Unknowing visitors might think that West Frankfort, Illinois, is somehow related to the German city of Frankfurt, but they'd be mistaken. The town was named for a fort built by one Francis (or Frank) Jordan.
West Frankfort, Illinois is a sleepy town in Southern Illinois where the people are friendly, welcoming to newcomers and have a great love for their fish fries! These are hardworking folks that love their local sports, fishing and gardening
Unknowing visitors might think that West Frankfort, Illinois, is somehow related to the German city of Frankfurt, but they'd be mistaken. The town was named for a fort built by one Francis (or Frank) Jordan.
West Frankfort, Illinois is a sleepy town in Southern Illinois where the people are friendly, welcoming to newcomers and have a great love for their fish fries! These are hardworking folks that love their local sports, fishing and gardening. West Frankfort has a lot of offer the citizens of this charming town, including friendly people, a colorful history, and a great yearly festival.
Renting in West Frankfort is a breeze. Most places don't run background checks or even need applications, though the few apartment complexes in the area may request them. Generally, you find rentals homes that you like and call up the landlords. After a brief tour you hand over a security deposit along with the first and last month's rent; the landlord hands you a key. You will need deposits for utilities and the local water company will need to see the agreement for your apartment rental before they will turn on the water. Pet deposits are rarely required.
This is a small town that covers quite a bit of actual land space. The neighborhood structure here is based on when specific areas were annexed into West Frankfort. Other than that there is no real purpose or designation to neighborhoods and the locals generally ignore them.
City Proper: This area makes up the entire town of West Frankfort. Here you will find a large number of single-family homes with medium sized yards. There are also a few apartment complexes located in this area. Living in town has the advantage of being close to all local restaurants, bars and other amenities. One word about noise in this area: There is a train. West Frankfort has a train that runs through the town and it blows its horn for the duration of the journey no matter what time of day, or night, it happens to pass through. You might want to consider that when looking at properties.
Old Marion Road: This area is primarily rural land, homes and farms. Expect decent sized homes with 3-4 bedrooms and large yards. There are plenty of property rentals in this area but you are going to want to get a riding lawnmower for the yard! This area is the most isolated of all areas in West Frankfort. There are pockets where you might see 5-6 homes together and then nothing for a mile. This is because when the land was originally settled, families build their homes close together and then worked the land. Now most of those homes are owned or rented by unrelated individuals and families.
West Frankfort Lake: This is another rural area with larger homes and huge yards. There is also a great deal of wooded area here so you may or may not need a riding lawnmower. The West Frankfort Lake is out here and it's a popular place to spend summer days.
For a small town, West Frankfort has a surprising number of things you can do to keep yourself entertained, as long as you think outside the box a bit. No matter what else you do while here, make sure you plan to attend the Old King Coal Festival the second weekend in May. Recently moved from October where it conflicted with many other autumn festivals, the Old King Coal Festival features your typical carnival rides, fair food and craft booths. You also get an amazing lineup of music talent every night of the 4-day festival. Bring a lawn chair and listen to some tunes!
If you are looking for a great place to get some food, Bella's is a local Italian restaurant that gets rave reviews. It's semi-formal throughout most of the week and dress casual for the Sunday buffet.
For something a bit more relaxed, Miranda's Restaurant is a local favorite. It's open 24-hours and has great omelets, burgers and steaks. West Frankfort also has one of the last remaining privately owned drive-in restaurants and their tenderloin sandwiches are well loved.
Looking for a new watering hole? 212 Bar (unsurprisingly located at 212 Main Street) is a great place to gather with friends for a drink.
Favorite activities in the area include hunting, fishing, and complaining about Chicago. The local high school sports team, the Redbirds, is also heavily supported. Speaking of the Redbirds, locally people are more inclined to support the St. Louis Cardinals rather than the Chicago Cubs. It's just a local idiosyncrasy.
The fishing at West Frankfort is always great and there is a local catfish tournament the first weekend in May each year. This is done in preparation for the great fish fry the following weekend. Everyone attends fish a fish fry at least once a year. It's hard to avoid it when that seems to be the single biggest attraction every single weekend from May until November. The best part, even if your don't like catfish, is that they have other foods as well as beer. There is lots and lots of beer. It's a happy place.
If you like history, there is a local museum of the city. It may look small but it's packed with interesting items and information that will take you longer than you think to go through. You can also travel a couple of miles north to Benton and check out the most haunted jail in America. Don't worry, though: These days, it's only a museum.
