Kaskaskia, Illinois

Kaskaskia is a super small village in Illinois, a state in the United States. It sits right on the edge of the mighty Mississippi River, which is one of the longest rivers in North America! Think of it like the edge of your playground, but instead of swings, there's a giant river.

The land here is flat and green, perfect for farms. The weather can be warm in the summer and cold in the winter, just like you might have at home.

Once upon a time, Kaskaskia was a much bigger and more important place. It was even the first capital of Illinois! But the Mississippi River is a powerful force. In 1993, a HUGE flood happened. The water rose so high, it was more than 9 feet deep! That's taller than a grown-up giraffe! The people had to leave their homes for a while to stay safe. It was a very big and scary event for the town.

Kaskaskia is so small that only a handful of people live there now. In fact, in 2020, there were only 21 people! That's fewer people than are in your classroom!

It's one of the least populated places in all of Illinois. Even though it's so small, it still has its own phone number area code and a ZIP code, which is like a special address code for mail. It's like a secret club with very few members!

Because Kaskaskia is so tiny, there aren't many jobs or big businesses. Most of the people who live there probably work in nearby towns or do jobs related to the river or farming. The roads are taken care of by the state, which is like the grown-ups in charge of the whole state helping out.

The few people who live there get to vote in Illinois elections, meaning they help choose the leaders for their state.