Johnson County is nestled in the hills of Southernmost Illinois, between the Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers in the heart of the Shawnee National Forest.  Southernmost Illinois is a haven for the outdoorsman.  In addition to the Forest, a variety of State Parks and other natural areas are located in the region.  If you love the outdoors, you will love Johnson County and Southernmost Illinois.     

Vienna, the county seat, has direct access to Interstate 24 (I-24) with interchanges at mile markers 14 & 16.  Goreville, in the northern part of the county, has an I-24 interchange at mile marker 7 and an Interstate 57 (I-57) interchange at mile marker 40, just south of the junction of I-24 and I-57. 

A portion of the county is located in The Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone (SIDEZ), which received federal empowerment zone designation in December 1998.