St. Clair County, Illinois | |
|---|---|
 St. Clair County Courthouse in Belleville | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIllinois | |
 Illinois's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:38°28′N89°56′W / 38.47°N 89.93°W /38.47; -89.93 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Illinois |
| Founded | 1790 |
| Named after | Arthur St. Clair |
| Seat | Belleville |
| Largest city | Belleville |
| Area | |
• Total | 674 sq mi (1,750 km2) |
| • Land | 658 sq mi (1,700 km2) |
| • Water | 16 sq mi (41 km2) 2.4% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 257,400 |
• Estimate (2024) | 251,149 [1] |
| • Density | 391/sq mi (151/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 12th,13th |
| Website | www |
St. Clair County is theninth most populous county inIllinois. Located directly east ofSt. Louis, the county is part of theMetro East region of theGreater St. Louis metropolitan area insouthern Illinois. As of the2020 United States census, St. Clair County had a population of 257,400, making it the second most populous county in Illinois outside theNorthern Third.Belleville is thecounty seat and largest city.[2]
Along the Mississippi River,Cahokia Village was founded in 1697 by French settlers and served as a Jesuit mission to convert tribes of theIllinois Confederation to Christianity. The area became the center of the FrenchIllinois Country. Prior to the establishment of Illinois as a state, the government of theNorthwest Territory created St. Clair County in 1790. In 1809, the county became the administrative center of theIllinois Territory and one of the two original counties of Illinois, alongsideRandolph County. In 1970, theUnited States Census Bureau placed themean center of U.S. population, which generally has moved west every decennial census, in St. Clair County.[3]
This area was occupied for thousands of years by cultures of indigenous peoples. The first modern explorers and colonists of the area were French and French Canadians, founding a mission settlement in 1697 now known asCahokia Village. After Great Britain defeated France inthe Seven Years' War in 1763 and absorbed its territory in North America east of the Mississippi River, British-American colonists began to move into the area. Many French Catholics moved to settlements west of the river rather than live under British Protestant rule.
After the United Statesachieved independence in the late 18th century, St. Clair County was the first county established in present-day Illinois; it antedates Illinois' existence as a separate jurisdiction. The county was established in 1790 by a proclamation ofArthur St. Clair, first governor of theNorthwest Territory, who named it after himself.
The original boundary of St. Clair county covered a large area between theMackinaw andOhio rivers. In 1801, GovernorWilliam Henry Harrison re-established St. Clair County as part of theIndiana Territory, extending its northern border toLake Superior and the international border withRupert's Land.[4]
When theIllinois Territory was created in 1809, Territorial SecretaryNathaniel Pope, in his capacity as acting governor, issued a proclamation establishing St. Clair andRandolph County as the two original counties of Illinois.
![St. Clair County as it was re-established in 1809. This diagonal border line had been drawn by the Indiana Territorial government in 1803.[4]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aSt._Clair_County_Illinois_1809.png)
Originally developed for agriculture, this area became industrialized and urbanized in the area ofEast St. Louis, Illinois, a city that developed on the east side of the Mississippi River fromSt. Louis, Missouri. It was always strongly influenced by actions of businessmen from St. Louis, who were initially French Creole fur traders with western trading networks.
In the 19th century, industrialists from St. Louis put coal plants and otherheavy industry on the east side of the river, developing East St. Louis. Coal from southern mines was transported on the river to East St. Louis, then fed by barge to St. Louis furnaces as needed. After bridges spanned the river, industry expanded.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the cities attracted immigrants from southern and eastern Europe and from the South. In 1910 there were 6,000 African Americans in the city. With theGreat Migration underway from the rural South, to leave behindJim Crow anddisenfranchisement, by 1917, the African-American population in East St. Louis had doubled. Whites were generally hired first and given higher–paying jobs, but there were still opportunities for American blacks. If hired as strikebreakers, they were resented by white workers, and both groups competed for jobs and limited housing in East St. Louis. The city had not been able to keep up with the rapid growth of population. The United States was developing war industries to support its eventual entry into the Great War, now known asWorld War I.
