Jersey County, Illinois | |
|---|---|
 Jersey County Courthouse in Jerseyville | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIllinois | |
 Illinois's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:39°05′N90°22′W / 39.09°N 90.36°W /39.09; -90.36 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Illinois |
| Founded | February 28, 1839 |
| Named after | New Jersey |
| Seat | Jerseyville |
| Largest city | Jerseyville |
| Area | |
• Total | 377 sq mi (980 km2) |
| • Land | 369 sq mi (960 km2) |
| • Water | 7.9 sq mi (20 km2) 2.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 21,512 |
• Estimate (2024) | 21,150 [1] |
| • Density | 58.3/sq mi (22.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 15th |
| Website | www |
Jersey County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofIllinois. At the2020 census, it had a population of 21,512.[2] Thecounty seat and largest community isJerseyville, with a population of 8,337 in 2010.[3] The county's smallest incorporated community isOtterville, with a population of 87.
Jersey County is included in theSt. Louis,MO-ILMetropolitan Statistical Area.
Jersey County lies just northeast of where the greatMississippi andIllinois rivers meet. It is the former home of theKickapoo,Menominee,Potawatomi, andIlliniwek Confederation Native Americans. The first European explorers to visit the area,Father Marquette andLouis Jolliet, arrived in 1673,[4] where they encountered the fearsome painting of thePiasa bird. The present dayPere Marquette State Park, located nearGrafton, is named in Father Marquette's honor, and a monument to him is located at the park.
Jersey County was founded on February 28, 1839, and was formed out ofGreene County. The county was named for the state ofNew Jersey,[5] from which many of the early settlers emigrated - which was itself named for theChannel Island ofJersey inGreat Britain. The area quickly evolved into several small agricultural communities. As the area soon began to flourish, a county government was established and a courthouse was built in Jerseyville, the county seat. The Jersey County Courthouse was designed by architect Henry Elliott who also designed the courthouses in nearbyGreene County,Edgar County, Illinois,DeWitt County, Illinois (later demolished in 1987) andPike County, Illinois. The cornerstone for the courthouse was laid on July 4, 1893. The Romanesque Revival style courthouse is a magnificent architectural structure of limestone quarried from the nearby town of Grafton, Illinois.
Today, while the county maintains its agricultural base, it is also within commuting distance of jobs and industry inSt. Louis, Missouri and the surrounding area. A large portion of the population works outside of Jersey County and benefits from being "Near the crowd, but not in it.", the official slogan of theJersey County Business Association's advertising campaign. The bordering rivers play an important part in Jersey County's economy by supporting agricultural producers andagribusiness, and by creating a strong tourist market. Education, manufacturing, and retail are also among the county's largest industries.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 377 square miles (980 km2), of which 369 square miles (960 km2) is land and 7.9 square miles (20 km2) (2.1%) is water.[6] Jersey County is bordered by three bodies of water: theMississippi River to the south, theIllinois River to the west, andMacoupin Creek to the northwest.
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Typically, the county's climate reflects mostMidwest areas, located in the transitional zone between thehumid continental climate type and thehumid subtropical climate type (KöppenDfa andCfa, respectively), with neither large mountains nor large bodies of water to moderate its temperature. Spring is the wettest season and produces severe weather ranging from tornadoes to snow or ice storms. Summers are hot and humid, and the humidity often makes theheat index rise to temperatures feeling well above 100 °F (38 °C). Fall is mild with lower humidity and can produce intermittent bouts of heavy rainfall with the firstsnow flurries usually forming in late November. Winters can be cold at times with periodic light snow and temperatures below freezing.
