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Effingham County, Illinois

Coordinates: 39°04′N 88°35′W / 39.06°N 88.59°W / 39.06; -88.59
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For other places named Effingham, see Effingham (disambiguation).
Effingham County
County
Effingham County Building and Jail in Effingham
Effingham County Building and Jail in Effingham
Official seal of Effingham County
Seal
Map of Illinois highlighting Effingham County
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°04′N 88°35′W / 39.06°N 88.59°W / 39.06; -88.59
Country United States
State Illinois
Founded1831
Named forThomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham
SeatEffingham
Largest cityEffingham
Area
 • Total
480 sq mi (1,200 km2)
 • Land479 sq mi (1,240 km2)
 • Water1.2 sq mi (3 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total
34,242
 • Density72/sq mi (28/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district15th
Websitewww.co.effingham.il.us

Effingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the population was 34,242.[1] Its county seat is Effingham.[2]

Effingham County comprises the Effingham, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Effingham County was formed in 1855 out of Fayette and Crawford counties. It may have been named after Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham, who resigned his commission as general in the British army in 1775, refusing to serve in the war against the Colonies. The name is Anglo-Saxon for "Effa's house". New information suggests that the county was named after a surveyor who surveyed the area whose last name was Effingham. There is no written proof that the county was named after Lord Effingham.

  • Effingham County at the time of its creation in 1831
    Effingham County at the time of its creation in 1831
Effingham County Courthouse in Effingham

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 480 square miles (1,200 km2), of which 479 square miles (1,240 km2) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) (0.3%) is water.[3]

Just west of Effingham on Interstate 70 there is a 198 ft. white cross; 35,000 vehicles are estimated to pass the site each day. It is the world's second biggest cross, and took over 200 tons of steel to erect.

Climate and weather

Effingham, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
2.4
 
 
35
18
 
 
2.5
 
 
41
22
 
 
3.6
 
 
52
32
 
 
4.1
 
 
64
42
 
 
4.5
 
 
74
52
 
 
4.3
 
 
83
62
 
 
4.5
 
 
87
66
 
 
2.9
 
 
85
63
 
 
3
 
 
78
55
 
 
3
 
 
67
43
 
 
4.1
 
 
52
34
 
 
3.3
 
 
40
23
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[4]
Metric conversion
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
60
 
 
2
−8
 
 
64
 
 
5
−6
 
 
92
 
 
11
0
 
 
104
 
 
18
6
 
 
113
 
 
23
11
 
 
108
 
 
28
17
 
 
115
 
 
31
19
 
 
74
 
 
29
17
 
 
77
 
 
26
13
 
 
75
 
 
19
6
 
 
103
 
 
11
1
 
 
83
 
 
4
−5
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Effingham have ranged from a low of 18 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −29 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1915 and a record high of 111 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.38 inches (60 mm) in January to 4.51 inches (115 mm) in July.[4]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

2000 census age pyramid for Effingham County
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18401,675—
18503,799126.8%
18607,816105.7%
187015,653100.3%
188018,92020.9%
189019,3582.3%
190020,4655.7%
191020,055−2.0%
192019,556−2.5%
193019,013−2.8%
194022,03415.9%
195021,675−1.6%
196023,1076.6%
197024,6086.5%
198030,94425.7%
199031,7042.5%
200034,2648.1%
201034,242−0.1%
2014 (est.)34,320[5]0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 34,242 people, 13,515 households, and 9,302 families residing in the county.[10] The population density was 71.5 inhabitants per square mile (27.6/km2). There were 14,570 housing units at an average density of 30.4 per square mile (11.7/km2).[3] The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% American Indian, 0.8% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population.[10] In terms of ancestry, 41.6% were German, 10.0% were Irish, 9.3% were American, and 8.8% were English.[11]

Of the 13,515 households, 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.2% were non-families, and 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age was 39.2 years.[10]

The median income for a household in the county was $49,509 and the median income for a family was $61,373. Males had a median income of $40,951 versus $28,209 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,843. About 7.8% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.[12]

Politics

Effingham County is one of Illinois's most Republican counties, if not the most. In the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, John McCain carried the county by a 36% margin over Barack Obama, making it McCain's strongest county in the state, with Obama carrying his home state by a 25.1% margin over McCain.[13]

Communities

Cities

Town

Villages

Townships

Effingham County is divided into fifteen townships:

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
  4. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Effingham, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  5. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  10. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
  11. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
  12. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
  13. ^ U.S. Election Atlas

39°04′N 88°35′W / 39.06°N 88.59°W / 39.06; -88.59

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