In February 1917 tensions in the city arose as white workers struck at theAluminum Ore Company. Employers fiercely resisted union organizing, sometimes with violence. In this case they hired hundreds of blacks as strikebreakers. White workers complained to the city council about this practice in late May. Rumors circulated about an armed African American man robbing a white man, and whites began to attack blacks on the street. The governor ordered in the National Guard and peace seemed restored by early June.
"On July 1, a white man in a Ford shot into black homes. Armed African-Americans gathered in the area and shot into another oncoming Ford, killing two men who turned out to be police officers investigating the shooting."[5] Word spread and whites gathered at the Labor Temple; the next day they fanned out across the city, armed with guns, clubs, anything they could use against the blacks they encountered. From July 1 through July 3, 1917, theEast St. Louis riots engulfed the city, with whites attacking blacks throughout the city, pulling them from streetcars, shooting and hanging them, burning their houses. During this period, some African Americans tried to swim or use boats to get to safety; thousands crossed theEads Bridge to St. Louis, seeking refuge, until the police closed it off. The official death toll was 39 blacks and nine whites, but some historians believe more blacks were killed.[5] Because the riots were racial terrorism, the Equal Justice Initiative has included these deaths among the lynchings of African Americans in the state of Illinois in its 2017 3rd edition of its report,Lynching in America.[6]
The riots had disrupted East St. Louis, which had seemed to be on the rise as a flourishing industrial city. In addition to the human toll, they cost approximately $400,000 in property damage[7] (over $8 million, in 2017 US Dollars[8]). They have been described as among the worst labor and race-related riots in United States history, and they devastated the African-American community.
Rebuilding was difficult as workers were being drafted to fight in World War I. When the veterans returned, they struggled to find jobs and re-enter the economy, which had to shift down to peacetime.
In the late 20th century, national restructuring of heavy industry cost many jobs, hollowing out the city, which had a marked decline in population. Residents who did not leave have suffered high rates of poverty and crime. In the early 21st century, East St. Louis is a site ofurban decay. Swathes of deteriorated housing were demolished and parts of the city have becomeurban prairie. In 2017 the city marked the centennial of the riots that had so affected its residents.
Other cities in St. Clair County border agricultural or vacant lands. Unlike the suburbs on the Missouri side of the metro area, those inMetro-East are typically separated by agriculture, or otherwise undeveloped land left after the decline of industry. The central portion of St. Clair county is located on a bluff along the Mississippi River. This area is being developed with suburban housing, particularly inBelleville, and itssatellite cities. The eastern and southern portion of the county is sparsely populated. The older small communities and small tracts of newer suburban villages are located between large areas of land devoted tocorn andsoybean fields, the major commodity crops of the area.
According to the St. Clair County Historical Society, the county flag was designed in 1979 by Kent Zimmerman, a senior at O'Fallon Township High School. Zimmerman's flag won first place in a contest against submissions by more than 40 grade school and high school students from throughout the county. The winning entry features the outline of St. Clair County with an orange moon, a stalk of corn, and a pickaxe against a background of three stripes alternating green, yellow, and green.
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 674 square miles (1,750 km2), of which 658 square miles (1,700 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (2.4%) is water.[9]
| Belleville, Illinois | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate chart (explanation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Belleville have ranged from a low of 22 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 90 °F (32 °C) in July, although a record low of −27 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 117 °F (47 °C) atEast St. Louis, Illinois was recorded in July 1954.[11][12][13] Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.02 inches (51 mm) in January to 4.18 inches (106 mm) in May.[10]
Interstate 55
Interstate 64
Interstate 70
Interstate 255
U.S. Highway 40
U.S. Highway 50
Illinois Route 3
Illinois Route 4
Illinois Route 13
Illinois Route 15
Illinois Route 111
Illinois Route 156
Illinois Route 157
Illinois Route 158
Illinois Route 159
Illinois Route 161
Illinois Route 163
Illinois Route 177
Illinois Route 203
St. Clair County is home to 11St. Louis MetroLink stations on theRed andBlue Lines.
