Jackson County, Illinois | |
|---|---|
 Jackson County Courthouse in Murphysboro | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIllinois | |
| Coordinates:37°47′N89°23′W / 37.79°N 89.38°W /37.79; -89.38 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Illinois |
| Founded | January 10, 1816 |
| Named after | Andrew Jackson |
| Seat | Murphysboro |
| Largest city | Carbondale |
| Area | |
• Total | 602 sq mi (1,560 km2) |
| • Land | 584 sq mi (1,510 km2) |
| • Water | 18 sq mi (47 km2) 3.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 52,974 |
• Estimate (2024) | 53,199 [1] |
| • Density | 90.7/sq mi (35.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 12th |
| Website | www |
Jackson County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofIllinois with a population of 52,974 at the2020 census, the county is located 98 miles southeast ofSt. Louis.[2][3] Itscounty seat isMurphysboro,[4] and its most populous city isCarbondale, home to the main campus ofSouthern Illinois University. The county was incorporated on January 10, 1816, and named forAndrew Jackson. The community of Brownsville served as the fledgling county's first seat. Jackson County is included in the Carbondale-Marion, ILMetropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known locally as "Little Egypt".
Human occupation of Jackson County began about 11,500 years ago. Extensive documentation of the area'sindigenous peoples is ongoing. Exploration from the European explorers began with theJoliet-Marquette exploration along theMississippi River. It was not until the 18th and 19th century when pioneer farmers began to settle in the area's inexpensive land along the Mississippi River and in the forested Shawnee hills with its one-hundred-foot trees.
As early as 1810 William Boone and his indentured servant Peter mined coal from the banks along Big Muddy River. This was Illinois' first coal mine. By 1813,Conrad Will, namesake ofWill County, conducted a large salt extraction operation usingslave labor on the banks of theBig Muddy River, south of today's Murphysboro. As this was in the "free"Northwest Territory, Will had to have a legal exemption to own slaves.Jackson County, Illinois' ninth county to be organized, was organized in 1816, having been carved out of Randolph County, Illinois on the north and Johnson County, Illinois on the South. It was named forAndrew Jackson, who had just defeated theBritish Army at theBattle of New Orleans.[5] Brownsville, located near Will's salt works, was established as the county seat. When the courthouse burned in 1843, the county voted to move the county seat to a more central location. Murphysboro, located on land owned by Dr. John and Elizabeth (Jenkins) Logan, became the second county seat in September 1843. It was named after William C. Murphy, one of the three Commissioners appointed to select the site.
Civil War Major GeneralJohn A. Logan, Dr. John and Elizabeth Logan's son, was born in what is now Murphysboro on February 9, 1826. During the Civil War he moved to Carbondale, about 10 miles (16 km) east of his birthplace. He moved to Chicago in 1871. During his residence in Carbondale, he took part in a Memorial Day observation at that city's Woodlawn Cemetery. In 1868, Logan, as Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued General Order No. 11 which establishedMemorial Day as a national holiday.[6]
On March 18, 1925, the greatTri-State Tornado ripped through Jackson County, leaving devastation in its path. The villages of Gorham and De Soto and the city of Murphysboro were hit especially hard.[7][8]
The county courthouse is in downtown Murphysboro. The current reinforced concrete courthouse, completed in 1928, replaced earlier brick structures.
![Jackson County (1816–1818), including unorganized territory (formerly part of Johnson County) temporarily attached to it[9]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aJackson_County_Illinois_1816.png)
According to theUS Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 602 square miles (1,560 km2), of which 584 square miles (1,510 km2) is land and 18 square miles (47 km2) (3.0%) is water.[10] The average elevation is around 400 feet (120 m), except near the Mississippi River.
The first coal mine in Illinois was opened on the south bank of theBig Muddy River near the present-day Route 127 Bridge.
