Ottawa, IL short-term rental market report (2026)
LaSalle County, Illinois. Rules, revenue, home values, demand, climate, reach and risk, each figure with its source.
- RulesModerate (3/5)
- 4-BR typical value$288K
- FEMA riskRelatively Moderate
- Demand drivers within 50 mi1
- People within 300 mi45.9 million
- ClimateSummer-peak
Everything STR HUB holds on Ottawa, IL in one place, in the order an investor needs it: whether you can operate, what the numbers are, why and when people come, who can reach it, and what could go wrong.
Every figure comes from a named dataset listed under Sources and method, dated September 21, 2026. Where we do not hold a figure, that part of the report is left out rather than estimated. The Opportunity Score here is partial: it was calculated without revenue data, with the cash-flow component assumed to be below average, so it can understate the market.
Can you operate in Ottawa?
| Rule | What we hold on file |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | City of Ottawa (LaSalle County); note the separate Village of North Utica, also marketed as a Starved Rock-area base, has taken a much harsher enforcement stance. |
| Permit or licence | Short-term rental provisions codified in Ottawa Code of Ordinances, Chapter 26, Article XI, including a zoning-of-tract section (§26-602) and a penalty section (§26-614), administered by the city. |
| Lodging and sales taxes | City of Ottawa collects hotel/lodging tax directly from Airbnb via a voluntary platform collection agreement (roughly $70,000 collected over the past five years); hosts on other platforms (Vrbo, Kayak, etc.) must remit local tax themselves. Illinois' statewide Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax also applies since January 6, 2026. |
Rules for Ottawa last verified September 20, 2026. Rules change, and a city rating does not cover HOA or deed restrictions. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before you buy or list.
Which way the rules are moving
Stable. The rules we hold report no recent or pending change.
Illinois does not preempt local short-term rental regulation; cities and counties set their own rules, resulting in a patchwork of ordinances statewide.
Classified from the regulation text we publish; a direction is only kept when the sentence it rests on appears word for word in that text.
The numbers
We have not verified revenue figures for this market yet.
Home values in LaSalle County
Zillow Home Value Index: county-wide typical values for LaSalle County, not list prices. A specific property can sit well above or below them.
What it costs to own
Screening figures, not a bill or a quote. The tax rate is a county-wide median for owner-occupied homes (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022); second homes and rentals are often taxed more heavily, and a purchase usually resets the assessed value. Expected annual loss is from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Housing market momentum
County-level, for-sale housing market: it says nothing directly about STR bookings. A relative ranking among tracked markets, not a forecast. Sources: Realtor.com Economic Research, U.S. Census Bureau, Zillow Home Value Index.
Why people come
One demand driver sits within 50 miles of Ottawa. Ordered by published attendance. Attendance appears only where a source publishes it.
Parks and public lands
- Starved Rock State Park
- When
- Year-round; waterfall season (spring) and fall foliage are peak.
- Attendance
- 2,100,000 ("2.1 million people visited the park in 2010," per Illinois Department of Natural Resources, cited via Morris Daily Herald / Wikipedia. Dated figure, likely outdated.)
- STR angle
- Illinois's most-visited state park drives weekend lodge/cabin demand within day-trip range of Chicago.
When they come
Summer-peak climate: May to September is comfortable and December to February highs average under 45°F. 6 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F, and 1 month averages six inches or more of snow. Warmest month: July (average high 84°F). Coldest: February (average low 18°F).
- Jan33°19°ColdSnow
- Feb35°18°Cold
- Mar50°31°Cool
- Apr60°40°Cool
- May71°51°Comfortable
- Jun82°62°Comfortable
- Jul84°66°Comfortable
- Aug83°65°Comfortable
- Sep78°60°Comfortable
- Oct63°46°Comfortable
- Nov50°33°Cool
- Dec42°27°Cold
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high (°F) | 33 | 35 | 50 | 60 | 71 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 78 | 63 | 50 | 42 |
| Average low (°F) | 19 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 51 | 62 | 66 | 65 | 60 | 46 | 33 | 27 |
| Precipitation (in) | 2.4 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 7.1 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 1.5 | 2.4 |
| Snowfall (in) | 9.8 | 5.8 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| Sunshine (hours a day) | 4.6 | 6.6 | 7.3 | 8.7 | 9.7 | 11.6 | 11.7 | 11.5 | 9.5 | 7.3 | 6.7 | 5.4 |
This is climate and events, not booking data. Monthly normals are 2019-2023 averages from the Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (ERA5 reanalysis) at the market pin. We do not hold monthly occupancy or rate data for this market.