St. Clair County is also served byMetrobus andMadison County Transit.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 5,253 | — | |
| 1830 | 7,078 | 34.7% | |
| 1840 | 13,631 | 92.6% | |
| 1850 | 20,180 | 48.0% | |
| 1860 | 37,694 | 86.8% | |
| 1870 | 51,068 | 35.5% | |
| 1880 | 61,806 | 21.0% | |
| 1890 | 66,571 | 7.7% | |
| 1900 | 86,685 | 30.2% | |
| 1910 | 119,870 | 38.3% | |
| 1920 | 136,520 | 13.9% | |
| 1930 | 157,775 | 15.6% | |
| 1940 | 166,899 | 5.8% | |
| 1950 | 205,995 | 23.4% | |
| 1960 | 262,509 | 27.4% | |
| 1970 | 285,176 | 8.6% | |
| 1980 | 267,531 | −6.2% | |
| 1990 | 262,852 | −1.7% | |
| 2000 | 256,082 | −2.6% | |
| 2010 | 270,056 | 5.5% | |
| 2020 | 257,400 | −4.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 251,018 | [14] | −2.5% |
| US Decennial Census[15] 1790-1960[16] 1900-1990[17] 1990-2000[18] 2010-2019[19] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[20] | Pop 1990[21] | Pop 2000[22] | Pop 2010[23] | Pop 2020[24] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 188,772 | 185,410 | 171,151 | 169,858 | 150,496 | 70.56% | 70.54% | 66.83% | 62.90% | 58.47% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 73,095 | 70,971 | 73,282 | 81,860 | 76,013 | 27.32% | 27.00% | 28.62% | 30.31% | 29.53% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 374 | 542 | 577 | 539 | 490 | 0.14% | 0.21% | 0.23% | 0.20% | 0.19% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,302 | 1,929 | 2,257 | 3,213 | 3,623 | 0.49% | 0.73% | 0.88% | 1.19% | 1.41% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[25] | x[26] | 105 | 213 | 181 | x | x | 0.04% | 0.08% | 0.07% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 597 | 139 | 265 | 361 | 1,152 | 0.22% | 0.05% | 0.10% | 0.13% | 0.45% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[27] | x[28] | 2,841 | 5,227 | 12,863 | x | x | 1.11% | 1.94% | 5.00% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,391 | 3,861 | 5,604 | 8,785 | 12,582 | 1.27% | 1.47% | 2.19% | 3.25% | 4.89% |
| Total | 267,531 | 262,852 | 256,082 | 270,056 | 257,400 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
In the2020 United States census the racial makeup of the county was 59.6% White, 29.7% black or African American, 1.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.1% from other races, and 6.8% from two or more races. 4.9% were of Hispanic or Latino origin.[29]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 270,056 people, 105,045 households, and 70,689 families residing in the county.[30] The population density was 410.6 inhabitants per square mile (158.5/km2). There were 116,249 housing units at an average density of 176.7 per square mile (68.2/km2).[9] The racial makeup of the county was 64.6% white, 30.5% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.2% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.5% wereGerman, 11.1% wereIrish, 7.4% wereEnglish, and 4.6% wereAmerican.[31]
Of the 105,045 households, 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.7% were non-families, and 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 36.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,562 and the median income for a family was $61,042. Males had a median income of $47,958 versus $34,774 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,770. About 12.3% of families and 15.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.[32]
TheSouthwestern Illinois Correctional Center, operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections, is near East St. Louis.[33]
Also located in St. Clair County isScott Air Force Base, which is home to U.S. Transportation Command, the Air Force's Air Mobility Command, and the U.S. Army Transportation Command.
