Washington | |
|---|---|
 Denhart Bank Building at 101 Washington Sq. | |
| Motto: "Your Pathway To Discovery; Enjoyment And Knowledge" | |
 Location of Washington in Tazewell County, Illinois. | |
| Coordinates:40°42′36″N89°24′15″W / 40.71000°N 89.40417°W /40.71000; -89.40417[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Tazewell |
| Township | Washington |
| Founded by | William Holland Sr. |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.56 sq mi (22.17 km2) |
| • Land | 8.54 sq mi (22.13 km2) |
| • Water | 0.012 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 758 ft (231 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 16,071 |
| • Density | 1,880.8/sq mi (726.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 61571 |
| Area code | 309 |
| FIPS code | 17-79033 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2397206[1] |
| Website | ci |
Washington is a city inTazewell County, Illinois, United States. Washington is onU.S. Route 24 andIllinois Route 8, northeast ofEast Peoria. The population was 16,071 at the 2020census, a 48.2% percent increase over 2000.[3] It is a suburb of Peoria and is part of thePeoria Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Washington was founded in 1825[4] by William Holland Sr.,[5][6][7] who came from North Carolina and was hired by the U.S. government to provide blacksmith services to the localNative Americans. During his long and eventful life, he was married three times, and was the father of twenty-one children: fourteen by his first wife and seven by his second wife. He had eighty-two grandchildren and fifty great-grandchildren. He died in Washington on November 27, 1871, at the age of ninety-one. The post office (and later the city) was originally named Holland's Grove in 1833[4] before being renamed in honor of the first U.S. president,George Washington, in 1837.[4]
In the 1920s, a man named George Heyl put Washington on the map as the home of the famous Heyl Pony Farm.[8] Some of the original barns still exist on North Main Street. The Heyl Pony Farm suppliedShetland ponies to buyers around the world; George Heyl also raised pure bred poultry. When Heyl died suddenly in 1932, it was recorded as one of the largest funerals ever held in Washington.
Another local site of interest is the "old canning factory", which is now occupied by American Allied Railway Equipment Company Inc. In 1943, thecanning factory (which after the war was run by theLibby's company) had a shortage of workers, and the government neededK rations and canned goods to feed the troops.[9] So 50 capturedGerman soldiers from theprisoner of war camp known asCamp Ellis inFulton County were brought in.[10] The Washington sub-camp was first commanded by Colonel John S. Sullivan, and later by Captain T. A. Cox. The POWs were brought in on the old rail line that ran down Wood Street (the foundation of a sentry tower can be seen just northeast of the intersection of Wood and Jefferson near the entrance to the bike trail). They were trucked from the camp to various local farms to help with the pumpkin harvest. The prisoners were allowed no visitors, nor could residents speak to the prisoners. An exception was made for local ministers, such as Pastor Kammeyer from St. Mark's Lutheran who spoke fluent German and ministered to the POWs spiritual needs.[citation needed]
A new community center, named Five Points Washington, opened in October 2007. The facility houses the Washington Public Library, a performing arts center, swimming pools, fitness center, and banquet center.[11]
An EF4 tornado, part of thetornado outbreak of November 17, 2013, entered Washington from the southwest inEast Peoria. Three people were killed, one during the storm and two others later from injuries, including aUnited States Army veteran.[12][13] The tornado then destroyed the Georgetown Common apartment complex, including ripping second floors off most of the 17 apartment buildings. Hundreds of homes were destroyed as the tornado moved through town before finally exiting on the north side.[14]
According to the 2010 census, Washington has a total area of 8.182 sq mi (21.19 km2), of which 8.17 sq mi (21.16 km2) (or 99.85%) is land and 0.012 sq mi (0.03 km2) (or 0.15%) is water.[15]
Washington has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with cold, snowy winters, and hot, humid summers. Monthly daily mean temperatures range from 22.5 °F (−5.3 °C) to 75.2 °F (24.0 °C). Snowfall is common in the winter, averaging 26.3 inches (67 cm), but this figure varies considerably for different years. Precipitation, averaging at 36 inches (914 mm), peaks in the spring and summer, and is the least in winter. Extremes have ranged from −27 °F (−33 °C) in January 1884 to 113 °F (45 °C) in July 1936.[citation needed]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 712 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,578 | 121.6% | |
| 1870 | 1,607 | 1.8% | |
| 1880 | 1,397 | −13.1% | |
| 1890 | 1,301 | −6.9% | |
| 1900 | 1,459 | 12.1% | |
| 1910 | 1,530 | 4.9% | |
| 1920 | 1,643 | 7.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,741 | 6.0% | |
| 1940 | 2,456 | 41.1% | |
| 1950 | 4,285 | 74.5% | |
| 1960 | 5,919 | 38.1% | |
| 1970 | 6,790 | 14.7% | |
| 1980 | 10,364 | 52.6% | |
| 1990 | 10,099 | −2.6% | |
| 2000 | 10,841 | 7.3% | |
| 2010 | 15,134 | 39.6% | |
| 2020 | 16,071 | 6.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] | |||
As of thecensus[17] of 2000, there were 10,841 people, 4,189 households, and 3,091 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,450.0/sq mi (559.8/km2). There were 4,403 housing units at an average density of 588.9/sq mi (227.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.36%White, 0.26%African American, 0.08%Native American, 0.42%Asian, 0.26% fromother races, and 0.62% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.67% of the population.
