Ransom, Illinois — interactive Google street map, satellite and terrain views, Street View, live National Weather Service conditions and 7-day forecasts, real-time local and world news, and an editorial description of Ransom, LaSalle County.
| City | Ransom |
| State | Illinois (IL) |
| County | LaSalle |
| Country | United States of America |
| Timezone | Central Time (America/Chicago) |
| Latitude | 41.156144 |
| Longitude | -88.649513 |
| Population | 245 |
| Density | 120.5 /km² |
| Incorporated | N/A |
| ZIP Code(s) | 60470 |
| Area Code | 708 |
| County Seat | Ottawa |
| School District | Allen Township Community Consolidated School District 65 |
Ransom is a locality in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. It is a small community with a population of 245. The population density is 120.5 people per km². Ransom is located at 41.1561°N, 88.6495°W. It observes the Central Time (America/Chicago) timezone. ZIP code: 60470.
Ransom rests in a broad, cultivated valley where the land stretches out like an open hand under an immense Illinois sky. It lies 38.8 miles south-west of Plainfield, IL (from Plainfield, IL: bearing 217°T), and is situated 10.0 miles east-north-east of Streator. The fields, a patchwork quilt of greens and golds depending on the season, roll gently towards horizons that seem to go on forever, broken only by the occasional stand of oak or maple trees that dot the landscape like forgotten freckles. The air here carries a clean, earthy scent, a mixture of tilled soil and the distant hum of agricultural machinery, and in the late afternoon, the sunlight slants across the prairie grasses with a liquid quality, turning the world a soft, burnished hue. The houses of Ransom, mostly modest and well-kept, are arranged along quiet streets, their porches offering a welcoming glimpse into the unhurried rhythm of daily life. The history of Ransom is as deeply rooted in the earth as the corn that thrives in its fertile soil. Established as a railroad town, its fortunes were once tied to the iron tracks that carried grain and goods to distant markets, a legacy still whispered by the occasional grain elevator that stands sentinel against the sky. The local economy continues to be anchored by agriculture, a testament to the enduring productivity of this land, where generations have worked the soil to sustain their families and contribute to the wider world. While the grand pronouncements of progress may have passed Ransom by, there remains a quiet strength, a durable character born of hard work and a connection to the land that feels as old as the prairie itself.
Loading news…
Loading news-world…
Loading news-world…
This page provides an interactive Google map of Ransom, Illinois with street, satellite and terrain views and integrated Street View imagery. 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 Ransom and LaSalle County.
Detailed location data for Ransom includes the ZIP code (60470), telephone area code (708), county seat of LaSalle County (Ottawa), and school district assignment (Allen Township Community Consolidated School District 65). 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 Ransom is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.
| Page generated | June 2026 |
| Location data | SimpleMaps US Cities Database; coordinates matched to USGS GNIS definitive data |
| Wikipedia validation | Article content matched to USGS GNIS coordinates via Wikipedia geosearch API. Location verified by proximity — not name matching alone. |