Danville is the county seat of Vermilion County. Located in East Central Illinois, the City of Danville encompasses 24.42 (39.3 square kilometers) square miles, while Vermilion County covers 900 square miles. An estimated 34,000 reside in Danville and an estimated 89,700 reside in Vermilion County.

In addition to the current residents who call Danville home, many famous people such as Dick and Jerry Van Dyke, Gene Hackman, Bobby Short, Donald O'Connor, and Astronaut Joe Tanner came from Danville. They have returned to Danville several times to promote fundraisers for the renovation of the Fischer Theatre, where they

performed. Jim Wainwright, the star in the series "Jigsaw", was also a Danville native. Jerry Van Dyke mentioned his hometown of Danville several times while appearing in the comedy series "Coach."

Also, Danville Stadium's claim to fame came in 1991, when it doubled as Pittburgh's Forbes Field and Boston's Fenway Park while filming the movie, "The Babe." Wearing 1930's style clothing, local people filled the stadium as extras for the film, which starred John Goodman and Kelly McGillis.

Next Topic