Mackinaw (sometimes spelled Mackinac) is derived from the Ojibwe word mikinaak meaning "turtle".

[6] Following the 1933 end to prohibition, Mackinaw remained a "dry" community through 2013, when residents voted to allow the sale of alcohol.

[10] The population density was 1,416.4 people per square mile[11] and there were 799 housing units.

[18] Both students from Mackinaw and Deer Creek, Illinois attend Deemack High School.

[19] Dee-Mack athletics participate in the Heart of Illinois Conference and in 2012 their girls' volleyball team won the class 2A state title.

They won the game 35–7, which was the first state championship in football for the school.