There were 4,189 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% weremarried couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $71,702,[18] and the median income for a family was $61,184. Males had a median income of $64,388 versus $43,460 for females.[19] Theper capita income for the city was $24,231. About 2.8% of families and 4.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000[update], 66.8% of people aged 16 and over were employed in the civilian labor force, 2.8% were "unemployed" in the civilian work force, 0.1% were in thearmed forces, and 30.3% were not in the labor force. Average travel time to work for Washington residents was 21.5 min.[20]
The WashingtonChamber of Commerce lists the following information about employers:[21]
| Category | percentage |
|---|---|
| Management and professional | 38.3% |
| Service | 13.3% |
| Sales and office | 27.5% |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry | 0.1% |
| Construction, extraction, and maintenance | 8.1% |
| Production, transportation, and material moving | 12.8% |
| Company name | Business type | Approx. employees |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois Valley Plastics | molded components | 100 |
| BTD Manufacturing | metal fabrication | 70 |
| American Allied Railway Equipment | rail wheels and brakes | 66 |
| WICC, Ltd. | electrical components | 41 |
| RP Short Run | printing and graphics | 36 |
| Global Fire Equipment/MES | fire trucks, apparatus | 36 |
| Akron Brass | fire fighting equipment | 26 |
| Company name | Business type | Approx. employees |
|---|---|---|
| Wal-Mart Supercenter | general merchandise | 340 |
| UftringChevrolet | automobile sales and service | 105 |
| Kroger | grocer | 90 |
| Lindy's Downtown Market | grocer | 54 |
| Organization | Business type | Approx. employees |
|---|---|---|
| Washington school districts (combined) | education | 425 |
| Washington Christian Village | elderly care | 125 |
| City of Washington | local government | 80 |
| Washington Park District | parks and recreation entity | 76 |
Washington uses a council–manager form of government with an appointed city administrator, acting as the chief administrative officer and managing day-to-day operations, and an elected mayor. As of May 2025, the current city administrator is Dennis Carr and the current mayor is Lilija V. Stevens.[22][23][24]
In January 2025, Washington Police Chief Mike McCoy announced a full staff of 25 sworn officers and a waiting list.[25]
District 308 isWashington Community High School and has 1359 students in attendance as of August 2017.[26] District 308 contains three elementary public school districts: District 50 (John L. Hensey and Beverly Manor), 51 (Central), and 52 (which consists of Lincoln Grade and Washington Middle school), as well as St. Patrick's School, which is private and Catholic.
Tazewell County has a jointspecial education service, the Tazewell-Mason Counties Special Education Association (TMCSEA).[27]
CityLink provides bus service on Route 8 connecting Washington to downtown Peoria, East Peoria and other destinations.[28]
U.S. Route 24 runs east–west outside of Washington. Business U.S. 24 runs through the downtown square of Washington.
William Holland, town founder .... the founder and first settler of Washington
Municipalities and communities ofTazewell County, Illinois,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDP | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