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In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Murphysboro have ranged from a low of 21 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 113 °F (45 °C) was recorded in August 1930. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.91 inches (74 mm) in January to 4.78 inches (121 mm) in May.[11]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 1,542 | — | |
| 1830 | 1,828 | 18.5% | |
| 1840 | 3,566 | 95.1% | |
| 1850 | 5,862 | 64.4% | |
| 1860 | 9,589 | 63.6% | |
| 1870 | 19,634 | 104.8% | |
| 1880 | 22,505 | 14.6% | |
| 1890 | 27,809 | 23.6% | |
| 1900 | 33,871 | 21.8% | |
| 1910 | 35,143 | 3.8% | |
| 1920 | 37,091 | 5.5% | |
| 1930 | 35,680 | −3.8% | |
| 1940 | 37,920 | 6.3% | |
| 1950 | 38,124 | 0.5% | |
| 1960 | 42,151 | 10.6% | |
| 1970 | 55,008 | 30.5% | |
| 1980 | 61,522 | 11.8% | |
| 1990 | 61,067 | −0.7% | |
| 2000 | 59,612 | −2.4% | |
| 2010 | 60,218 | 1.0% | |
| 2020 | 52,974 | −12.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 53,199 | [13] | 0.4% |
| US Decennial Census[14] 1790-1960[15] 1900-1990[16] 1990-2000[17] 2010-2013[3] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 52,974. The median age was 34.9 years, 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.9 males age 18 and over.[18]
The racial makeup of the county was 72.1%White, 14.3%Black or African American, 0.4%American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.9%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 2.7% from some other race, and 6.6% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race accounted for 5.4% of the population.[19]
59.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 40.9% lived in rural areas.[20]
There were 23,193 households in the county, of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.7% were married-couple households, 25.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[18]
There were 27,743 housing units, of which 16.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 52.1% were owner-occupied and 47.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 17.5%.[18]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[21] | Pop 1990[22] | Pop 2000[23] | Pop 2010[24] | Pop 2020[25] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 53,434 | 51,409 | 47,445 | 45,746 | 37,513 | 86.85% | 84.18% | 79.59% | 75.97% | 70.81% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 5,651 | 6,259 | 7,694 | 8,488 | 7,503 | 9.19% | 10.25% | 12.91% | 14.10% | 14.16% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 91 | 101 | 165 | 176 | 114 | 0.15% | 0.17% | 0.28% | 0.29% | 0.22% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 704 | 2,164 | 1,799 | 1,890 | 2,048 | 1.14% | 3.54% | 3.02% | 3.14% | 3.87% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[26] | x[27] | 32 | 28 | 24 | x | x | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.05% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 930 | 52 | 92 | 111 | 239 | 1.51% | 0.09% | 0.15% | 0.18% | 0.45% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[28] | x[29] | 942 | 1,376 | 2,696 | x | x | 1.58% | 2.29% | 5.09% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 712 | 1,082 | 1,443 | 2,403 | 2,837 | 1.16% | 1.77% | 2.42% | 3.99% | 5.36% |
| Total | 61,522 | 61,067 | 59,612 | 60,218 | 52,974 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2010 United States census, there were 60,218 people, 25,538 households, and 12,621 families residing in the county.[30] The population density was 103.1 inhabitants per square mile (39.8/km2). There were 28,578 housing units at an average density of 48.9 per square mile (18.9/km2).[10] The racial makeup of the county was 77.8% white, 14.3% black or African American, 3.2% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.0% of the population.[30] In terms of ancestry, 26.0% wereGerman, 14.5% wereIrish, 10.6% wereEnglish, and 5.7% wereAmerican.[31]
Of the 25,538 households, 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 50.6% were non-families, and 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 29.1 years.[30]
The median income for a household in the county was $32,169 and the median income for a family was $50,787. Males had a median income of $42,747 versus $31,244 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,294. About 17.4% of families and 28.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 32.1% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.[32]
Much of the county's economic situation is dependent uponSouthern Illinois University Carbondale and the city ofCarbondale. A rapidly developing city, it is part of theMetro Lakeland area consisting mainly of the major communities of Carbondale, Marion, Herrin, and Carterville. The outer regions of the Metro include Murphysboro, the rest of Jackson County, the rest of Williamson County, Perry County, and Saline County. Jackson County is also located near the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.
