Effingham County, Illinois

Effingham County, Illinois
Effingham County Building and Jail in Effingham

Seal
Map of Illinois highlighting Effingham County
Location in the state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location in the U.S.
Founded 1831
Named for Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham
Seat Effingham
Largest city Effingham
Area
 • Total 480 sq mi (1,243 km2)
 • Land 479 sq mi (1,241 km2)
 • Water 1.2 sq mi (3 km2), 0.3%
Population
 • (2010) 34,242
 • Density 72/sq mi (28/km²)
Congressional district 15th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.co.effingham.il.us

Effingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the population was 34,242.[1] Its county seat is Effingham.[2]

Effingham County comprises the Effingham, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Effingham County was formed in 1855 out of Fayette and Crawford counties. It may have been named after Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham, who resigned his commission as general in the British army in 1775, refusing to serve in the war against the Colonies. The name is Anglo-Saxon for "Effa's house". New information suggests that the county was named after a surveyor who surveyed the area whose last name was Effingham. There is no written proof that the county was named after Lord Effingham.

Effingham County Courthouse in Effingham

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 480 square miles (1,200 km2), of which 479 square miles (1,240 km2) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) (0.3%) is water.[3]

Just west of Effingham, Illinois on Interstate 70 there is a 198 ft. White Cross. 35,000 vehicles are estimated to pass the site each day. It is the world's second biggest cross, and took over 200 tons of steel to erect.

Climate and weather

Effingham, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
2.4
 
 
35
18
 
 
2.5
 
 
41
22
 
 
3.6
 
 
52
32
 
 
4.1
 
 
64
42
 
 
4.5
 
 
74
52
 
 
4.3
 
 
83
62
 
 
4.5
 
 
87
66
 
 
2.9
 
 
85
63
 
 
3
 
 
78
55
 
 
3
 
 
67
43
 
 
4.1
 
 
52
34
 
 
3.3
 
 
40
23
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[4]

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Effingham have ranged from a low of 18 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −29 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1915 and a record high of 111 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.38 inches (60 mm) in January to 4.51 inches (115 mm) in July.[4]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

2000 census age pyramid for Effingham County
Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18401,675—
18503,799126.8%
18607,816105.7%
187015,653100.3%
188018,92020.9%
189019,3582.3%
190020,4655.7%
191020,055−2.0%
192019,556−2.5%
193019,013−2.8%
194022,03415.9%
195021,675−1.6%
196023,1076.6%
197024,6086.5%
198030,94425.7%
199031,7042.5%
200034,2648.1%
201034,242−0.1%
Est. 201334,3070.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2013[1]

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 34,264 people, 13,001 households, and 9,178 families residing in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile (28/km²). There were 13,959 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.66% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 54.4% were of German, 14.5% American, 7.8% English and 6.3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.6% spoke English and 1.2% Spanish as their first language.

There were 13,001 households out of which 36.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.60% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,379, and the median income for a family was $46,895. Males had a median income of $31,442 versus $21,121 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,301. About 6.00% of families and 8.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.10% of those under age 18 and 7.10% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Effingham County is one of Illinois's most Republican counties, if not the most. In the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, John McCain carried the county by a 36% margin over Barack Obama, making it McCain's strongest county in the state, with Obama carrying his home state by a 25.1% margin over McCain.[10]

Communities

Cities

Town

Villages

Townships

Effingham County is divided into fifteen townships:

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Monthly Averages for Effingham, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  9. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  10. ↑ U.S. Election Atlas

External links

 Shelby County Cumberland County
Fayette County Jasper County
   Effingham County, Illinois  
Clay County

Coordinates: 39°04′N 88°35′W / 39.06°N 88.59°W