 mi, 239° SW
The Overlook (Viewpoint) — 8.7 mi, 042° NE
Green River State Wildlife Area (State Conservation Area) — 10.7 mi, 161° S
Castle Rock State Park (State Park) — 14.5 mi, 043° NE
Tampico Area Historical Society and Museum (Museum) — 14.9 mi, 220° SW
White Pines Forest Nature Preserve (Nature Reserve) — 15.6 mi, 028° NE
Council Ring (Theatre) — 16.1 mi, 048° NE
Lowden State Park (State Park) — 21.3 mi, 041° NE
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge (National Wildlife Refuge) — 27.6 mi, 290° W · 274k acres
Byron Drag Strip (Attraction) — 27.8 mi, 037° NE
Youth Center (Attraction) — 28.4 mi, 039° NE
Point Rock (Attraction) — 28.6 mi, 317° NW
Heritage Canyon (Museum) — 29.5 mi, 281° W
Bureau County Historical Museum (Museum) — 30.4 mi, 167° S
Green Island Wildlife Management Area (National Conservation Area) — 44.4 mi, 307° NW · 3,776 acres
Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge (National Wildlife Refuge) — 50.2 mi, 167° S · 13k acres

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