Shelbyville, founded in 1827, is located in central Illinois in Shelby County, of which it is the county seat. It is southeast of Decatur near the dam at the southern end of Lake Shelbyville. The population estimate for 2000 was about 5,000.
The area is an outdoor lover's recreational Heaven. Eagle Creek State Park on the west side of the lake and Wolf Creek State Park on the east side have some nice facilities, beaches and boat launch areas and provide swimming, fishing and power boating opportunities to its visitors. In addition, there are two Shelbyville Wildlife Management Areas on the north side where hunters can try their luck bagging various game animals.