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Richland County, Illinois facts for kids

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Richland County
Richland County Courthouse in Olney
Richland County Courthouse in Olney
Map of Illinois highlighting Richland 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 February 24, 1841
Named for Richland County, Ohio
Seat Olney
Largest city Olney
Area
 • Total 362 sq mi (940 km2)
 • Land 356 sq mi (920 km2)
 • Water 1.9 sq mi (5 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 16,233
 • Estimate 
(2018)
15,763
 • Density 44.84/sq mi (17.314/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 15th

Richland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 16,233. Its county seat is Olney.

History

Richland County was established on February 24, 1824, out of portions of Clay and Lawrence counties.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 362 square miles (940 km2), of which 360 square miles (930 km2) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2) (0.5%) is water.

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Olney, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
2.8
 
36
19
 
 
2.7
 
42
23
 
 
4.4
 
54
32
 
 
4.4
 
65
42
 
 
4.8
 
75
52
 
 
4.1
 
84
62
 
 
4.1
 
88
66
 
 
3.6
 
86
63
 
 
3.1
 
80
55
 
 
3.3
 
69
44
 
 
4.4
 
54
34
 
 
3.7
 
41
24
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Olney have ranged from a low of 19 °F (−7 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in February 1951 and a record high of 112 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.73 inches (69 mm) in February to 4.76 inches (121 mm) in May.

Major highways

  • US 50.svg U.S. Route 50
  • Illinois 130.svg Illinois Route 130
  • Illinois 250.svg Illinois Route 250

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 4,012
1860 9,711 142.0%
1870 12,803 31.8%
1880 15,545 21.4%
1890 15,019 −3.4%
1900 16,391 9.1%
1910 15,970 −2.6%
1920 14,044 −12.1%
1930 14,053 0.1%
1940 17,137 21.9%
1950 16,889 −1.4%
1960 16,299 −3.5%
1970 16,829 3.3%
1980 17,587 4.5%
1990 16,545 −5.9%
2000 16,149 −2.4%
2010 16,233 0.5%
2018 (est.) 15,763 −2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2013

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,233 people, 6,726 households, and 4,438 families residing in the county. The population density was 45.1 inhabitants per square mile (17.4/km2). There were 7,513 housing units at an average density of 20.9 per square mile (8.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white, 0.7% Asian, 0.5% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.6% were German, 11.7% were American, 11.4% were English, and 9.2% were Irish.

Of the 6,726 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.0% were non-families, and 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 42.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,917 and the median income for a family was $53,853. Males had a median income of $41,058 versus $31,296 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,874. About 9.5% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over. Richland is the top ranked most affordable county in Illinois to buy a car and is on average $932 less expensive than other Illinois counties.

Communities

City

Villages

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Richland County is divided into nine townships:

  • Bonpas
  • Claremont
  • Decker
  • Denver
  • German
  • Madison
  • Noble
  • Olney
  • Preston

Notable people

  • Alexander W. Swanitz (1851–1915), civil engineer who participated in the construction of railroads in various parts of the country
  • Dial D. Ryder (1938–2011), gun smith

See also

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

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