Collinsville, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Collinsville
City
Collinsville, Illinois in 2017
Motto(s):  "Horseradish Capital of the World"
Location of Collinsville in Madison County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Madison, St. Clair
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• Total	15.26 sq mi (39.53 km2)
• Land	15.08 sq mi (39.05 km2)
• Water	0.19 sq mi (0.48 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	24,366
• Density	1,616.10/sq mi (624.00/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
FIPS code	17-15599
Website	Collinsville, Illinois

Collinsville is a city located mainly in Madison County, and partially in St. Clair County, both in Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 25,579, an increase from 24,707 in 2000. Collinsville is approximately 12 miles (19 km) from St. Louis, Missouri and is considered part of that city's Metro-East area. It is the site of the Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower, the world's largest ketchup bottle, and is the world's horseradish capital.

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, a National Historic Landmark and UNESCO World Heritage Site, extends beyond the boundaries of the city toward the west. This prehistoric urban complex is estimated to have had a population of thousands at its peak, long before European exploration in the area. Monks Mound, the largest man-made earthwork in North America, is part of this complex.

Geography

Collinsville is located at 38°40′28″N 89°59′43″W / 38.67444°N 89.99528°W / 38.67444; -89.99528 (38.674398, -89.995402), approximately 12 miles due east of St Louis.

According to the 2010 census, Collinsville has a total area of 14.874 square miles (38.52 km²), of which 14.68 square miles (38.02 km²) (or 98.7%) is land and 0.194 square miles (0.50 km²) (or 1.3%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 25,579 people, 10,458 households, and 6,672 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,817.4 people per square mile (701.9/km²). There were 11,025 housing units at an average density of 811.0 per square mile (313.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.4% White, 11.2% African American, 0.8% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 1.7% from other races (according to the "race alone of in combination" section of the Census Summary File 1).

There were 10,458 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,353, and the median income for a family was $54,956. Males had a median income of $39,379 versus $27,409 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,048. About 5.6% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Identifying traits

Collinsville is the self-proclaimed "Horseradish Capital of the World", and sponsors an annual Horseradish Festival. The area is said to produce 85% of the world's horseradish, of such high quality that Germany and China (key users of the herb) import it for gourmet use. The Horseradish Festival is always during the first weekend in June and is held at Woodland Park located off of Route 159 in Collinsville. There are many activities for all ages, including a 5K, live music, a beauty pageant, and root grinding demonstrations. One of the most popular events is the Root Derby sponsored by American Family Insurance in which participants make a derby car out of a real horseradish root and race them during the festival.

Known for having a large ethnic Italian population, Collinsville also hosts an annual Italian Fest in the fall. The Italian Fest has been held every year since 1983 and is located uptown Collinsville on Main Street. This two-day festival celebrates everything Italian and is full of live music and vendors selling authentic Italian food such as spedini, spumoni, bagna cauda, canolli, and Italian Ices. Along with the festival, there are other activities including a parade, midnight bike ride, 5K Run/Walk, Little Miss & Mister Pageant, Bocce Ball Tournament, and a grape stomp.

The 90W longitude line passes through Collinsville.

The Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower, a water tower in Collinsville.

Collinsville is also home of the Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower, "the world's largest catsup bottle", a 170-foot-tall (52 m) water tower in the shape of a ketchup bottle, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bottle along with the property was put up for sale for USD $500,000.00 on July 12, 2014. In order to celebrate this roadside landmark, Collinsville hosts an annual World's Largest Catsup Bottle Festival in July.

The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is located within the city limits of Collinsville. The largest Pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico, this was one of the first eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites designated within the United States. At its peak about 1200 CE, it had a population of 20,000-30,000, more than any city in the present-day United States until after 1800. It includes Monks Mound, the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas, and more than 70 surviving smaller mounds. Monks Mound is larger at its base than the Great Pyramid of Giza. The complex also includes a reconstructed Woodhenge, used for complex astronomical sightings. There is a museum and visitors' center.

