Teutopolis, Illinois

Teutopolis is a village in Effingham County, Illinois. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,618.





== Geography ==

Teutopolis is located in northeastern Effingham County and U.S. Route 40 (National Road) passes through the center of the village, leading west 4 miles (6 km) into Effingham, the county seat, and east 5.5 miles (8.9 km) to Montrose.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Teutopolis has a total area of 2.04 square miles (5.28 km2), all land.





== History ==



Teutopolis, "City of the Teutons", or Germans, was established in 1839 along the National Road, now U.S. Route 40. It is the only town in the United States with this name.

Clemens Uptmor from the Duchy of Oldenburg, and Kingdom of Hanover, Germany, came to the United States in 1834 along with his brother Herman H. Uptmor and a few neighbors. They settled first in Cincinnati, then the gateway to the west for German Catholics. In 1837 they formed a land company for the purchase of government land under the name of "Deutsche Land-Compagnie oder Ansiedlungsgesellschaft". John F. Waschefort, Clemens Uptmor and Gerard H. Bergfeld were named to find a location for settlement and then give their recommendations to the land company.