Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. It had a population of 3,308 at the 2020 censu…Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. It had a population of 3,308 at the 2020 census. A 581-acre section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District. The city is named for the mineral galena, which was in the ore that formed the basis for the region's early lead mining economy.