Kankakee County, Illinois

Kankakee County, Illinois
Location in the state of Illinois
Illinois's location in the U.S.
Founded	February 11, 1853
Seat	Kankakee
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	681.36 sq mi (1,765 km²) 676.56 sq mi (1,752 km²) 4.81 sq mi (12 km²), 0.71%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	113,449 153/sq mi (59/km²)
Website	www.co.kankakee.il.us

Kankakee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 113,449, which is an increase of 9.3% from 103,833 in 2000. Its county seat is Kankakee.

The Kankakee-Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Kankakee County. The county is also part of the larger Chicago–Naperville–Michigan City, IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 681.36 square miles (1,764.7 km²), of which 676.56 square miles (1,752.3 km²) (or 99.30%) is land and 4.81 square miles (12.5 km²) (or 0.71%) is water.

Major highways

• Interstate 57
• U.S. Highway 52
• U.S. Highway 45
• Illinois Route 1
• Illinois Route 17
• Illinois Route 50
• Illinois Route 102
• Illinois Route 113
• Illinois Route 114
• Illinois Route 115

Adjacent counties

• Will County - north
• Lake County, Indiana - northeast
• Newton County, Indiana - east
• Iroquois County - south
• Ford County - southwest
• Livingston County - southwest
• Grundy County - northwest

Demographics

2000 census age pyramid for Kankakee County

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	15,412		—
1870	24,352		58.0%
1880	25,047		2.9%
1890	28,732		14.7%
1900	37,154		29.3%
1910	40,752		9.7%
1920	44,920		10.2%
1930	50,095		11.5%
1940	60,877		21.5%
1950	73,524		20.8%
1960	92,063		25.2%
1970	97,250		5.6%
1980	102,926		5.8%
1990	96,255		−6.5%
2000	103,833		7.9%
2010	113,449		9.3%
IL Counties 1900-1990

As of the census of 2000, there were 103,833 people, 38,182 households, and 26,765 families residing in the county. The population density was 153 people per square mile (59/km²). There were 40,610 housing units at an average density of 60 per square mile (23/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.89% White, 15.47% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.38% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. 4.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 21.3% were of German, 9.9% Irish, 8.7% French, 6.6% American and 5.4% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.1% spoke English and 4.3% Spanish as their first language.

There were 38,182 households out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.80% were married couples living together, 13.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the county the population was spread out with 27.10% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 22.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,532, and the median income for a family was $48,975. Males had a median income of $37,776 versus $25,287 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,055. About 8.70% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.60% of those under age 18 and 7.20% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Kankakee County is considered a Republican-leaning swing county. In the 2008 Presidential Election, Kankakee County voted 52% in favor of Illinois native Barack Obama (D), giving 47% to John McCain (R). However, in the 2004 Presidential Election, Kankakee County voted 55% in favor of George W. Bush (R) and 44% for John Kerry (D).

Kankakee County is in Illinois's 11th congressional district, represented by Republican Adam Kinzinger (R-Manteno).

Kankakee County has produced three governors: Len Small (R), Samuel H. Shapiro (D), and George H. Ryan (R).

History

Kankakee County Courthouse, in Kankakee, Illinois

Starting in the 1770s if not earlier the area that is now Kankakee County was dominated by the Pottawatami.

French Canadian Settlers came to Kankakee County in 1834, after the federal government signed the Treaty of Camp Tippecanoe in 1832. They were shortly later joined by migrants from New York and Vermont moved their way west, mostly locating in Momence, Illinois. In the 1840s most of the migrants were French Canadians or Metis and they settled in such places as Bourbonnais.

An act of the Illinois Legislature created Kankakee County out of the north part of Iroquois County and the south part of Will County on February 11, 1853. The six original townships were: Yellowhead, Rockville, Bourbonnais, Momence, Aroma Park, and Limestone. The population of the new county was about 8,000. It wasn’t until 1855 that the two western townships of Norton and Essex were taken from Vermilion County and added to Kankakee County. The County was named for the Kankakee River.

• 

  Kankakee County at the time of its creation in 1853

Townships

Kankakee County is divided into seventeen townships:

Aroma Bourbonnais Essex Ganeer Kankakee Limestone

Manteno Momence Norton Otto Pembroke Pilot

Rockville St. Anne Salina Sumner Yellowhead

Cities and towns

Cities

• Kankakee
• Momence

Villages

Aroma Park Bonfield Bourbonnais Bradley Buckingham Chebanse Essex

Grant Park Herscher Hopkins Park Irwin Limestone Manteno St. Anne

Reddick Sammons Point Sun River Terrace Union Hill

Unincorporated places

• Pembroke
• Sollitt
• Yeager
• Pewing

Climate and weather

Kankakee, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.8   31 12     1.6   37 17     2.8   48 28     3.8   61 38     4.5   73 49     4.4   83 59     4.4   86 63     3.1   84 61     3.5   78 52     2.7   65 40     3.4   50 30     2.6   36 19 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     45   -1 -11     41   3 -8     71   9 -2     97   16 3     115   23 9     113   28 15     111   30 17     79   29 16     88   26 11     69   18 4     85   10 -1     66   2 -7 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Kankakee have ranged from a low of 12 °F (−11 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −29 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 107 °F (42 °C) was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.62 inches (41 mm) in February to 4.54 inches (115 mm) in May.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Kankakee County, Illinois

References

• Forstall, Richard L. (editor) (1996). Population of states and counties of the United States: 1790 to 1990 : from the twenty-one decennial censuses. United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division. ISBN 0-934213-48-8. 

External links

• Official website