Alton, established in 1837, is located in southwestern Illinois in Madison County north of St Louis along Highway 3 on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Local attractions include the Alton Museum of History and Art and the Alton Confederate Prison. In addition, golfers find themselves in the midst of a plethora of courses from which to select. Among the local options are Cloverleaf Golf Course, Inc., the Robert P. Wadlow Golf Course, Rock Spring Golf Course, Roseland Golf Course, the Spencer T. Olin Community Golf Course and The Woodlands Golf Club.
The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 31,457, a decrease of 1,603 since 1990.