St. Elmo, IL

St. Elmo is a small farming town in south-central Illinois, about 70 miles from St. Louis via Interstate 70. US Route 40 runs right through the center of town, connecting it to Vandalia and Effingham. The community of 1,250 sits in flat agricultural country with the typical Midwest climate of hot summers and snowy winters. The town's checkerboard water tower has been a roadside landmark for travelers on US 40 for generations.