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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Royal (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Royal. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Royal is located in Champaign County.

To see how the shape of Illinois' counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Champaign County: Douglas, Edgar, Ford, McLean, Piatt & Vermilion.

Below are the counties that are near Royal. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Royal:

  • Champaign County     (The home county of Royal)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Royal, with the one closest to Royal listed first.
    • Flatville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Ogden
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ogden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ogden
      • Ogden is located in Champaign County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 787 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ogden <2>
    • Saint Joseph
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Penfield
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Gifford
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gifford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gifford
      • Gifford is located in Champaign County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,035 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gifford <2>
    • Mayview
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Homer
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Homer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homer
      • Homer is located in Champaign County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,143 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Homer <2>
    • Thomasboro
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thomasboro have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thomasboro
      • Thomasboro is located in Champaign County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,066 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Thomasboro <2>
    • Rantoul
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rantoul have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rantoul
      • Rantoul is located in Champaign County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12,305 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rantoul <2>
    • Rutherford
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Mira
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Sidney
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sidney have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sidney
      • Sidney is located in Champaign County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,172 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sidney <2>
  • Douglas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Royal, with the one closest to Royal listed first.
    • Fairland
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairland
      • Fairland is located in Douglas County
    • Villa Grove
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Murdock
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Murdock have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murdock
      • Murdock is located in Douglas County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Murdock <2>
    • Newman
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Hayes
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Camargo
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Patterson Springs
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Edgar County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Royal, with the one closest to Royal listed first.
    • Palermo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Palermo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palermo
      • Palermo is located in Edgar County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Palermo
      • From Royal to Palermo
    • Hume
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hume have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hume
      • Hume is located in Edgar County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 341 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hume <2>
    • Metcalf
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Metcalf have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metcalf
      • Metcalf is located in Edgar County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 168 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Metcalf <2>
  • Ford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Royal, with the one closest to Royal listed first.
    • Paxton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paxton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paxton
      • Paxton is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,117 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Paxton <2>
    • Elliott
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Proctor
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Proctor. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Proctor
      • Proctor is located in Ford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Proctor
      • From Royal to Proctor
    • Gibson City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Melvin
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Melvin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melvin
      • Melvin is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 410 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Melvin <2>
  • Iroquois County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Royal, with the one closest to Royal listed first.
    • Loda
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loda have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loda
      • Loda is located in Iroquois County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 396 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Loda <2>
    • Cissna Park
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cissna Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cissna Park
      • Cissna Park is located in Iroquois County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 771 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cissna Park <2>
    • Claytonville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Goodwine
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Buckley
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Buckley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckley
      • Buckley is located in Iroquois County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 528 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Buckley <2>
    • Wellington
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
  • McLean County
    • Bellflower
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellflower have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellflower
      • Bellflower is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 343 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bellflower <2>
  • Piatt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Royal, with the one closest to Royal listed first.
    • Mansfield
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mansfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mansfield
      • Mansfield is located in Piatt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 939 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mansfield <2>
    • White Heath
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White Heath have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Heath
      • White Heath is located in Piatt County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for White Heath <2>
  • Vermilion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Royal, with the one closest to Royal listed first.
    • Fithian
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fithian have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fithian
      • Fithian is located in Vermilion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 444 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fithian <2>
    • Muncie
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Muncie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muncie
      • Muncie is located in Vermilion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 134 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Muncie <2>
    • Collison
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Armstrong
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Newtown
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Glenburn
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Oakwood
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood
      • Oakwood is located in Vermilion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,460 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oakwood <2>
    • Belgium Row
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Potomac
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Potomac have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Potomac
      • Potomac is located in Vermilion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 681 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Potomac <2>
    • Fairmount
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairmount have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmount
      • Fairmount is located in Vermilion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 587 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fairmount <2>
    • Missionfield
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Hillery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hillery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillery
      • Hillery is located in Vermilion County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hillery
      • From Royal to Hillery
  • Fountain County (IN)
    • Covington
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Covington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covington
      • Covington is located in Fountain County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,540 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Covington <2>
  • Vermillion County (IN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Royal, with the one closest to Royal listed first.
    • Rileysburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rileysburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rileysburg
      • Rileysburg is located in Vermillion County (IN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rileysburg
      • From Royal to Rileysburg
    • Gessie
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Perrysville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Perrysville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perrysville
      • Perrysville is located in Vermillion County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 430 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Perrysville <2>
    • Tree Spring
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Eugene
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Warren County (IN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Royal, with the one closest to Royal listed first.
    • State Line City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for State Line City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for State Line City
      • State Line City is located in Warren County (IN)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 137 people
    • State Line
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Foster
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Hedrick
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Pence
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Sloan ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sloan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sloan
      • Sloan is located in Warren County (IN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sloan
      • From Royal to Sloan
    • Baltimore ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Baltimore. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baltimore
      • Baltimore is located in Warren County (IN)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Baltimore
      • From Royal to Baltimore

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Royal, see our County-by-County Page for Royal.

Cemeteries Near Royal ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Royal.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Royal covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Royal, with the one closest to Royal listed first.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Royal had a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Royal had a population of 273 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Royal, with the one closest to Royal listed first.

  • Hope
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hope have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hope
    • Hope is located in Vermilion County
  • Ogden
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ogden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ogden
    • Ogden is located in Champaign County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 787 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ogden <2>
  • Flatville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Saint Joseph
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Sellers
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sellers have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sellers
    • Sellers is located in Champaign County
  • Fithian
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fithian have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fithian
    • Fithian is located in Vermilion County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 444 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fithian <2>
  • Penfield
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Mayview
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Gifford
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gifford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gifford
    • Gifford is located in Champaign County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,035 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gifford <2>
  • Muncie
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Muncie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muncie
    • Muncie is located in Vermilion County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 134 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Muncie <2>
  • Armstrong
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Dillsburg
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dillsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dillsburg
    • Dillsburg is located in Champaign County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Homer
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Homer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homer
      • Homer is located in Champaign County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,143 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Homer <2>
    • Oakwood
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood
      • Oakwood is located in Vermilion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,460 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oakwood <2>
    • Glenburn
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Royal. See our List of 1890's Communities around Royal.

Newspapers Published in Royal ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 145 newspapers that have been published in the area around Royal.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Royal, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Royal.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Royal:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Royal. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Champaign County: www.co.champaign.il.us/

The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.gov

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Royal, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Royal) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Royal. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.1927, Longitude: -87.9723    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025