[2] As of the 2010 census, Minonk has a total area of 2.42 square miles (6.27 km2), all land.

The founding of Minonk corresponds with the construction of the Illinois Central Railroad.

The Illinois Central Railroad main line was completed in 1854 and ran through Section Seven, eventually becoming the City of Minonk.

[8] David Neal, an agent with the Illinois Central Railroad, is credited for naming the city.

A second story suggests that he changed the name of the settlement, originally referred to as “Marquette” on old French maps, to the Ojibwe word “Minonk,” meaning “a good place.” Minonk is the only city in the world with that name.

However, coal mining was the leading industry in the early years of Minonk.