Manteno is located in northeastern Illinois in northwestern Kankakee County about 5 miles north of Kankakee along SR 50 just east of Interstate 57 near the Kankakee River and the Indiana state line. The population estimate for 2000 was about 7,000.
This rural community is less than 20 miles from big-city amenities in Cook County and only 40 miles from The Loop in Chicago.