Wood River, Illinois

About Wood River

Wood River, IL is a close-knit town located in southwestern Illinois counting 10,251 people who proudly call it home.

Wood River holds the status of an incorporated city with its own municipal government. The community covers 6.98 square miles, giving it a balanced suburban layout with room to breathe at roughly 1,469 residents per square mile.

📰 Wood River News Today

• The Cannaisseur Marks Grand Opening In Downtown Wood River riverbender.com · Aug 18
• Illinois EPA suggests filtering water in Wood River Spectrum News · Aug 6
• Multi-studio film complex on the way to Wood River, Illinois First Alert 4 · Jul 29
• Harold "Dean" Blackburn Obituary (2026) - Wood River, IL - Marks Mortuary Legacy obituary · Aug 18
• Wood River says it is addressing PFAS found in water tests Alton Telegraph · Aug 12

Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.

What Makes Wood River Unique

• Positioned in southwestern Illinois, convenient to the region's corridors and crossings.
• Part of the fabric of Illinois — one of 1,461 recognized communities statewide.

Why People Love It Here

• Big enough for services and schools, small enough to feel like home.
• Local businesses and schools anchored by a stable resident base of 10,251.
• Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 4 miles.

🍽️ Where to Eat in Wood River

• Applebee's — american
• Fiona's Family Restaurant — american
• Fire-N Smoke
• Pizza Hut — pizza
• Best Buffet — chinese
• China King — chinese
• Kasabi Hibachi & Suchi Express — japanese
• Los Tres Amigos — mexican
• Lucy's Place (café)

Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.

🎡 Fun Things to Do

• Wood River Museum and Visitor Center · Museum
• Wood River Refinery History Museum · Museum

Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.

🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Wood River

• Belk Park reviews ★
• Brushy Grove Park reviews ★
• Burbank Park reviews ★
• East End Park reviews ★
• Emerick Sports Complex reviews ★
• Roxana Community Park reviews ★
• Sixth Street Park reviews ★
• Wood River Central Park reviews ★
• Wood River Soccer and Skate Park reviews ★

Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.

🏫 Schools in Wood River

• East Alton-Wood River High Sch
• L&C Middle School/Region III
• Lewis-Clark Elem School
• Lewis-Clark Jr High School
• Region III 9-12+ CLIP Program

Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.

⚡ Quick Facts

🗺️ Map of Wood River

🏘️ Nearby Communities