Galena is the largest city in, and county seat of, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, and had a population of 3,429 as of the 2010 census. It sits at 633 feet above sea level and covers a total area of 3.7 square miles, all land. Galena has a rich history, originally inhabited by the Sac and Fox Native Americans. Galena's flag, which was adopted in 1976, symbolizes the culture of mining, agriculture, steamboats and 9 stars, which represent the 9 American Civil War generals who lived in the area. The history is what made Galena one of TripAdvisor's top ten "Charming Small Towns" in 2011.
Some of the reasons Galena is a tourist stop is because of the historical architecture and the ski and golf resorts. If you're one of the over 1 million visitors each year, check the Galena, IL Business Directory or the Galena, IL Yellow Pages to find all the places that make this city so special. Galena has 85% of its structures in the Galena Historic District, which is the biggest contributor to the city's popularity and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One of the places is the DeSoto House Hotel, opened in 1855 and is the oldest operating hotel in Illinois.
Written by Lyndsey Morgan
