| Counties of Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Location | State of Illinois |
| Number | 102 |
| Populations | 3,550 (Hardin) – 5,182,617 (Cook) |
| Areas | 172 square miles (450 km2) (Putnam) – 1,186 square miles (3,070 km2) (McLean) |
| Government | |
| Subdivisions | |
There are 102counties inIllinois. The most populous of these isCook County, the second-most populous county in the United States and the home ofChicago, while the least populous isHardin County. The largest by land area isMcLean County, while the smallest isPutnam County. Illinois'sFIPS state code is 17 and its postal abbreviation is IL.
What is now Illinois was claimed as part ofIllinois County, Virginia, between 1778 and 1782. Modern-day county formation dates to 1790 when the area was part of theNorthwest Territory; two counties — St. Clair and Knox — were created at that time. Knox would later becomea county in Indiana and is unrelated to the current Knox County in Illinois, while St. Clair would becomethe oldest county in Illinois. Successive territorial governments created 15 counties by the time Illinoisachieved statehood in 1818. The last county created in the state,Ford County, was created by the Illinois government in 1859.
Most counties in Illinois were named after early American leaders, especially of theAmerican Revolutionary War, as well as soldiers from theBattle of Tippecanoe and theWar of 1812. Some are named after natural features or counties in other states. Some are named for early Illinois leaders. Two counties are named for Native American tribes, and one bears the name of a plant used as a food source by Native Americans.
While it does havea Lincoln city, Illinois does not have a county named afterAbraham Lincoln; it does, however, have aDouglas County (founded 1859) named after his political rivalStephen A. Douglas. It also hasCalhoun County (founded 1825), named afterJohn C. Calhoun, outspoken for his pro-slavery and pro-southern views in the years preceding theAmerican Civil War. Several of the counties are named after Southerners, reflecting the fact that Illinois wasfor a short time part ofVirginia, and settled in its early years by many Southerners. No counties are named after heroes of theCivil War, mainly because the counties were all named before that war. The state does have aLee County (founded 1839) named after the American Revolution'sHenry Lee III, the father ofRobert E. Lee from the Civil War, who at one time served in Illinois. Illinois also has two counties named after the same person, the prominent early 19th century New York governor and presidential candidateDeWitt Clinton (DeWitt County, and Clinton County).
Information on theFIPS county code,county seat, year of establishment, origin,etymology, population, area and map of each county is included in the table below.
Note: the links in theFIPS County Code column are to theUnited States Census Bureau page for that county.
| County | FIPS code[1] | County seat[2] | Est.[2] | Origin | Etymology[3][4] | Population[5] | Area[2] | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 001 | Quincy | 1825 | Pike County | John Quincy Adams (1767–1848), sixthPresident of the United States | 64,109 | 855 sq mi (2,214 km2) | |
| Alexander County | 003 | Cairo | 1819 | Union County | William M. Alexander, settler and state representative in theIllinois General Assembly | 4,594 | 236 sq mi (611 km2) | |
| Bond County | 005 | Greenville | 1817 | Crawford County, Edwards County, and Madison County | Shadrach Bond (1773–1832), firstGovernor of Illinois | 16,576 | 380 sq mi (984 km2) | |
| Boone County | 007 | Belvidere | 1837 | Winnebago County | Daniel Boone (1734–1820), trailblazer of theWilderness Road in Kentucky | 53,313 | 280 sq mi (725 km2) | |