In recent years, average temperatures in Jerseyville have ranged from a low of 17 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July. The record low temperature of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1977 and the record high temperature of 112 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranges from 1.92 inches (49 mm) in January to 4.14 inches (105 mm) in April.[7]
U.S. Route 67
Illinois Route 3
Illinois Route 16
Illinois Route 100
Illinois Route 109
Illinois Route 111
Illinois Route 267Adjacent counties | |
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| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 4,535 | — | |
| 1850 | 7,354 | 62.2% | |
| 1860 | 12,051 | 63.9% | |
| 1870 | 15,054 | 24.9% | |
| 1880 | 15,542 | 3.2% | |
| 1890 | 14,810 | −4.7% | |
| 1900 | 14,612 | −1.3% | |
| 1910 | 13,954 | −4.5% | |
| 1920 | 12,682 | −9.1% | |
| 1930 | 12,556 | −1.0% | |
| 1940 | 13,636 | 8.6% | |
| 1950 | 15,264 | 11.9% | |
| 1960 | 17,023 | 11.5% | |
| 1970 | 18,492 | 8.6% | |
| 1980 | 20,538 | 11.1% | |
| 1990 | 20,539 | 0.0% | |
| 2000 | 21,668 | 5.5% | |
| 2010 | 22,985 | 6.1% | |
| 2020 | 21,512 | −6.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 21,150 | [8] | −1.7% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2013[2] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[13] | Pop 1990[14] | Pop 2000[15] | Pop 2010[16] | Pop 2020[17] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 20,310 | 20,267 | 21,148 | 22,281 | 20,105 | 98.89% | 98.68% | 97.60% | 96.94% | 93.46% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 62 | 94 | 113 | 89 | 156 | 0.30% | 0.46% | 0.52% | 0.39% | 0.73% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 33 | 40 | 38 | 52 | 21 | 0.16% | 0.19% | 0.18% | 0.23% | 0.10% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 26 | 32 | 54 | 76 | 74 | 0.13% | 0.16% | 0.25% | 0.33% | 0.34% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[18] | x[19] | 7 | 6 | 3 | x | x | 0.03% | 0.03% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 9 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 32 | 0.04% | 0.01% | 0.03% | 0.05% | 0.15% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[20] | x[21] | 140 | 248 | 794 | x | x | 0.65% | 1.08% | 3.69% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 98 | 103 | 162 | 222 | 327 | 0.48% | 0.50% | 0.75% | 0.97% | 1.52% |
| Total | 20,538 | 20,539 | 21,668 | 22,985 | 21,512 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2010 United States census, there were 22,985 people, 8,828 households, and 6,228 families residing in the county.[22] The population density was 62.2 inhabitants per square mile (24.0/km2). There were 9,848 housing units at an average density of 26.7 per square mile (10.3/km2).[6] The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population.[22] In terms of ancestry, 42.8% wereGerman, 14.7% wereIrish, 10.6% wereEnglish, and 8.6% wereAmerican.[23]
Of the 8,828 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 40.5 years.[22]
The median income for a household in the county was $53,470 and the median income for a family was $64,773. Males had a median income of $48,750 versus $31,789 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,368. About 5.6% of families and 8.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.[24]
Jersey County is divided into eleventownships:
The population ranking of the following table is based on the2020 census of Jersey County.
†county seat
| Rank | Place | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | †Jerseyville | City | 8,336 |
| 2 | Brighton (partially inMacoupin County) | Village | 2,221 |
| 3 | Grafton | City | 626 |
| 4 | Elsah | Village | 519 |
| 5 | Fieldon | Village | 176 |
| 6 | Fidelity | Village | 96 |
| 7 | Otterville | Town | 87 |
| Position | Person | Party |
|---|---|---|
| County Board Chairman | Gary Krueger | Republican |
| County Board Majority | 12-0 | Republican |
| Circuit Clerk | Mitch Reynolds | Republican |
| County Clerk | Pam Warford | Republican |
| Coroner | Kevin Ayres | Republican |
| Sheriff | Nicholas Manns | Independent |
| State's Attorney | Benjamin L. Goetten | Independent |
| Regional Superintendent | Michelle Mueller | Democratic |
| Treasurer | Rebecca Strang | Republican |
TheRepublican Party holds five of eight countywide elected positions as of 2022 as well as an 12 to zero majority on the county board.[25]
Jersey County is part of Regional Office of Education #40 which includes neighboringMacoupin,Calhoun andGreene counties. The office operates a facility in Jerseyville.
