Iroquois County, Illinois | |
|---|---|
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 Location within the U.S. state ofIllinois | |
| Coordinates:40°44′N87°49′W / 40.74°N 87.82°W /40.74; -87.82 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Illinois |
| Founded | 1833 |
| Named after | Iroquois River |
| Seat | Watseka |
| Largest city | Watseka |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,119 sq mi (2,900 km2) |
| • Land | 1,117 sq mi (2,890 km2) |
| • Water | 1.6 sq mi (4.1 km2) 0.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 27,077 |
• Estimate (2024) | 26,067 [1] |
| • Density | 24.24/sq mi (9.359/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | iroquoiscountyil |
Iroquois County is acounty located in the northeast part of theU.S. state ofIllinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it has a population of 27,077.[2]It is the only county in the United States namedIroquois.[3] Thecounty seat isWatseka.[4] The county is located along the border withIndiana.
Iroquois County was created on February 26, 1833, out of a portion ofVermilion County. It was named for theIroquois River, which was itself named for the Iroquois people.[5][6] The first county seat was established at the town of Iroquois in 1837, though no official buildings were constructed there and offices were rented. Several other sites for the county seat were examined, and in 1839 it was moved to Middleport; a court house and jail were built there. There was a long battle between Middleport and Watseka (also known as South Middleport) as to which should be the county seat; in 1865, it was finally moved to Watseka.[7] The town of Middleport no longer exists, but there is a township of that name. A courthouse was built in Watseka in 1866 at a cost of $28,000 and included a jail in the basement; this building was expanded in 1881, and a new jail was built in 1893 just east of the courthouse.[8]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,119 square miles (2,900 km2), of which 1,117 square miles (2,890 km2) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) (0.1%) is water.[9] It is the third-largest county in Illinois by land area[3] and the fifth-largest by total area.
The northern border of the county is about 60 miles (97 km) south of the city ofChicago. The county is bordered on the east by the state of Indiana and its counties ofBenton andNewton. To the north liesKankakee County.Vermilion County, out of which Iroquois County was originally formed, lies to the south. To the west isFord County.
The Iroquois River enters the county from Indiana and flows westward along the south side of the village of Iroquois, then along the north side of the city of Watseka, whereupon it veers to the north and joins the largerKankakee River near the city ofKankakee in the county of the same name; the Kankakee River then flows into theIllinois River further to the northwest inWill County. Sugar Creek, further to the south, also flows from the east to the west, entering from Indiana east of Stockland; it passes through the south edge of Milford, is joined by Mud Creek coming up from the south, and winds to the north past the village of Woodland and meets the Iroquois River near Watseka.
TheIroquois County State Wildlife Area, a 2,400-acre (970 ha) state park, is located in the northeast corner of the county. There are also three nature preserves: Bonnie's Prairie,[10] Hooper Branch Savanna,[11] and Loda Cemetery Prairie.[12]
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In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Watseka have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −28 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.61 inches (41 mm) in January to 4.62 inches (117 mm) in June.[13]
Transit service in the county is provided bySHOW Bus, which operates a local bus route within Watseka.Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail service on theIllini and Saluki atGilman station.
Interstate 57 passes through the west part of the county on its route betweenChampaign andChicago. From north to south, it passes through or near Chebanse, Clifton, Ashkum, Danforth, Gilman, Onarga, Buckley, and Loda.
The county is bisected by the east–westU.S. Route 24, which passes through Gilman, Crescent City, the county seat of Watseka, and Sheldon.
