Chenoa is a city in McLean County, Illinois, USA. The population was 1,845 at the 2000 census. Located at the intersections of Interstate 55, Historic Route 66, and U.S. Route 24.Founded in 1854 by Mathew T. Scott, Chenoa was created to provide a retail and trade center for his farm tenants as well as a grain shipping facility. The Chenoa Centennial was celebrated in 1954. The town is situated in a highly productive agricultural area. Two currently active businesses here are notable due to their longevity. They are Schuirman's Drug Store (now Chenoa Pharmacy) and Union Roofing. The latter company today is one of the largest roofing contractors in Illinois. Several small manufacturers operate here and a number of antique dealers are Chenoa-based. A well attended July 4th celebration is held in Chenoa each year.

History
The city and township of Chenoa were named for the Native American word "chenowa" which means "white dove." [4]
The European settler history of Chenoa began in 1854 when Matthew T. Scott, who had acquired thousands of acres of land in this area, laid out lots and streets for a town. The location was at the place where the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway and the Chicago and Alton Railroad intersected. Chenoa remains the site of the crossing of the TP&W and C&A successor Union Pacific.
The land around Chenoa was prairie wilderness at that time. The Indians who had hunted and lived in Illinois country for many years had been moved by the U. S. Government to regions west of the Mississippi river by the time Chenoa was founded. Soon the tough prairie sod was broken by the plow which made acres and acres of land available for farming. J. B. Lenney came from Pennsylvania to the new town of Chenoa and in 1855 put up the first building here which was called "The Farmer's Store." J. B. Lenney took an active part in the development of the town and is referred to as the "Father of Chenoa."
Geography
Signage upon entering Chenoa. Chenoa is located at 40°44′35″N, 88°43′12″W (40.743136, -88.720079)[1].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (3.10%) is water.
Situated in McLean County, the area surrounding Chenoa boasts some of the richest soil [2] in the world. Only patches of farmland in Argentina, southern Ukraine and along the Yellow River in China match the fertile ground that covers much of the northern half of Illinois, particularly a high-yielding band through the state's midsection. McLean County is traditionally the state's leading corn and soybean producer