Carlinville, IL (CRV)

Ticket Revenue

FY 2011

$189,930

Station Ridership

FY 2011

7,831

Note: Fiscal year is from
October through September.

Amtrak’s facility is a small brick shelter. Carlinville is a flag stop along the route of the Texas Eagle. If there is a reservation for a passenger boarding or detraining here, the train will stop. If not, it simply continues through. It is a regularly scheduled stop on seven of the eight Lincoln Service trains.

Carlinville is the county seat of Macoupin County, and its signature landmark is the historic Macoupin County Courthouse. One can view its silver dome from the station. The courthouse (often referred to as the “Million Dollar Courthouse”) cost a staggering $1,342,226.31 by the time it was completed in 1870. The courthouse possesses elements of different architectural styles, but can be classified as Century Victorian Classic Revival. At the time of its construction, the building was the largest county courthouse in the United States, and larger than the Illinois Statehouse. The construction made Carlinville a candidate for state capital. Today, the courthouse still serves as the seat of county government, and it has become a tourist attraction, drawing crowds from around the world.

The Gothic Revival-style county jail was built in 1869 by E. E. Myers, the same architect who designed the courthouse. The jail is often described as a fortress; the walls are lined with cannonballs to prevent jail breaks.

Of architectural interest as well is the large number of homes that were bought from the Sears, Roebuck & Co. mail order catalog. Carlinville has the largest number of Sears Catalogue homes in the country. In 1918, Standard Oil of Indiana funded the construction of the homes for its mineworkers, at a cost of $1,000,000. All but four of the 156 homes still exist today.

Many presidential candidates visited Carlinville in the days when politicians traveled by rail making campaign stops. Abraham Lincoln was known to visit the original Carlinville courthouse.

From 1926 to 1930, the original Route 66 ran through the heart of Carlinville. Today, visitors can retrace the original route by following historic markers.

Carlinville is also home to Blackburn College, a small Presbyterian college.

Carlinville is served by nine daily trains, when the Texas Eagle stops are included.

Amtrak does not provide ticketing or baggage services at this facility.