| Ware | |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated community |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Illinois |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Union |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Pushpin Map: | Illinois#USA |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Ware within Illinois |
| Coordinates: | 37.4478°N -89.3939°W |
| Elevation Footnotes: | [1] |
| Elevation Ft: | 351 |
| Population As Of: | 2000 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CST |
| Utc Offset1: | -6 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 62952 |
| Area Code: | 618 |
Ware is an unincorporated community in Union County, Illinois, and is located near Jonesboro.
The earliest inhabitants of the area around Ware were of Late Woodland and Mississippian cultures. A village with four mounds was occupied between around 800 and 1300 A.D. One of the four mounds was destroyed in the construction of Illinois Route 3.[2] The Ware Mounds and Village Site is situated just west of Ware. In January 1839, thousands of Cherokee Indians being forcibly relocated from their lands in Georgia to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) passed through Ware. Because of floating ice the Cherokee were unable to cross the Mississippi River and camped along Dutch Creek. The intense cold at this time led to many deaths.[3]
The Illinois Central Railroad and Illinois Route 3 pass through Ware, Illinois, connecting the community to the rest of the state. Two churches, Ware Baptist Church and Ware United Methodist Church, provide religious services.[4]
As of Census 2000, the population is 3,422[5] It is named for politician and farmer Jesse Ware.[6]