| Brown County | 009 | Mount Sterling | 1839 | Schuyler County | Jacob Brown (1775–1828), successfulWar of 1812 army officer responsible for Great Lakes defenses | 6,307 | 305 sq mi (790 km2) | |
| Bureau County | 011 | Princeton | 1837 | Putnam County | Pierre de Bureo, Frenchman,North American fur trader | 32,486 | 869 sq mi (2,251 km2) | |
| Calhoun County | 013 | Hardin | 1825 | Pike County | John C. Calhoun (1782–1850),South Carolina senator and seventhVice President of the United States | 4,224 | 253 sq mi (655 km2) | |
| Carroll County | 015 | Mount Carroll | 1839 | Jo Daviess | Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737–1832), signed theDeclaration of Independence on behalf ofMaryland | 15,444 | 445 sq mi (1,153 km2) | |
| Cass County | 017 | Virginia | 1837 | Morgan County | Lewis Cass (1782–1866), second governor ofMichigan Territory, fourteenthUnited States Secretary of War | 12,713 | 375 sq mi (971 km2) | |
| Champaign County | 019 | Urbana | 1833 | Vermilion County | Champaign County, Ohio, which took its name from theFrench for "open level country" | 212,374 | 996 sq mi (2,580 km2) | |
| Christian County | 021 | Taylorville | 1839 | Sangamon County | Christian County, Kentucky, which was named afterWilliam Christian | 33,247 | 709 sq mi (1,836 km2) | |
| Clark County | 023 | Marshall | 1819 | Crawford County | George Rogers Clark (1752–1818), highest-ranking officer in theNorthwest Territory during theAmerican Revolution | 15,076 | 501 sq mi (1,298 km2) | |
| Clay County | 025 | Louisville | 1824 | Wayne, Lawrence, Fayette, and Crawford County | Henry Clay (1777–1852), Kentucky legislator who negotiated theMissouri Compromise | 12,821 | 468 sq mi (1,212 km2) | |
| Clinton County | 027 | Carlyle | 1824 | Washington, Bond, and Fayette County | DeWitt Clinton (1769–1828),Governor of New York, responsible for the construction of theErie Canal | 37,087 | 474 sq mi (1,228 km2) | |
| Coles County | 029 | Charleston | 1830 | Clark and Edgar County | Edward Coles (1786–1868), secondGovernor of Illinois, responsible for the abolition of slavery in Illinois | 46,423 | 508 sq mi (1,316 km2) | |
| Cook County | 031 | Chicago | 1831 | Putnam County | Daniel Pope Cook (1794–1827), politician and firstAttorney General of Illinois | 5,182,617 | 944 sq mi (2,445 km2) | |
| Crawford County | 033 | Robinson | 1816 | Edwards County | William H. Crawford (1772–1834), ninthUnited States Secretary of War, seventhSecretary of the Treasury | 18,388 | 443 sq mi (1,147 km2) | |
| Cumberland County | 035 | Toledo | 1843 | Coles County | Disputed:Cumberland Road, which entered the county;Cumberland, Maryland; orCumberland River in Kentucky | 10,305 | 345 sq mi (894 km2) | |
| DeKalb County | 037 | Sycamore | 1837 | Kane County | Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), German officer in theContinental Army who fought alongsideGilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette | 101,335 | 631 sq mi (1,634 km2) | |
| DeWitt County | 039 | Clinton | 1839 | Macon and McLean County | DeWitt Clinton (1769–1828),Governor of New York, responsible for the construction of theErie Canal | 15,319 | 397 sq mi (1,028 km2) | |
| Douglas County | 041 | Tuscola | 1859 | Coles County | Stephen A. Douglas (1813–1861), prominent Illinois Democrat whoengaged in debates withAbraham Lincoln | 19,824 | 416 sq mi (1,077 km2) | |
| DuPage County | 043 | Wheaton | 1839 | Cook County | DuPage River | 937,142 | 327 sq mi (847 km2) | |
| Edgar County | 045 | Paris | 1823 | Clark County | John Edgar (c. 1750–1832), Illinois delegate to theNorthwest Territory legislature; at the time, wealthiest man in Illinois | 16,398 | 623 sq mi (1,614 km2) | |
| Edwards County | 047 | Albion | 1814 | Gallatin County and Madison County | Ninian Edwards (1775–1833), thirdGovernor of the State of Illinois and only governor of theIllinois Territory | 5,984 | 222 sq mi (575 km2) | |
