McLean County, Illinois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| McLean County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Illinois |
|
 Illinois's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1830 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Bloomington |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,186 sq mi (3,072 km²) 1,184 sq mi (3,067 km²) 3 sq mi (8 km²), 0.37% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
150,433 127/sq mi (49/km²) |
| Website: www.co.mclean.il.us | |
McLean County is the largest county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is included in the Bloomington, Illinois-Normal, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 150,433. Its county seat is Bloomington, Illinois[1].
Contents |
[edit] Crop production
McLean County boasts some of the richest soil in the world. Only patches of farmland in Argentina, southern Ukraine and along the Yellow River in China match the fertile ground that covers much of the northern half of Illinois, particularly a high-yielding band through the state's midsection. It is the top-producing county in the United States for both corn and soybeans.
[edit] Pronunciation
McLean is pronounced "mik-LAIN" or "muh-KLAIN" (as with native son McLean Stevenson), not "mik-LEEN" as some non-natives say.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,186 sq mi (3,072 km²). 1,184 sq mi (3,065 km²) of it is land and 3 sq mi (7 km²) of it (0.23%) is water. McLean County is the largest county in Illinois in terms of land area at 1,184 square miles, and more than 100 square miles larger than the state of Rhode Island.
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Woodford County, Illinois to the northwest
- Livingston County, Illinois to the northeast
- Ford County, Illinois to the east
- Champaign County, Illinois to the southeast
- Piatt County, Illinois to the south
- DeWitt County, Illinois to the south
- Logan County, Illinois to the southwest
- Tazewell County, Illinois to the west
[edit] History
McLean County was formed late in 1830 out of Tazewell County. It was named for John McLean, United States Senator for Illinois, who died in 1830.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 67,843 |
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| 1910 | 68,008 | 0.2% | |
| 1920 | 70,107 | 3.1% | |
| 1930 | 73,117 | 4.3% | |
| 1940 | 73,930 | 1.1% | |
| 1950 | 76,577 | 3.6% | |
| 1960 | 83,877 | 9.5% | |
| 1970 | 104,389 | 24.5% | |
| 1980 | 119,149 | 14.1% | |
| 1990 | 129,180 | 8.4% | |
| 2000 | 150,433 | 16.5% | |
| IL Counties 1900-1990 | |||
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 150,433 people, 56,746 households, and 35,466 families residing in the county. The population density was 127 people per square mile (49/km²). There were 59,972 housing units at an average density of 51 per square mile (20/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.19% White, 6.19% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.05% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. 2.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 30.6% were of German, 11.5% Irish, 9.1% English and 9.0% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.5% spoke English and 2.5% Spanish as their first language.
There were 56,746 households out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.90% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.50% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.50% under the age of 18, 18.60% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 19.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,021, and the median income for a family was $61,073. Males had a median income of $41,290 versus $28,435 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,227. About 4.10% of families and 9.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.00% of those under age 18 and 5.00% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Townships
McLean County is divided into these townships:
[edit] Ghost towns
- Benjaminville
- Kumler
- Allin, named for early pioneer James Allin, father of Dr. Lee Allin.
[edit] References
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
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