The Western Illinois ARC was chartered in the summer of 1940 in Quincy, Illinois by a group of thirteen local area amateur radio operators. The WIARC is an ARRL Affiliated club and has been continuously affiliated since 1948. Since early 1990, the WIARC has been recognized as an ARRL Special Service Club. Due to the volunteer public service nature of its activities, the club has, for many years, been incorporated by the State of Illinois as a Not-For-Profit Fraternal Organization.

Club activities include sponsoring the annual August Swapfest, annual entry level training classes, an Elmer program for new amateurs, a VE Team to provide local examination opportunities, Field Day as well as other contest activities. The WIARC supports a club station located on the grounds of the Illinois Veterans Home which is available for use by all club members as well as all FCC licensed residents of the Home. The station is equipped with modern HF transceivers, an HF beam, wire antennas for the low bands as well as VHF and UHF antennas.

In addition to it's many other activities, in 2006 the WIARC will assume the responsibility of sponsoring and administering the annual Illinois QSO Party. Sponsored for many years by the Radio Amateur Megacycle Society (RAMS), the ILQP takes place each October and involves amateur operators in all Illinois counties as well as operators from across the USA and in many foreign countries as well.