Collinsville was originally settled by the Cook family and by a group of German American settlers who arrived by Conestoga wagon in 1812, from Pennsylvania, and who founded the Holy Cross Lutheran Church. They also had a hardware store, though they were mainly farmers. Within five or six years, a number of other settlers had arrived and began to perform the legal work required to form a town on the site. These original settlers are all buried in the Cook Cemetery or the Old Lutheran Cemetery. Other early settlers are buried in the Old German Cemetery near Sugarloaf Road near Maryville, Illinois.

Collinsville High School, whose teams are stylized as the Kahoks (named for a fictional Native American tribe), has won several Illinois State Championships, in 1961, 1965 (basketball), 1980 (baseball), 1981, 1986, 1991, 1992 (soccer), and 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 (Dance Team).

The Fairmount Park Racetrack for horse racing is located in Collinsville. The racetrack is owned by the corporation Ogden-Fairmount Incorporated. This is one of five total racetracks in Illinois, and the only one located outside of Chicago. Fairmont Park Racetrack features a one-mile oval dirt track and opened in 1925. The racetrack originally hosted Thoroughbred flat racing as well as Standardbred harness racing. The racetrack has hosted popular races including the Fairmont Derby in the 1920s and the St. Louis Derby in 2006 along with other weekly live races. There are three restaurants at the track for speculators to enjoy: the Top of the Turf, the Black Stallion Room, and the 1st Turn Café. Admission for live racing is $1.50 per person on Tuesdays and $2.50 per person on Fridays and Saturdays.

There are several historical buildings in Collinsville. An impressive landmark built in 1885, the City Hall is still a working operation today. Built on property originally owned by the Collins family, this impressive structure features Italianate architecture with window crowns. Just a short, half-block walk from City Hall, the impressive State Bank of Collinsville building stands at the corner of Center and Main Streets. Designed in 1916 by architect Robert G. Kirsch, the beautiful structure features limestone exterior and marble interior walls. Although no longer operated as a bank, the building still has a looming presence and attracts the attention of visitors. Continuing west on Main Street, the Collinsville Public Library is about a three-block walk from the State Bank building. A colonial style brick building with an inviting circular stone walkway, the original library was completed in 1937. Additional wings were added in 1967 and 1980.

Notable people

• Michelle Bartsch-Hackley, Team USA Olympic volleyball player and professional volleyball player; grew up in Collinsville
• Art Fletcher, shortstop with the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies; born in Collinsville
• Moses Harrison, Illinois jurist; born in Collinsville
• Tanner Houck, pitcher drafted as the 24th overall pick by the Boston Red Sox during the 2017 MLB Draft; grew up in Collinsville
• Tom Jager Olympic Gold Medalist Swimming, went to Collinsville High School
• Jerry Kane, first baseman and catcher for the St Louis Browns; born in Collinsville
• Tony Malinosky, third baseman and shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers; born in Collinsville
• George M. McCormick, Illinois state senator; lived in Collinsville
• James O. Monroe. Illinois state legislator and newspaper editor; lived in Collinsville
• Terry Moore, center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals; lived and died in Collinsville
• George Musso, Football Hall of Fame lineman for the Chicago Bears; born in Collinsville
• Ken Oberkfell former infielder St. Louis Cardinals 1982 World Series Champ went to Collinsville High School
• Alexandra Picatto, former child actress; born in Collinsville
• Joe Reiniger, forward for the St. Louis Illusion (Major Indoor Soccer League-MISL)
• John Shimkus, US congressman; born in Collinsville
• Kevin Stallings, former college basketball coach; born in Collinsville
• Michael Stipe, lead singer of R.E.M.; graduated from high school in Collinsville
• Daniel A. Vallero, research scientist; author; adjunct professor of engineering at Duke University; grew up in Collinsville

See also

In Spanish: Collinsville (Illinois) para niños