In addition, people who live in the area, official Interstate signage, and signs indicating the city limits all refer to the town as Utica.

[citation needed] The town of Utica had previously been established on the banks of the Illinois River near the Indian village Kaskaskia during the 1830s, but flooding and the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal a few miles north encouraged redevelopment of the village there as North Utica.

[4] A 2022 Memorial Day fire damaged twenty eight privately owned cabins near the entrance to Starved Rock State Park.

The Grand Bear lodge, waterpark and a majority of the cabins and villas on site were not affected.

Utica is the location of the annual Burgoo Festival on Columbus Day weekend in October.

The Burgoo Festival is a fundraising event hosted by the LaSalle County Historical Society.