W E L C O M E
A statue of a train conductor sits in the heart of Carbondale next to the Illinois Central locomotive.
Welcome Carbondale is home to a thriving business community, yet serves as a gateway to natural attractions and destinations popular with both residents and travelers.
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arbondale, Illinois is a city that defies a simple description. It is a community of luxuries found in large metropolitan areas but counts small-town friendliness and comforts among its charms. Carbondale is home to a thriving business community and yet serves as a gateway to natural attractions and destinations popular with both residents and travelers. It’s a city with thousands of young people, eager to make their mark and numbers of professionals willing to lend guidance and mentor. Carbondale is a place for serious research, education and discovery, while at the same time being a community perfect for those who want to shop, play golf, enjoy live entertainment and fine dining or bask in some of
nature’s most beautiful settings as they golf, fish, hunt and explore the great outdoors of Southern Illinois. A bustling community, Carbondale is proud to be home of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning. The presence of the University along with the city’s roster of shopping, recreational and cultural activities has made Carbondale the unofficial capital of Southern Illinois.
History Founded in 1852 by Daniel Harmon Brush, John Asgill Conner and Dr. William Richard, Carbondale quickly became a railroad hub, serving as a