| Effingham County | 049 | Effingham | 1831 | Fayette and Crawford County | Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham, military officer who resigned from theBritish Army to avoid fighting the American colonies | 34,602 | 478 sq mi (1,238 km2) | |
| Fayette County | 051 | Vandalia | 1821 | Bond, Wayne, Clark, Jefferson, and Crawford County | Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834), French military officer who was a key factor in theAmerican andFrench Revolutions. | 21,157 | 716 sq mi (1,854 km2) | |
| Ford County | 053 | Paxton | 1859 | Vermilion County | Thomas Ford (1800–1850), eighthGovernor of Illinois; served during theIllinois Mormon War | 13,451 | 485 sq mi (1,256 km2) | |
| Franklin County | 055 | Benton | 1818 | White County and Gallatin County | Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), prolific writer, inventor, and politician; key factor in theAmerican Revolution | 37,033 | 408 sq mi (1,057 km2) | |
| Fulton County | 057 | Lewistown | 1823 | Pike County | Robert Fulton (1765–1815), inventor of thesteamboat | 32,510 | 865 sq mi (2,240 km2) | |
| Gallatin County | 059 | Shawneetown | 1812 | Randolph County | Albert Gallatin (1761–1849), fourth and longest-servingUnited States Secretary of the Treasury | 4,690 | 322 sq mi (834 km2) | |
| Greene County | 061 | Carrollton | 1821 | Madison County | Nathanael Greene (1742–1786), major general in theContinental Army | 11,417 | 543 sq mi (1,406 km2) | |
| Grundy County | 063 | Morris | 1841 | LaSalle County | Felix Grundy (1777–1840),Tennessean senator who served as the thirteenthUnited States Attorney General | 53,835 | 418 sq mi (1,083 km2) | |
| Hamilton County | 065 | McLeansboro | 1821 | White County | Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804), firstUnited States Secretary of the Treasury | 7,818 | 434 sq mi (1,124 km2) | |
| Hancock County | 067 | Carthage | 1825 | Adams County | John Hancock (1737–1793), first governor of theMassachusetts colony and president of theSecond Continental Congress | 17,008 | 793 sq mi (2,054 km2) | |
| Hardin County | 069 | Elizabethtown | 1839 | Pope County | Hardin County, Kentucky, which was named afterJohn Hardin | 3,550 | 177 sq mi (458 km2) | |
| Henderson County | 071 | Oquawka | 1841 | Warren County | Henderson County, Kentucky, which was named afterRichard Henderson | 6,048 | 378 sq mi (979 km2) | |
| Henry County | 073 | Cambridge | 1825 | Fulton County | Patrick Henry (1736–1799),American Revolutionary War figure; first and sixthGovernor of Virginia | 48,177 | 822 sq mi (2,129 km2) | |
| Iroquois County | 075 | Watseka | 1833 | Vermilion County | Iroquois Native Americans | 26,067 | 1,117 sq mi (2,893 km2) | |
| Jackson County | 077 | Murphysboro | 1816 | Randolph County and Johnson County | Andrew Jackson (1767–1845), seventhPresident of the United States, United States Senator fromTennessee, and general in theWar of 1812 | 53,199 | 584 sq mi (1,513 km2) | |
| Jasper County | 079 | Newton | 1831 | Clay and Crawford County | Sgt.William Jasper (c. 1750–1779),American Revolutionary War soldier popularized byParson Weems | 9,092 | 494 sq mi (1,279 km2) | |
| Jefferson County | 081 | Mount Vernon | 1819 | Edwards and White County | Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), thirdPresident of the United States, secondVice President of the United States,Governor of Virginia, and one of the foremostFounding Fathers of the United States | 36,107 | 571 sq mi (1,479 km2) | |
| Jersey County | 083 | Jerseyville | 1839 | Greene County | State ofNew Jersey, from which many early settlers hailed | 21,150 | 369 sq mi (956 km2) | |
| Jo Daviess County | 085 | Galena | 1827 | Henry, Mercer, and Putnam County | Joseph Hamilton Daveiss (1774–1811), commander of the Indiana Dragoons at theBattle of Tippecanoe | 21,528 | 600 sq mi (1,554 km2) | |