Interstate 57
U.S. Highway 45
U.S. Highway 52
Illinois Route 1
Illinois Route 49
Illinois Route 54
Illinois Route 116Several railroad lines pass through the county. TheToledo, Peoria and Western Railway operates a line that begins inPeoria and runs from east to west through Iroquois County, passing through Gilman and Watseka and continuing into Indiana. ACanadian National Railway line runs nearly parallel with Interstate 57 on its way to Chicago. ACSX Transportation line passes from north to south through the eastern part of the county; aUnion Pacific line joins it south of Woodland. Further east, theKankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad operates a north–south line.[14]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 1,695 | — | |
| 1850 | 4,149 | 144.8% | |
| 1860 | 12,325 | 197.1% | |
| 1870 | 25,782 | 109.2% | |
| 1880 | 35,451 | 37.5% | |
| 1890 | 35,167 | −0.8% | |
| 1900 | 38,014 | 8.1% | |
| 1910 | 35,543 | −6.5% | |
| 1920 | 34,841 | −2.0% | |
| 1930 | 32,913 | −5.5% | |
| 1940 | 32,496 | −1.3% | |
| 1950 | 32,348 | −0.5% | |
| 1960 | 33,562 | 3.8% | |
| 1970 | 33,532 | −0.1% | |
| 1980 | 32,976 | −1.7% | |
| 1990 | 30,787 | −6.6% | |
| 2000 | 31,334 | 1.8% | |
| 2010 | 29,718 | −5.2% | |
| 2020 | 27,077 | −8.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 26,067 | [15] | −3.7% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] 1790-1960[17] 1900-1990[18] 1990-2000[19] 2010-2013[20] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 27,077. The median age was 44.5 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.3 males age 18 and over.[21]
The racial makeup of the county was 89.4%White, 0.9%Black or African American, 0.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 2.9% from some other race, and 6.2% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.7% of the population.[22]
17.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 82.7% lived in rural areas.[23]
There were 11,160 households in the county, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.7% were married-couple households, 18.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[21]
There were 12,779 housing units, of which 12.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.5% were owner-occupied and 23.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.5%.[21]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[24] | Pop 1990[25] | Pop 2000[26] | Pop 2010[27] | Pop 2020[28] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 32,251 | 29,866 | 29,580 | 27,467 | 23,602 | 97.80% | 97.01% | 94.40% | 92.43% | 87.17% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 193 | 163 | 222 | 233 | 212 | 0.59% | 0.53% | 0.71% | 0.78% | 0.78% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 23 | 30 | 42 | 42 | 38 | 0.07% | 0.10% | 0.13% | 0.14% | 0.14% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 52 | 68 | 87 | 102 | 99 | 0.16% | 0.22% | 0.28% | 0.34% | 0.37% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[29] | x[30] | 3 | 1 | 0 | x | x | 0.01% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 28 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 48 | 0.08% | 0.00% | 0.04% | 0.01% | 0.18% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[31] | x[32] | 171 | 285 | 993 | x | x | 0.55% | 0.96% | 3.67% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 429 | 660 | 1,217 | 1,584 | 2,085 | 1.30% | 2.14% | 3.88% | 5.33% | 7.70% |
| Total | 32,976 | 30,787 | 31,334 | 29,718 | 27,077 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2010 United States census, there were 29,718 people, 11,956 households, and 8,175 families residing in the county.[33] The population density was 26.6 inhabitants per square mile (10.3/km2). There were 13,452 housing units at an average density of 12.0 per square mile (4.6/km2).[9] The racial makeup of the county was 94.7% white, 0.8% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 2.6% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.3% of the population.[33] In terms of ancestry, 36.5% wereGerman, 14.1% wereIrish, 12.2% wereAmerican, and 10.1% wereEnglish.[34]
Of the 11,956 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.6% were non-families, and 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 43.4 years.[33]
The median income for a household in the county was $47,323 and the median income for a family was $56,541. Males had a median income of $43,416 versus $27,908 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,400. About 8.2% of families and 10.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.[35]
In 1855, a popular vote resulted in the adoption of township government, which was implemented in 1856. At that time, eleven townships were created;[36] they are listed below.
Over the next several decades, more townships were created from the existing ones, for a final total of twenty-six. The newer townships are listed below in order of creation.
