Charleston, Illinois Weather
Charleston, Illinois — live current conditions, hourly and 7-day forecasts, NWS alerts, radar and satellite imagery for Charleston, Coles County.
Full aviation weather for Charleston is published on the Coles County Memorial Airport (KMTO) page, 9 km away. It carries the current METAR decoded into plain language — surface wind, visibility, cloud layers and ceiling, temperature and dewpoint, and altimeter setting — alongside the raw observation as transmitted. 5 airfields within reach of Charleston have their own pages, listed below.
The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is shown across its full validity period, with each change group broken out so you can see when conditions are expected to shift. Flight category is derived automatically — VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR — from reported ceiling and visibility, with runway details and field elevation alongside. Observations update roughly hourly and forecasts several times a day.
Other airports near Charleston: Casey Municipal Airport (K1H8) 26 km · Tuscola Airport (KK96) 34 km · Edgar County Airport (KPRG) 49 km · Effingham County Memorial Airport (K1H2) 56 km
Conditions reported at KMTO describe the airfield itself. Weather 9 km away can differ, particularly in terrain or near the coast. For conditions at Charleston specifically, see the current conditions and forecast above.
About Charleston, Illinois
Charleston, Illinois, unfolds across a landscape that whispers of the prairie's enduring spirit. It lies 36.4 miles north-west of York, IL (from York, IL: bearing 308°T), and is situated 8.6 miles west-south-west of Ashmore. Rolling fields, a rich tapestry of corn and soybeans, stretch towards horizons that seem to hold the breath of the open sky. The terrain, subtly undulating, gives way to the gentle curves of the Embarras River, its waters reflecting the shifting moods of the Illinois sky, from the sharp clarity of a winter day to the hazy gold of late summer afternoons. The air here carries the clean scent of turned earth and, in the spring, the sweet perfume of blooming wildflowers that dot the verges of country roads, a quiet beauty that has long been the soul of this place. Charleston's story is inextricably linked to its agricultural roots, a legacy that continues to shape its economy and the character of its people. It was here, in the mid-19th century, that Abraham Lincoln, then a rising lawyer, often rode the circuit, his presence lending an early gravitas to the developing community. Today, Eastern Illinois University stands as a vibrant hub of learning, drawing students from far and wide and infusing Charleston with a youthful energy that complements its established heritage. The town's rhythm is one of steady progress, punctuated by the seasons and the enduring traditions of a community that cherishes its past while looking toward the future, the faint hum of tractors in the distance a constant reminder of the land's deep hold.
Live animated radar for Charleston and surroundings — RainViewer.
NOAA GOES-16 GEOCOLOR — live animated loop updated every 10 minutes. Shows cloud cover, storm systems and weather patterns across the continental US.
Source: NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East · Public domain · Auto-updates on page reload
| Location | Charleston, Coles County, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 39.496146°N, 88.176152°W |
| Timezone | Central Time (America/Chicago) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 61920 |
| Area Code | 309 |
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Weather data | Open-Meteo (open-source), NOAA National Weather Service |
About This Charleston, Illinois Weather Page
This page provides live weather conditions and forecasts for Charleston, Illinois, including current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast, 7-day outlook, NWS extended text forecast, precipitation radar and NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery. Aviation weather — live METAR observations and TAF forecasts — is published separately on the pages for the nearest reporting airports, linked from the aviation section above. Additional sections may include tide predictions, wave height, wave direction and sea-surface temperature, a barometric pressure trend, and a solunar-based fishing forecast with a fishing-conditions rating for coastal localities, and soil temperature, crop weather and live USGS river gauge data for agricultural areas near a monitored waterway. All data updates automatically on every page visit.
Location data for Charleston includes coordinates 39.496146°N, 88.176152°W, situated in Coles County. ZIP code 61920. Telephone area code: 309. Timezone: Central Time (America/Chicago).
Weather data is sourced from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and the open-source Open-Meteo API. River and stream data is sourced from the USGS National Water Information System. Tide predictions are sourced from NOAA CO-OPS; marine and solunar data are modeled from Open-Meteo and public sunrise/moon calculations and should be treated as a general guide alongside on-the-water conditions. Radar is provided by RainViewer. Satellite imagery is sourced from NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East and is public domain.