| Johnson County | 087 | Vienna | 1812 | Randolph County | Richard Mentor Johnson (c. 1780–1850), ninthVice President of the United States and United States Senator fromKentucky | 13,320 | 343 sq mi (888 km2) | |
| Kane County | 089 | Geneva | 1836 | LaSalle County | Elias Kane (1794–1835), United States Senator fromIllinois | 520,997 | 519 sq mi (1,344 km2) | |
| Kankakee County | 091 | Kankakee | 1853 | Iroquois and Will County | Kankakee River | 106,410 | 676 sq mi (1,751 km2) | |
| Kendall County | 093 | Yorkville | 1841 | LaSalle and Kane County | Amos Kendall (1789–1869),United States Postmaster General under PresidentsAndrew Jackson andMartin Van Buren | 143,171 | 320 sq mi (829 km2) | |
| Knox County | 095 | Galesburg | 1825 | Fulton County | Gen.Henry Knox (1750–1806),American Revolutionary War general and firstUnited States Secretary of War | 48,716 | 716 sq mi (1,854 km2) | |
| Lake County | 097 | Waukegan | 1839 | McHenry County | Lake Michigan | 718,604 | 443 sq mi (1,147 km2) | |
| LaSalle County | 099 | Ottawa | 1831 | Putnam and Tazewell County | Sieur de la Salle (1643–1687), French explorer of theGreat Lakes | 108,390 | 1,135 sq mi (2,940 km2) | |
| Lawrence County | 101 | Lawrenceville | 1821 | Crawford and Edwards County | Capt.James Lawrence (1781–1813), commander of theUSS Chesapeake in theWar of 1812. Famous for his command "Don't give up the ship!" | 14,801 | 372 sq mi (963 km2) | |
| Lee County | 103 | Dixon | 1839 | Ogle County | "Light Horse"Henry Lee III (1756–1818),American Revolutionary War officer and ninthGovernor of Virginia | 33,544 | 724 sq mi (1,875 km2) | |
| Livingston County | 105 | Pontiac | 1837 | LaSalle and McLean County | Edward Livingston (1764–1836), prominent jurist, Congressman fromNew York andLouisiana, andU.S. Secretary of State from 1831-33 | 35,375 | 1,043 sq mi (2,701 km2) | |
| Logan County | 107 | Lincoln | 1839 | Sangamon County | John Logan, country doctor and early settler, and the father ofJohn A. Logan | 27,518 | 618 sq mi (1,601 km2) | |
| Macon County | 115 | Decatur | 1829 | Shelby County | Nathaniel Macon (1758–1837), sixthSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives andUnited States Senator fromNorth Carolina | 100,737 | 580 sq mi (1,502 km2) | |
| Macoupin County | 117 | Carlinville | 1829 | Greene County | Native American wordmacoupin, meaning "American lotus" | 43,895 | 862 sq mi (2,233 km2) | |
| Madison County | 119 | Edwardsville | 1812 | St. Clair County and Randolph County | James Madison (1751–1836), fourthPresident of the United States and principal author of theConstitution of the United States | 263,017 | 716 sq mi (1,854 km2) | |
| Marion County | 121 | Salem | 1823 | Fayette and Jefferson County | Francis Marion (c. 1732–1795), general in theAmerican Revolutionary War known as "The Swamp Fox" | 36,437 | 572 sq mi (1,481 km2) | |
| Marshall County | 123 | Lacon | 1839 | Putnam County | John Marshall (1755–1835), fourth and longest-servingChief Justice of the United States, wrote opinion inMarbury v. Madison establishing the principle ofjudicial review | 11,552 | 386 sq mi (1,000 km2) | |
| Mason County | 125 | Havana | 1841 | Tazewell and Menard County | Named afterMason County, Kentucky, itself named afterGeorge Mason | 12,543 | 539 sq mi (1,396 km2) | |
| Massac County | 127 | Metropolis | 1843 | Pope and Johnson County | Fort Massac, a colonial-era fort on theOhio River | 13,627 | 237 sq mi (614 km2) | |
| McDonough County | 109 | Macomb | 1826 | Schuyler County | CommodoreThomas Macdonough (1783–1825), commander of American naval forces at theBattle of Plattsburgh | 26,662 | 589 sq mi (1,526 km2) | |
| McHenry County | 111 | Woodstock | 1836 | Cook and LaSalle County | MajorWilliam McHenry (c. 1771–1835), officer during several campaigns againstNative Americans and was a member of the Illinois legislature | 315,959 | 603 sq mi (1,562 km2) | |