Throughout the rest of its history, Iroquois County has been among the most solidly Republican counties in Illinois. Since 1940 only Lyndon Johnson in his 1964 landslide has garnered forty percent of the county's vote for the Democratic Party, and only Bill Clinton in 1996 has topped 35 percent since 1968. As of February 2025, the county is one of 7 that voted to join the state of Indiana.[38]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 3,936 | 47.95% | 3,848 | 46.88% | 425 | 5.18% |
| 1896 | 5,325 | 58.01% | 3,658 | 39.85% | 196 | 2.14% |
| 1900 | 5,243 | 56.39% | 3,736 | 40.19% | 318 | 3.42% |
| 1904 | 5,067 | 62.44% | 2,376 | 29.28% | 672 | 8.28% |
| 1908 | 4,855 | 58.94% | 2,966 | 36.01% | 416 | 5.05% |
| 1912 | 1,866 | 24.83% | 2,474 | 32.92% | 3,176 | 42.26% |
| 1916 | 8,503 | 61.10% | 4,977 | 35.76% | 436 | 3.13% |
| 1920 | 9,186 | 77.79% | 2,429 | 20.57% | 194 | 1.64% |
| 1924 | 7,498 | 64.07% | 2,303 | 19.68% | 1,901 | 16.25% |
| 1928 | 8,453 | 60.71% | 5,421 | 38.94% | 49 | 0.35% |
| 1932 | 6,303 | 39.65% | 9,434 | 59.34% | 161 | 1.01% |
| 1936 | 7,908 | 46.05% | 8,654 | 50.39% | 611 | 3.56% |
| 1940 | 11,047 | 60.73% | 7,036 | 38.68% | 108 | 0.59% |
| 1944 | 10,389 | 66.39% | 5,168 | 33.03% | 91 | 0.58% |
| 1948 | 9,051 | 64.65% | 4,823 | 34.45% | 127 | 0.91% |
| 1952 | 12,456 | 72.81% | 4,634 | 27.09% | 17 | 0.10% |
| 1956 | 12,104 | 72.88% | 4,487 | 27.02% | 18 | 0.11% |
| 1960 | 11,376 | 66.09% | 5,821 | 33.82% | 16 | 0.09% |
| 1964 | 9,423 | 57.28% | 7,029 | 42.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 10,885 | 67.89% | 3,897 | 24.31% | 1,251 | 7.80% |
| 1972 | 11,995 | 75.99% | 3,723 | 23.59% | 66 | 0.42% |
| 1976 | 10,129 | 65.43% | 5,167 | 33.38% | 185 | 1.20% |
| 1980 | 11,247 | 73.38% | 3,362 | 21.94% | 718 | 4.68% |
| 1984 | 11,327 | 77.13% | 3,300 | 22.47% | 58 | 0.39% |
| 1988 | 9,596 | 69.11% | 4,221 | 30.40% | 69 | 0.50% |
| 1992 | 6,948 | 47.82% | 4,440 | 30.56% | 3,142 | 21.62% |
| 1996 | 6,564 | 51.53% | 4,559 | 35.79% | 1,614 | 12.67% |
| 2000 | 8,685 | 64.70% | 4,397 | 32.75% | 342 | 2.55% |
| 2004 | 9,914 | 71.66% | 3,832 | 27.70% | 89 | 0.64% |
| 2008 | 8,695 | 63.82% | 4,643 | 34.08% | 286 | 2.10% |
| 2012 | 9,120 | 71.19% | 3,413 | 26.64% | 278 | 2.17% |
| 2016 | 9,750 | 74.42% | 2,504 | 19.11% | 848 | 6.47% |
| 2020 | 10,877 | 77.45% | 2,908 | 20.71% | 258 | 1.84% |
| 2024 | 10,376 | 77.70% | 2,747 | 20.57% | 231 | 1.73% |
Media related toIroquois County, Illinois at Wikimedia Commons
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Municipalities and communities ofIroquois County, Illinois,United States | ||
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| Villages | ||
| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| Other | |
