[3] Ridgway was established in 1866 as a construction camp along what would become the Springfield and Illinois South Eastern Railway.

Popcorn Day continues as part of the Gallatin County Fair and is held the second Saturday in September.

[5] The February 2012 tornadoes, which killed seven in the nearby Harrisburg area, destroyed the St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Ridgway.

[7] Ridgway is located in southern Illinois at 37°47′53″N 88°15′38″W / 37.79806°N 88.26056°W / 37.79806; -88.26056 (37.798036, -88.260571),[8] north of Shawnee National Forest.

The village is concentrated along Ridgway Newhaven Road, just east of Illinois Route 1.