| McLean County | 113 | Bloomington | 1830 | Tazewell County | John McLean (1791–1830),United States Representative andUnited States Senator from Illinois (the latter from 1824–25 and 1829–30) | 172,069 | 1,183 sq mi (3,064 km2) | |
| Menard County | 129 | Petersburg | 1839 | Sangamon County | Pierre Menard (1766–1844), prominent early settler and firstLieutenant Governor of Illinois | 11,963 | 314 sq mi (813 km2) | |
| Mercer County | 131 | Aledo | 1825 | Schuyler County | Hugh Mercer (1726–1777), British officer in theSeven Years' War and general in theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War | 15,292 | 561 sq mi (1,453 km2) | |
| Monroe County | 133 | Waterloo | 1816 | Randolph County and St. Clair County | James Monroe (1758–1831), seventhUnited States Secretary of State, eighthUnited States Secretary of War,Governor of Virginia, and fifthPresident of the United States | 34,969 | 385 sq mi (997 km2) | |
| Montgomery County | 135 | Hillsboro | 1821 | Bond and Madison County | Gen.Richard Montgomery (1738–1775), brigadier-general in theContinental Army who led the unsuccessfulinvasion of Canada | 27,615 | 703 sq mi (1,821 km2) | |
| Morgan County | 137 | Jacksonville | 1823 | Sangamon County | Gen.Daniel Morgan (1736–1802), successful tactician in theAmerican Revolutionary War and laterUnited States Representative fromVirginia | 32,618 | 568 sq mi (1,471 km2) | |
| Moultrie County | 139 | Sullivan | 1843 | Shelby and Macon County | Gen.William Moultrie (1730–1805),American Revolutionary War general andGovernor of South Carolina | 14,365 | 335 sq mi (868 km2) | |
| Ogle County | 141 | Oregon | 1836 | Jo Daviess | Joseph Ogle (1737–1821), early settler in southwest Illinois, who helped found the firstMethodist church in Illinois | 51,345 | 758 sq mi (1,963 km2) | |
| Peoria County | 143 | Peoria | 1825 | Fulton County | ThePeoria Native American tribe | 179,630 | 618 sq mi (1,601 km2) | |
| Perry County | 145 | Pinckneyville | 1827 | Randolph and Jackson County | Cmdre.Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1819), American naval officer who led the victorious American forces at theBattle of Lake Erie | 20,272 | 441 sq mi (1,142 km2) | |
| Piatt County | 147 | Monticello | 1841 | DeWitt and Macon County | James A. Piatt, the patriarch of a prominent settler family in the early history of the county | 16,628 | 439 sq mi (1,137 km2) | |
| Pike County | 149 | Pittsfield | 1821 | Madison, Bond, and Clark County | Zebulon Pike (1779–1813), early explorer of theAmerican Southwest, namesake ofPikes Peak | 14,258 | 831 sq mi (2,152 km2) | |
| Pope County | 151 | Golconda | 1816 | Gallatin and Johnson County | Nathaniel Pope (1784–1850), early Delegate fromIllinois Territory to Congress and judge on theUnited States District Court for the District of Illinois | 3,703 | 368 sq mi (953 km2) | |
| Pulaski County | 153 | Mound City | 1843 | Alexander and Johnson County | Gen.Casimir Pulaski (1745–1779),Polish American general of cavalry in theAmerican Revolutionary War | 4,879 | 199 sq mi (515 km2) | |
| Putnam County | 155 | Hennepin | 1825 | Fulton County | Gen.Israel Putnam (1718–1790), commander of American forces at theBattle of Bunker Hill | 5,633 | 160 sq mi (414 km2) | |
| Randolph County | 157 | Chester | 1795 | St. Clair County | Edmund Randolph (1753–1813), firstAttorney General of the United States, and brieflyUnited States Secretary of State | 29,903 | 575 sq mi (1,489 km2) | |
| Richland County | 159 | Olney | 1841 | Clay and Lawrence County | Richland County, Ohio, itself named for its richsoil | 15,362 | 360 sq mi (932 km2) | |
| Rock Island County | 161 | Rock Island | 1831 | Jo Daviess County | Rock Island | 142,731 | 427 sq mi (1,106 km2) | |
