Taylorville was founded on May 24, 1839, and was named after John Taylor, a planning commissioner for the state of Illinois.

[5] Taylorville was known (in the early to mid-1990s) to have had a high rate of neuroblastoma, a cancer affecting the adrenal gland and striking children.

On August 11, 2012, a Beechcraft Model 18 airplane crashed into a residential area of Taylorville, killing the pilot but injuring none on the ground.

[9] A subsequent NTSB investigation into the accident concluded that an improper flap configuration and failure to maintain the correct airspeed due to pilot error, resulted in the crash.

[13] Damage surveys by the National Weather Service rated the tornado EF3 with winds over 155 mph (249 km/h).

The IHSA single season boys' basketball record of 45–0 was set by Taylorville High School in 1944.

The State Journal-Register, published in Springfield, Illinois, covers Taylorville and Christian County quite extensively.