Normal, IL: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Normal is an incorporated city in McLean County, Illinois. In the dataset behind this page it has an estimated population of 54,469, sits at 40.522°N, 88.988°W, and observes Central time. Below you will find how it ranks inside Illinois, which ZIP codes it uses, the closest places around it, and how far it is from major US cities.

What are the key facts about Normal, IL?

What is the population of Normal, IL?

Normal has an estimated population of 54,469. That makes it the 29th largest of the 1,362 places we list in Illinois, and the 2nd largest of 22 places in McLean County. The typical place in Illinois has about 1,056 residents, so Normal is many dozens of times larger than a typical place in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in Illinois with a similar population include Tinley Park (55,773), Oak Lawn (55,022), Berwyn (54,391), Mount Prospect (53,719), Wheaton (52,745). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Normal differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Normal?

Normal has about 2,976 people per square mile (1,149 per square kilometer), which we classify as suburban. Within Illinois, it is denser than about 90% of the listed places. Land at this level is usually a mix of single-family neighborhoods, shopping corridors and parks, where driving is common but destinations are close. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Normal use?

The postal data lists 2 ZIP codes for Normal: 61761, 61790. Several codes in one place usually reflect separate delivery areas, post offices or large buildings with their own code. Codes beginning with 6 are assigned to the central Midwest (Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Normal in?

Normal is in the Central time zone, which is UTC−6 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/Chicago). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Attica, IN, about 93 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Central time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Normal located in Illinois?

Normal lies in the central part of Illinois, at 40.522° north latitude and 88.988° west longitude. The state capital, Springfield, is about 63 miles to the southwest. The closest listed place in another state is Attica, IN, roughly 93 miles to the east, which shows how near Normal is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Bloomington, IL, 3 miles to the south.

Which cities are near Normal, IL?

The closest listed place to Normal is Bloomington, IL, 3.3 miles to the south. Of the eight nearest places below, 1 is in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Normal in?

Normal is in McLean County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 17113. The county contains 22 places in our data, 2 of which have their own page here and 20 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Bloomington (133,846), Le Roy (3,493), Heyworth (3,043), Downs (2,523), Lexington (2,026). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Normal from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Normal is closest to Chicago, IL at about 113 miles and farthest from Los Angeles, CA at about 1,667 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Normal?

No. In our data, Normal in McLean County, Illinois is the only place with this name, so the name alone is enough to identify it, though adding the state is still good practice in addresses and forms.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.