Ottawa occupies a place on the Illinois River that has long been one end of a portage trail between the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan. Here the river was reliably deep enough for canoes. The North Portage Tr… See more

Because of numerous silica sand deposits (Ottawa sand was on board the ill-fated Columbia space shuttle for experimental purposes) Ottawa has been a major sand and glass center for more than 100 years. Transportat… See more

As of the 2020 census there were 18,840 people, 7,764 households, and 4,658 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,214.23 inhabitants per square mile (468.82/km ). There were 9,014 housi… See more