De Soto is a village in Jackson County, Illinois, United States.

[3] It is named for Hernando de Soto, the discoverer of the Mississippi River.

Illinois Route 149 crosses US-51 in the village center, leading southwest 7 miles (11 km) to Murphysboro, the Jackson county seat, and east 5 miles (8 km) to Hurst.

[7] The village's name honors Hernando de Soto (c. 1496/1497–1542), a Spanish conquistador who explored the region in 1541-2.

Sixty-nine people died in De Soto when approximately 30% of the town was destroyed, and of this total 33 were children at a local school that collapsed from the winds.

[citation needed] As of the 2020 census[3] there were 1,407 people, 645 households, and 401 families residing in the village.