Jersey County is divided into two legislative districts in theIllinois House of Representatives:
The county is also divided into two legislative districts in theIllinois Senate:
As of February 2025, the county is one of 7 that voted to join the state of Indiana.[26]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 1,314 | 37.37% | 2,011 | 57.20% | 191 | 5.43% |
| 1896 | 1,641 | 40.22% | 2,377 | 58.26% | 62 | 1.52% |
| 1900 | 1,496 | 40.08% | 2,145 | 57.46% | 92 | 2.46% |
| 1904 | 1,531 | 45.30% | 1,713 | 50.68% | 136 | 4.02% |
| 1908 | 1,460 | 43.17% | 1,818 | 53.76% | 104 | 3.08% |
| 1912 | 838 | 29.33% | 1,573 | 55.06% | 446 | 15.61% |
| 1916 | 2,644 | 45.34% | 3,052 | 52.34% | 135 | 2.32% |
| 1920 | 2,873 | 57.90% | 1,999 | 40.29% | 90 | 1.81% |
| 1924 | 2,460 | 44.44% | 2,723 | 49.19% | 353 | 6.38% |
| 1928 | 2,993 | 54.62% | 2,473 | 45.13% | 14 | 0.26% |
| 1932 | 2,157 | 35.54% | 3,807 | 62.73% | 105 | 1.73% |
| 1936 | 3,023 | 42.81% | 3,955 | 56.01% | 83 | 1.18% |
| 1940 | 3,958 | 51.44% | 3,692 | 47.99% | 44 | 0.57% |
| 1944 | 3,546 | 54.67% | 2,910 | 44.87% | 30 | 0.46% |
| 1948 | 3,021 | 49.21% | 3,092 | 50.37% | 26 | 0.42% |
| 1952 | 4,031 | 54.03% | 3,424 | 45.89% | 6 | 0.08% |
| 1956 | 4,220 | 55.24% | 3,415 | 44.70% | 5 | 0.07% |
| 1960 | 4,247 | 50.90% | 4,087 | 48.99% | 9 | 0.11% |
| 1964 | 3,041 | 43.59% | 3,936 | 56.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 3,806 | 46.81% | 3,350 | 41.21% | 974 | 11.98% |
| 1972 | 5,164 | 60.70% | 3,317 | 38.99% | 26 | 0.31% |
| 1976 | 4,273 | 47.57% | 4,625 | 51.49% | 85 | 0.95% |
| 1980 | 5,266 | 58.61% | 3,324 | 36.99% | 395 | 4.40% |
| 1984 | 5,146 | 57.60% | 3,762 | 42.11% | 26 | 0.29% |
| 1988 | 4,343 | 49.62% | 4,376 | 50.00% | 33 | 0.38% |
| 1992 | 2,933 | 29.06% | 4,749 | 47.05% | 2,411 | 23.89% |
| 1996 | 3,211 | 36.63% | 4,275 | 48.77% | 1,280 | 14.60% |
| 2000 | 4,699 | 49.92% | 4,355 | 46.27% | 359 | 3.81% |
| 2004 | 5,435 | 53.62% | 4,597 | 45.35% | 105 | 1.04% |
| 2008 | 5,329 | 50.20% | 5,042 | 47.50% | 244 | 2.30% |
| 2012 | 6,039 | 60.38% | 3,667 | 36.67% | 295 | 2.95% |
| 2016 | 7,748 | 70.49% | 2,679 | 24.37% | 564 | 5.13% |
| 2020 | 8,712 | 72.84% | 2,961 | 24.76% | 287 | 2.40% |
| 2024 | 8,684 | 73.95% | 2,816 | 23.98% | 243 | 2.07% |
Jersey County's federal political history is fairly typical of "anti-Yankee" Southern Illinois counties.[citation needed] It voted solidly Democratic untilWarren G. Harding carried the county in his record 1920 landslide. It voted Republican again inHerbert Hoover's landslide of 1928, but otherwise was firmly Democratic untilWorld War II, when opposition to US involvement turned the county toWendell Willkie and thenThomas E. Dewey. Between 1948 and 2004, Jersey County became something of abellwether county, voting for every winning presidential candidate except in the Catholicism-influenced 1960 election, and that of 1988 which was heavily influenced bya major Midwestern drought. Disagreement with the Democratic Party's liberal views on social issues since the 1990s has caused a powerful swing back to the Republicans in the past quarter-century.[28] As is typical of theUpland South,Hillary Clinton in 2016 did far worse than any previous Democrat, whileJoe Biden performed marginally better in the 2020 election.[citation needed]
Jersey County is located inIllinois's 15th congressional district and is currently represented byMary Miller (R-Oakland) in theU.S. House of Representatives.[29]
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| Footnotes | ‡ This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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