Chenoa is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2020 census. The city is located at the intersections of Interstate 55, Historic Route 66, and U.S. Route 24. Founded in 1854 by Mathew T. Scott, Chenoa was created to provide a retail and trade center for his farm tenants as well as a grain shipping facility. The Chenoa Centennial was celebrated in 1954. The town is situated in a highly productive agricultural area. The town school system closed at the end of the 2004 school year, consolidating with the nearby Prairie Central school district. A well attended July 4 celebration is held in Chenoa each year. Geography Chenoa is located at (40.743136, -88.720079). According to the 2020 census, Chenoa has a total area of , of which (or 98.18%) is land and (or 1.82%) is water. Situated in McLean County, the area surrounding Chenoa boasts some of the richest soil in the world. Only patches of farmland in Argentina, southern Ukraine and along the Yellow River in China match the fertile ground that covers much of the northern half of Illinois, particularly a high-yielding band through the state's midsection. McLean County is traditionally the state's leading corn and soybean producer. Climate Chenoa has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa), with hot, humid summers and cold, slightly drier winters. The frost-free Growing season averages 173 days. Demographics As of the census of 2020, there were 1,695 people, 790 households, and 451 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 768 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.24% White, 1.85% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 1.50% from other races, and 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.60% of the population. There were 790 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18