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Illinois County
Fayette County, Illinois
Vandalia's Illinois capital heritage and the National Road's western terminus - from Vandalia's distinction as Illinois's second state capital (Vandalia served as Illinois's capital from 1820 to 1837 - the Old State Capitol building in Vandalia is the oldest surviving state capitol building in Illinois, and it was here that Abraham Lincoln served in the state legislature from 1834-1837, meeting Stephen Douglas for the first time) to the National Road's Vandalia terminus (the federally funded National Road - America's first interstate highway - was extended to Vandalia in 1839, making it the western terminus of the road that opened the American interior to settlement).
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Office: Fayette County Sheriff’s Office – Jail: 221 S. 7th Street, Vandalia, IL 62471 (76 beds). Confirm current phone via fayettecountyillinois.gov.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-70 serves Vandalia, the county seat, on the Kaskaskia River, whose motto is “Oldest Existing Illinois Capital City.” A Madonna of the Trail statue, one of 12 dedicated by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1928, stands on the statehouse grounds, marking the western terminus of the Cumberland (National) Road.
Notes: Fayette County was created in early 1821, splitting off from eastern Bond County, with Vandalia as its seat.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Fayette County Courthouse – Vandalia, IL, housed in the historic Vandalia Statehouse.
Notes: Fayette County holds genuinely major significance in Illinois history: Vandalia served as the second capital of Illinois from 1820 to 1839, chosen after the original capital, Kaskaskia, faced constant Mississippi River flooding threats. The current Vandalia Statehouse (built 1836, the third statehouse on the site, Greek Revival with porticoes added in the late 1850s) is the oldest surviving Illinois state capitol building; it is preserved today as the Vandalia State House State Historic Site (a state historic site since 1985). Abraham Lincoln served as a state representative in Vandalia as part of the “Long Nine” Sangamon County delegation, delivered his first published speech there on January 11, 1837 opposing a resolution to investigate the state bank, studied for his law career, and was formally enrolled as an attorney before leaving Vandalia; a life-size statue of Lincoln stands across from the statehouse. The legislature ultimately voted to move the capital to Springfield, effective 1839, and gave the vacated statehouse building to Fayette County and the town of Vandalia – it served as the county courthouse from 1839 until 1933, when it reverted to the state as a historic memorial.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Fayette County Veterans Assistance – confirm current contact via fayettecountyillinois.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Vandalia Public Library (Vandalia) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Vandalia State House State Historic Site, the Lincoln statue, and the Madonna of the Trail monument marking the National Road’s western terminus are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, deeply significant history of Vandalia as Illinois’s second state capital – and the site of young Abraham Lincoln’s earliest legislative and legal career – is among the most historically important local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Fayette County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via fayettecountyillinois.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via fayettecountyillinois.gov; Fayette County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Fayette County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via fayettecountyillinois.gov.
NOTES: Fayette County is the twenty-sixth county completed in Illinois’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, deeply significant history of Vandalia as Illinois’s second state capital and Abraham Lincoln’s earliest career is among the most historically important local facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Fayette County
Fayette County is south-central Illinois’s former capital and National Road terminus county – a community where Abraham Lincoln served his first legislative terms and where America’s first interstate highway reached its end.
Vandalia (the county seat, population ~6,900) was Illinois’s capital from 1820 to 1837 – a period that included Abraham Lincoln’s early legislative career. The Old State Capitol – the smallest and oldest state capitol building in Illinois – preserves the chamber where Lincoln gave his first political speeches and where he and Stephen Douglas first crossed paths as political figures. The National Road’s final segment to Vandalia made it the western gateway for American expansion before the railroad era.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Fayette County Assessor at 221 S. 7th Street, Vandalia, IL 62471, phone 618-283-5022. IL residential assessed at 33.33% of market value. Appeal to Board of Review.
Courts & Legal
Fayette County Circuit Court at 221 S. 7th Street, Vandalia, IL 62471, phone 618-283-5009, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Vital Records, Elections)
221 S. 6th St., Vandalia, IL 62471
(618) 283-5000
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
221 S. 6th St., Vandalia, IL 62471
(618) 283-2632
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
221 S. 6th St., Vandalia, IL 62471
(618) 283-5000
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Fayette County Circuit Clerk (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Vandalia State House State Historic Site – a significant regional historical resource; Vandalia served as Illinois’ state capital from 1819 to 1839.
Local societies
No dedicated Fayette County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Fayette County Circuit Clerk (Fourth Judicial Circuit) 221 South 7th Street, Room 112, Vandalia, IL 62471 (618) 283-5000 / (618) 283-5009
Fayette County was founded in 1821, named for the Marquis de Lafayette. The county seat, Vandalia, is home to the Vandalia State House State Historic Site – Illinois’ second state capitol. The Fourth Judicial Circuit also includes Christian, Clay, Clinton, Effingham, Jasper, Marion, Montgomery, and Shelby Counties.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Illinois has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code and is not a community property state – it follows common law property principles. Illinois probate is governed by the Probate Act of 1975 (755 ILCS 5/). Two main paths:
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where personal property (excluding real estate) is valued at $150,000 or less (raised from $100,000 effective August 15, 2025), with no unresolved debts or claims and no real estate involved. No formal court probate is required.
Formal Probate (Independent or Supervised Administration) – required when the estate doesn’t qualify for the small estate affidavit. Most Illinois probate cases proceed under Independent Administration, letting the estate representative act without prior court approval for most routine actions.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File the decedent’s original will (if one exists) with the Fayette County Circuit Clerk, where the decedent resided at death.
Petition the court to open the estate and appoint an executor (if there’s a will) or an administrator (if intestate).
The court issues Letters of Office (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration) appointing the representative.
Publish notice to creditors and unknown heirs as required by Illinois law.
Under Independent Administration, the representative marshals assets, pays valid debts and taxes, and distributes the remaining estate without needing court approval for each step.
File a final accounting or closing documents to formally close the estate.
NOTE: Fayette County offers electronic filing – confirm current e-filing procedures with the Circuit Clerk’s office.
What it costs
Illinois imposes its own state estate tax on estates valued above $4 million, with rates up to 16%. There is no Illinois inheritance tax.
Filing fees vary by county – confirm current amounts with the Fayette County Circuit Clerk.
Most uncontested probate proceedings in Illinois can be completed within about a year.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
221 S. 6th St., Vandalia, IL 62471
(618) 283-3441
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Vital Records, Elections)
221 S. 6th St., Vandalia, IL 62471
(618) 283-5000
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
221 S. 6th St., Vandalia, IL 62471
(618) 283-5000
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Fayette County Health Dept
(618) 283-1044
IL DCFS — Vandalia
(618) 283-2631
IL Medicaid
(800) 843-6154
Fayette County Hospital
fayettecountyhospital.org (Vandalia)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Fayette County Health Department – confirm current contact via fayettecountyillinois.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Vandalia
Population: 21,000
Area: 718 sq mi
Established: 1821
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Fayette County residents.