| Saline County | 165 | Harrisburg | 1847 | Gallatin County | TheSaline River and salt springs in the county | 22,826 | 379 sq mi (982 km2) | |
| Sangamon County | 167 | Springfield | 1821 | Madison and Bond County | Sangamon River | 194,345 | 868 sq mi (2,248 km2) | |
| Schuyler County | 169 | Rushville | 1825 | Pike and Fulton County | Gen.Philip Schuyler (1733–1804),American Revolutionary War general andUnited States Senator fromNew York | 6,750 | 437 sq mi (1,132 km2) | |
| Scott County | 171 | Winchester | 1839 | Morgan County | Scott County, Kentucky, itself named afterCharles Scott | 4,880 | 250 sq mi (647 km2) | |
| Shelby County | 173 | Shelbyville | 1827 | Fayette County | Isaac Shelby (1750–1826), soldier in theAmerican Revolutionary War andWar of 1812; first and fifthGovernor of Kentucky | 20,542 | 758 sq mi (1,963 km2) | |
| St. Clair County | 163 | Belleville | 1790 | original two counties | Arthur St. Clair (1737–1818), major general in theAmerican Revolutionary War and first Governor of theNorthwest Territory | 251,149 | 657 sq mi (1,702 km2) | |
| Stark County | 175 | Toulon | 1839 | Knox and Putnam County | Gen.John Stark (1728–1822), general in theAmerican Revolutionary War, called the "Hero ofBennington" | 5,272 | 288 sq mi (746 km2) | |
| Stephenson County | 177 | Freeport | 1837 | Jo Daviess and Winnebago County | Benjamin Stephenson (1769–1822), representative ofIllinois Territory in theUnited States Congress from 1814 to 1816 | 43,088 | 564 sq mi (1,461 km2) | |
| Tazewell County | 179 | Pekin | 1827 | Sangamon County | Littleton Waller Tazewell (1774–1860), United States Senator from (and later governor of)Virginia | 129,821 | 646 sq mi (1,673 km2) | |
| Union County | 181 | Jonesboro | 1818 | Johnson County | The union of theUnited States | 16,886 | 413 sq mi (1,070 km2) | |
| Vermilion County | 183 | Danville | 1826 | Edgar County | TheVermilion River | 71,106 | 898 sq mi (2,326 km2) | |
| Wabash County | 185 | Mount Carmel | 1824 | Edwards County | TheWabash River | 10,979 | 223 sq mi (578 km2) | |
| Warren County | 187 | Monmouth | 1825 | Schuyler County | Joseph Warren (1741–1775), played a role inAmerican Patriot movements, a prominent early fatality in theAmerican Revolutionary War | 16,217 | 542 sq mi (1,404 km2) | |
| Washington County | 189 | Nashville | 1818 | St. Clair County | George Washington (1732–1799), commander-in-chief of American forces in theAmerican Revolutionary War and firstPresident of the United States | 13,535 | 562 sq mi (1,456 km2) | |
| Wayne County | 191 | Fairfield | 1819 | Edwards County | Gen. "Mad"Anthony Wayne (1745–1796),major general in the United States Army in theAmerican Revolutionary War and theNorthwest Indian War | 15,928 | 713 sq mi (1,847 km2) | |
| White County | 193 | Carmi | 1815 | Gallatin County | Isaac White (1776–1811), resident of Illinois who enlisted in the Indiana militia and was killed at theBattle of Tippecanoe | 13,395 | 494 sq mi (1,279 km2) | |
| Whiteside County | 195 | Morrison | 1836 | Jo Daviess and Henry County | Samuel Whiteside (1783–1868), state legislator and militia leader | 54,657 | 684 sq mi (1,772 km2) | |
| Will County | 197 | Joliet | 1836 | Cook and Iroquois County | Conrad Will (1779–1835),[6] physician, local businessman and longtime member of the state legislature | 708,583 | 835 sq mi (2,163 km2) | |
| Williamson County | 199 | Marion | 1839 | Franklin County | Williamson County, Tennessee, which was named forHugh Williamson | 67,064 | 420 sq mi (1,088 km2) | |
| Winnebago County | 201 | Rockford | 1836 | Jo Daviess County | Winnebago Native Americans | 283,790 | 513 sq mi (1,329 km2) | |
| Woodford County | 203 | Eureka | 1841 | Tazewell and McLean County | Woodford County, Kentucky, which was named forWilliam Woodford | 38,290 | 527 sq mi (1,365 km2) |