St. Clair County is a reliablyDemocratic county, having voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every presidential election since 1928, with the exception of the1972 United States presidential election.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 6,276 | 44.72% | 7,207 | 51.35% | 551 | 3.93% |
| 1896 | 8,960 | 50.96% | 8,345 | 47.46% | 278 | 1.58% |
| 1900 | 9,764 | 48.67% | 9,827 | 48.98% | 472 | 2.35% |
| 1904 | 11,926 | 55.31% | 8,200 | 38.03% | 1,435 | 6.66% |
| 1908 | 12,619 | 48.66% | 11,342 | 43.73% | 1,973 | 7.61% |
| 1912 | 8,156 | 31.53% | 10,826 | 41.85% | 6,884 | 26.61% |
| 1916 | 22,134 | 47.70% | 22,622 | 48.75% | 1,650 | 3.56% |
| 1920 | 21,681 | 51.34% | 14,032 | 33.23% | 6,518 | 15.43% |
| 1924 | 23,380 | 45.85% | 14,921 | 29.26% | 12,693 | 24.89% |
| 1928 | 31,026 | 45.60% | 36,374 | 53.46% | 637 | 0.94% |
| 1932 | 22,744 | 31.34% | 47,305 | 65.18% | 2,522 | 3.48% |
| 1936 | 26,684 | 31.86% | 54,238 | 64.75% | 2,840 | 3.39% |
| 1940 | 35,998 | 40.05% | 53,482 | 59.50% | 411 | 0.46% |
| 1944 | 33,557 | 40.82% | 48,325 | 58.78% | 327 | 0.40% |
| 1948 | 30,883 | 36.07% | 54,260 | 63.38% | 474 | 0.55% |
| 1952 | 39,713 | 39.51% | 60,311 | 60.01% | 479 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | 41,528 | 42.77% | 55,295 | 56.94% | 283 | 0.29% |
| 1960 | 42,046 | 38.31% | 67,367 | 61.38% | 338 | 0.31% |
| 1964 | 28,226 | 27.61% | 74,005 | 72.39% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 34,442 | 34.14% | 50,726 | 50.29% | 15,706 | 15.57% |
| 1972 | 50,519 | 51.50% | 46,636 | 47.54% | 942 | 0.96% |
| 1976 | 40,333 | 39.91% | 59,177 | 58.55% | 1,555 | 1.54% |
| 1980 | 46,063 | 45.76% | 50,046 | 49.71% | 4,564 | 4.53% |
| 1984 | 51,046 | 49.01% | 52,294 | 50.21% | 808 | 0.78% |
| 1988 | 41,439 | 42.58% | 55,465 | 57.00% | 409 | 0.42% |
| 1992 | 31,951 | 29.71% | 57,625 | 53.58% | 17,965 | 16.71% |
| 1996 | 33,066 | 35.02% | 53,405 | 56.56% | 7,958 | 8.43% |
| 2000 | 42,299 | 42.13% | 55,961 | 55.74% | 2,133 | 2.12% |
| 2004 | 50,203 | 44.35% | 62,410 | 55.14% | 576 | 0.51% |
| 2008 | 47,958 | 38.05% | 76,160 | 60.42% | 1,936 | 1.54% |
| 2012 | 50,125 | 41.83% | 67,285 | 56.15% | 2,417 | 2.02% |
| 2016 | 53,857 | 44.35% | 60,756 | 50.03% | 6,823 | 5.62% |
| 2020 | 57,150 | 44.47% | 68,325 | 53.17% | 3,030 | 2.36% |
| 2024 | 54,021 | 44.80% | 63,433 | 52.61% | 3,118 | 2.59% |
Here is a list of school districts with any territory in the county, no matter how slight, even if the schools and/or administrative offices are located in other counties:[36]
Places adjacent to St. Clair County, Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Topics |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Central city | ||
| Largest cities (over 50,000 in2020) | ||
| Medium-sized cities (over 20,000 in2020) | ||
| Largest towns and villages (over 10,000 in2020) |
| |
| Missouri counties | ||
| Illinois counties | ||
| Subregions | ||
Municipalities and communities ofSt. Clair County, Illinois,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Former communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Counties |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Major cities (25,000+) | ||
| Cities (5,000-25,000) | ||
| Communities (1,000-5,000) | ||
| Transit systems | ||
| Amtrak stations |
| |
| Interstates | ||
| Airports | ||
| Colleges | ||
| Sports teams |
| |
| Counties |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-sized cities (25,000+) | ||
| Small cities (10,000-25,000) | ||
| Small cities (5,000-10,000) | ||
| Transit systems | ||
| Amtrak stations | ||
| Interstates | ||
| Airports/military bases |
| |
| Universities | ||
| Colleges | ||
| Sports teams based in Southern Illinois | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
