Illinois Route 104 passes through the village as its Main Street, leading east and then southeast 21 miles (34 km) to Jacksonville, the county seat, and west across the river and 50 miles (80 km) to Quincy.

[2] The Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge is directly north of the village, within the Illinois River floodplain.

Marais d'Osier, meaning willow swamp, was the original French name given to the area in the early 1800s.

In 2011, Ameren Energy Resources Company announced the closure of its power station in Meredosia.

The closure resulted in a loss of over 50 jobs, a major economic hit for the small community.

The plant may reopen at some point as a facility to test clean coal technology, according to Ameren.