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Hamilton County, Illinois facts for kids

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Hamilton County
Hamilton County Courthouse in McLeansboro
Hamilton County Courthouse in McLeansboro
Official seal of Hamilton County
Seal
Map of Illinois highlighting Hamilton County
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Illinois
Founded 1821
Named for Alexander Hamilton
Seat McLeansboro
Largest city McLeansboro
Area
 • Total 436 sq mi (1,130 km2)
 • Land 435 sq mi (1,130 km2)
 • Water 1.2 sq mi (3 km2)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 7,993
 • Density 18.333/sq mi (7.078/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 15th

Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. At the 2020 census, its population was 7,993. Its county seat is McLeansboro. It is located in the southern portion of the state known locally as "Little Egypt".

History

Hamilton County was formed out of White County in 1821. It is named for Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary War hero and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury.

In 1925, numerous people were killed by the infamous Tri-State Tornado in an unprecedented rural death toll.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 436 square miles (1,130 km2), of which 435 square miles (1,130 km2) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) (0.3%) is water.

Climate and weather

Weather chart for McLeansboro, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
3.2
 
39
20
 
 
2.8
 
45
24
 
 
4.5
 
55
34
 
 
4.6
 
66
43
 
 
4.7
 
76
53
 
 
3.9
 
85
62
 
 
3.5
 
89
66
 
 
3
 
88
63
 
 
2.9
 
81
55
 
 
3
 
70
43
 
 
4.5
 
56
35
 
 
3.6
 
44
25
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of McLeansboro have ranged from a low of 20 °F (−7 °C) in January to a high of 89 °F (32 °C) in July, although a record low of −23 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1930 and a record high of 113 °F (45 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.76 inches (70 mm) in February to 4.67 inches (119 mm) in May.

Major highways

  • Illinois 14.svg Illinois Route 14
  • Illinois 142.svg Illinois Route 142
  • Illinois 242.svg Illinois Route 242

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1830 2,616
1840 3,945 50.8%
1850 6,362 61.3%
1860 9,915 55.8%
1870 13,014 31.3%
1880 16,712 28.4%
1890 17,800 6.5%
1900 20,197 13.5%
1910 18,227 −9.8%
1920 15,920 −12.7%
1930 12,995 −18.4%
1940 13,454 3.5%
1950 12,256 −8.9%
1960 10,010 −18.3%
1970 8,665 −13.4%
1980 9,172 5.9%
1990 8,499 −7.3%
2000 8,621 1.4%
2010 8,457 −1.9%
2020 7,993 −5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013
USA Hamilton County, Illinois age pyramid
2000 census age pyramid for Hamilton County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 8,457 people, 3,489 households, and 2,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 19.5 inhabitants per square mile (7.5/km2). There were 4,104 housing units at an average density of 9.4 per square mile (3.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.2% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 33.1% were German, 20.7% were Irish, 11.4% were English, and 10.3% were American.

Of the 3,489 households, 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.9% were non-families, and 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 43.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,032 and the median income for a family was $50,878. Males had a median income of $45,245 versus $23,491 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,602. About 8.2% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

Town

Villages

Unincorporated communities

  • Aden
  • Blairsville (Flannigan's Store)
  • Braden
  • Bungay
  • Dale
  • Delafield
  • Diamond City
  • Feakeyville
  • Flint
  • Garrison
  • Hoodville
  • Jefferson City, IL
  • Logansport, IL
  • Lovilla
  • New Bremen
  • Olga
  • Piopolis
  • Rectorville
  • Slapout
  • Thackeray
  • Thurber
  • Tucker's Corner
  • Walpole

Townships

Hamilton County is divided into twelve townships:

  • Beaver Creek
  • Crook
  • Crouch
  • Dahlgren
  • Flannigan
  • Knights Prairie
  • Mayberry
  • McLeansboro
  • South Crouch
  • South Flannigan
  • South Twigg
  • Twigg

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Hamilton (Illinois) para niños

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