Mt. Carmel is located in southeast Illinois in Wabash County (of which it is the county seat) overlooking the Wabash River at the itersection of SRs 1 and 15. The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 7,882, a decrease of 405 since 1990.
For outdoor recreation, Beall Woods State Park lies just minutes to the southwest of town.
Summer fun would be incomplete without a visit to the "Wabash Ribberfest BBQ Cookoff" which attracts nationally ranked teams from all over the country competing for a place in the Memphis, TN, BBQ National finals held in May. The local event is held the weekend after Labor Day.
Wabash Valley College, a community college, provides the area with continuing educational opportunities.