Who can reach it
Largest counties within 150 miles
| County | Population |
|---|---|
| Cook County, IL | 5,225,367 |
| Milwaukee County, WI | 933,063 |
| DuPage County, IL | 930,559 |
County populations (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022) summed for every county whose centre lies within each straight-line radius. Straight lines are shorter than roads, so read these as generous upper bounds, not drive-time counts.
What could go wrong
| Hazard | FEMA rating | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|---|
| River flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.2 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 84.1 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 82.4 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 69.9 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 61.9 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 30.3 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 21.3 |
This is a county-level index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination. A coastal or wildfire-fringe rental can carry far more exposure than its county average suggests. FEMA does not model coastal flooding for this county, which is not the same as zero risk. Get property-level flood, wind and wildfire quotes before you buy.
Market context
Housing and jobs in LaSalle County
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018-2022. Vacation-home share is housing units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. All three describe the whole county, not one town or neighbourhood.
What is within 15 km of the Ottawa pin
Counts of features mapped in OpenStreetMap within 15 km of the market pin. A fixed radius favours dense metros, and map coverage varies by area.
Similar markets
The 4 tracked markets whose numbers sit closest to Ottawa's. Each links to its own report.
Closest by normalised distance across the figures both markets hold (typical 4BR value, revenue, occupancy, regulation rating, vacation-home share, tourism job share, 4+ bedroom share, amenity score, population within 300 miles, comfortable months and FEMA risk score). At most 2 of the 4 come from Illinois, so the list is not just the neighbours. Similar numbers do not mean similar rules: check each market's regulation section.
See Ottawa on the map
Open Ottawa on the National STR Map to see it against its neighbours, switch overlays and run the deal calculator on your own assumptions.
Ottawa STR questions, answered from the data
Is Airbnb legal in Ottawa?
STR HUB rates Ottawa's short-term rental rules 3/5 (Moderate) on a scale from 1 (relaxed) to 5 (very strict). That rating was derived from the regulation text we hold and has not yet been reviewed by a person. Permit rule on file: Short-term rental provisions codified in Ottawa Code of Ordinances, Chapter 26, Article XI, including a zoning-of-tract section (§26-602) and a penalty section (§26-614), administered by the city. Rules change, so confirm current requirements with the local jurisdiction before you buy or list.
How much does a 4-bedroom home cost in Ottawa?
The typical 4-bedroom home in LaSalle County is valued at $287,851 (Zillow Home Value Index), and the typical home of any size at $196,881, with all-home values up 5.7% over the past year. These are county-wide typical values, not list prices.
What brings visitors to Ottawa?
One demand driver sits within 50 miles of Ottawa: Starved Rock State Park (2,100,000 published attendance). Attendance is shown only where a source publishes it, and each driver's source is linked in the report.
What natural hazards affect Ottawa?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates LaSalle County "Relatively Moderate" overall, with a score of 86.1 out of 100 (a national percentile). The highest-scoring hazards we track there are river flooding and tornado. It is a county-wide index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination.
When is the weather best in Ottawa?
6 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F (May, June, July, August, September and October). Summer-peak climate: May to September is comfortable and December to February highs average under 45°F. These are 2019-2023 climate normals, not booking data.
Sources and method
- Regulation summary and strictness rating: STR Agent HUB regulation research (official source: library.municode.com).
- Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), county level. Data provided by Zillow Group.
- Housing, employment and population figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2018-2022.
- Natural hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, county level.
- Amenity counts: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
- Climate normals: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (CC BY 4.0), 2019-2023 averages.
- Demand drivers: each entry links its own published source in the list above.
Figures come from the STR HUB national dataset dated September 21, 2026 and this page is regenerated whenever that dataset is rebuilt. County-level figures describe LaSalle County as a whole, not one street or neighbourhood. The Opportunity Score (0-100) is a screening heuristic that weighs revenue (35%), regulatory climate (25%), tourism employment (15%), nearby amenities (15%) and large-home supply (10%) relative to the other tracked markets.
Confirm before you act. Short-term rental rules change. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction, and work with a licensed local agent who knows which properties can legally operate. This report is screening data, not investment, legal or tax advice.
Buying a short-term rental in Ottawa?
Get matched with a Ottawa agent who works short-term rentals every day and knows which properties can legally operate.
Get matched with a Ottawa STR agent →