Jackson County has had a distinctive political history owing to the combination of its typically “Southern”Southern Illinois culture combined with the presence in recent times of a strong student voter population inCarbondale.
In its early years Jackson County was solidly Democratic; onlyone Republican presidential candidate won the county prior to 1892. In the following seven decades Jackson County turned solidly Republican, and whileRonald Reagan was the last Republican to carry Jackson County in 1984,Donald Trump came close to carrying it in each of his three runs, coming within less than 4% of winning the county each time.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 3,031 | 46.92% | 2,858 | 44.24% | 571 | 8.84% |
| 1896 | 3,879 | 50.91% | 3,631 | 47.65% | 110 | 1.44% |
| 1900 | 4,054 | 50.97% | 3,723 | 46.81% | 177 | 2.23% |
| 1904 | 3,984 | 56.30% | 2,350 | 33.21% | 742 | 10.49% |
| 1908 | 4,016 | 53.07% | 3,149 | 41.61% | 403 | 5.33% |
| 1912 | 2,780 | 35.49% | 3,323 | 42.42% | 1,730 | 22.09% |
| 1916 | 8,356 | 54.09% | 6,780 | 43.89% | 311 | 2.01% |
| 1920 | 8,003 | 59.96% | 4,575 | 34.28% | 769 | 5.76% |
| 1924 | 6,424 | 49.30% | 4,707 | 36.12% | 1,899 | 14.57% |
| 1928 | 9,180 | 60.79% | 5,836 | 38.64% | 86 | 0.57% |
| 1932 | 7,636 | 43.10% | 9,730 | 54.93% | 349 | 1.97% |
| 1936 | 10,363 | 50.44% | 9,971 | 48.53% | 212 | 1.03% |
| 1940 | 11,980 | 55.19% | 9,600 | 44.22% | 128 | 0.59% |
| 1944 | 10,002 | 59.57% | 6,735 | 40.11% | 54 | 0.32% |
| 1948 | 8,288 | 53.79% | 6,939 | 45.04% | 181 | 1.17% |
| 1952 | 10,193 | 57.67% | 7,457 | 42.19% | 24 | 0.14% |
| 1956 | 10,526 | 58.72% | 7,391 | 41.23% | 10 | 0.06% |
| 1960 | 10,568 | 55.30% | 8,527 | 44.62% | 17 | 0.09% |
| 1964 | 7,013 | 36.57% | 12,165 | 63.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 9,134 | 46.47% | 8,856 | 45.05% | 1,667 | 8.48% |
| 1972 | 12,393 | 48.42% | 13,146 | 51.36% | 55 | 0.21% |
| 1976 | 10,152 | 42.09% | 12,940 | 53.64% | 1,030 | 4.27% |
| 1980 | 10,505 | 44.08% | 10,291 | 43.19% | 3,033 | 12.73% |
| 1984 | 13,609 | 52.55% | 12,105 | 46.74% | 182 | 0.70% |
| 1988 | 9,687 | 45.73% | 11,334 | 53.50% | 164 | 0.77% |
| 1992 | 6,899 | 28.24% | 13,373 | 54.73% | 4,162 | 17.03% |
| 1996 | 7,422 | 33.72% | 12,214 | 55.49% | 2,375 | 10.79% |
| 2000 | 9,823 | 42.54% | 11,773 | 50.99% | 1,494 | 6.47% |
| 2004 | 11,190 | 43.33% | 14,300 | 55.37% | 336 | 1.30% |
| 2008 | 9,687 | 37.81% | 15,248 | 59.52% | 682 | 2.66% |
| 2012 | 9,864 | 40.92% | 13,319 | 55.26% | 921 | 3.82% |
| 2016 | 10,843 | 44.05% | 11,634 | 47.26% | 2,140 | 8.69% |
| 2020 | 10,890 | 47.94% | 11,181 | 49.22% | 647 | 2.85% |
| 2024 | 10,614 | 47.00% | 11,394 | 50.46% | 574 | 2.54% |
Places adjacent to Jackson County, Illinois | |
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Municipalities and communities ofJackson County, Illinois,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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