A geographic center is an important reference point used by geographers and surveyors to determine accurate latitude and longitude measurements. In many counties, that center is often located near the county seat, although not always directly within a city.

In La Salle and Bureau counties, the county seats of Ottawa and Princeton are relatively close to their geographic centers. In Putnam County, however, the county seat of Hennepin sits farther from the county’s center point than the neighboring counties.

In La Salle County, the geographic center is located at 41°20′42″N, 88°53′20″W, about three-quarters of a mile north of the La Salle County Highway Department near Naplate. That location is on private land.

Bureau County’s geographic center is located about 1,000 feet south of the intersection of Backbone Road and 1800 North Avenue, 3.8 miles northwest of Princeton. Its exact coordinates are 41°24′14.8″N, 89°31′43.3″W. That location is on private land.

In Putnam County, the geographic center lies at 41°12′18″N, 89°17′10″W, about one-quarter mile west of the intersection of Hattons Road and County Road 700 North, or about 1.6 miles south of the unincorporated community of Florid. That location is on private land.

When all three county centers are combined, the geographic center of the Illinois Valley falls on the shore of the Illinois River, about 1.8 miles west of the Illinois Route 89 Bridge near Spring Valley. Coordinates are 41.318304, -89.235171. Trees, wildlife, river views and more surround the area.

The point lies on land owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and is accessible from the Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail west of Spring Valley.

Data for the geographic centers was obtained through the Bureau County Assessor’s Office and the United States Census Bureau county shapefile maps.

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Readers interested in local geography also may enjoy: “Standing at the Highest Points in La Salle, Bureau and Putnam Counties.”