The current mayor is David W. Boelk, an independent elected to a four-year term.

By the following year, the population had grown to more than 1,000 and the town was home to saloons, hotels, and various shops.

[citation needed] With the availability of the railroads to facilitate export, several manufactures of items ranging from organs to cigars and buttons opened factories in Mendota.

[2] A new Union station was opened on February 23, 1888, to replace the original depot which had burned down in 1885.

The new building contained a hotel, restaurants, and separate waiting areas for passengers and railroad staff.

The creek was identified in 2014 as having chronic problems with dissolved oxygen and fecal coliform bacteria concentrations.

A number of businesses operate within Mendota including :[13] The Mendota Sweet Corn Festival[16] attracts thousands of visitors each August; it features a parade, carnival, beer garden with live bands, free sweet corn cooked in a vintage steam engine, and other special events.

The city closes down several streets in the downtown area to host the annual event which is sponsored by Del Monte Foods.

The Hume-Carnegie Museum[18] showcases artifacts of local history, including items manufactured in Mendota and a small collection pertaining to Wild Bill Hickok, who was born in nearby Troy Grove.

Adjacent to the barn is "The Country Chapel", a small church which is owned by the museum.

It is closed to the public, however special tours can be arranged by contacting the Mendota Historical Society Office.

Mendota also maintains a community swimming pool as well as several parks including Snyders Grove, a 104-acre (0.42 km2) reserve/park.

Holy Cross Roman Catholic Parish[26] has a private school which educates students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

Three Amtrak trains in each direction stop daily at the Mendota Amtrak station: the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg between Chicago and Quincy, and the Southwest Chief from Chicago to Kansas City and Los Angeles.