| Shirley, Illinois | |
| Settlement Type: | Census-designated place |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Illinois |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | McLean |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Subdivision Name3: | Dale |
| Pushpin Map: | Illinois#USA |
| Pushpin Label: | Shirley |
| Coordinates: | 40.4075°N -89.0642°W |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1854 |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 0.09 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 0.09 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.0 |
| Elevation Ft: | 768 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 135 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CST |
| Utc Offset1: | -6 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Postal Code: | 61772 |
| Area Code: | 309 |
| Blank Name: | GNIS ID |
| Blank Info: | 2804092 |
| Blank1 Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank1 Info: | 17-69628 |
Shirley is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in southwestern McLean County, Illinois, United States, just off Interstate 55. It was founded in 1854. As of the 2020 census, the population of the CDP was 135.[2] Shirley is home to the Funk Prairie Home & Rock Museum.
The town of Shirley was laid out on September 14, 1866, by John M. Foster (1806 – 1898).[3] Foster was a native of New Hampshire. Before the village was established there was a switch at the location and a few lots had been platted. Foster built a brick house and store south of the railroad.[4] The original town consisted of ten small blocks, mostly on the north side of the St. Louis Chicago and Alton Railroad. In 1874, Foster's home and a store and the station were on the south side of the tracks, and a warehouse and mill were on the north side.[5] In 1895 there was a Methodist church, a Christian church, and a hotel north of the tracks; at that time were about twenty houses scattered on both sides of the railroad.[6]