Although officially founded and recorded as a city on July 1, 1837, the first settler, George Haworth, came to the area in 1822, and constructed a small log cabin. Haworth moved on in 1829, and James Piatt purchased the cabin. By 1837, many more people had settled here, and they decided to form the town so as not to have to depend on the services and businesses of Decatur, which they deemed to be too far away. Read more about the history of Monticello, and a fascinating story about the Pepsin Syrup Company, at the Web site of Historic Monticello, Illinois.

Monticello is also home to the 18-bed Kirby Hospital, one of Illinois's smallest fully operational hospitals, and a leader in the statewide telemedicine and teleradiography programs. The city offers its residents an excellent school system of their own, a recently enhanced historic downtown business district, and year-round recreational facilities and resources. Monticello's community has an active chamber of commerce.