Alexander County, Illinois

Alexander County, Illinois
Location in the state of Illinois
Illinois's location in the U.S.
Founded	1819
Seat	Cairo
Largest city	Cairo
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	235.51 sq mi (610 km²) 17.09 sq mi (44 km²), 6.77%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	8,238 41/sq mi (16/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5

Alexander County is the southernmost county of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 8,238, which is a decrease of 14.1% from 9,590 in 2000.^[1] Its county seat is Cairo.^[2] Alexander County is part of the Cape Girardeau–Jackson, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Alexander County was organized out of Union County in 1819. It was named for William M. Alexander, a physician who practiced in the town of America (the first county seat).^[3] Alexander became an Illinois state representative and Speaker of the House in the early 1820s. The county seat was moved to Unity in 1833, then to Thebes in 1843, and finally to Cairo in 1860. America, the first county seat, is now within Pulaski County, which was formed from Alexander and Johnson Counties in 1843.^[4]

• 

  Alexander County between 1819 and 1843.

• 

  Alexander County reduced to its current borders in 1843 with the creation of Pulaski County.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 252.60 square miles (654.2 km²), of which 235.51 square miles (610.0 km²) (or 93.23%) is land and 17.09 square miles (44.3 km²) (or 6.77%) is water.^[5] Its borders are partly defined by the Mississippi River and the Ohio River. The lowest point in the state of Illinois is located on the Mississippi River in Cairo in Alexander County, where it flows out of Illinois and into Kentucky.

Adjacent counties

• Union County - north
• Ballard County, Kentucky - southeast
• Pulaski County - east
• Mississippi County, Missouri - south
• Scott County, Missouri - west
• Cape Girardeau County, Missouri - northwest

National protected areas

• Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Shawnee National Forest (part)

Major highways

• Interstate 57
• US Route 51
• US Route 60
• US Route 62
• Illinois Route 3
• Illinois Route 34
• Illinois Route 146

Government and infrastructure

The Tamms Correctional Center, a super-maximum correctional facility operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections, is located in Tamms.^[6][7] The State of Illinois execution chamber is at Tamms.^[8] Prior to the January 11, 2003 commutation of death row sentences, male death row inmates were housed in Tamms, Menard, and Pontiac correctional centers. After that date, only Pontiac continued to host the male death row.^[9]

Cities and towns

• Cairo
• East Cape Girardeau
• McClure
• Tamms
• Thebes

Unincorporated communities

• Cache
• Elco
• Fayville
• Future City
• Gale
• Klondike
• Miller City
• Olive Branch
• Urbandale

School districts

• Cairo Unified School District 1
• Century Community Unit School District 100
• Egyptian Community Unit School District 5
• Meridian Community Unit School District 101
• Shawnee Community Unit School District 84

Political districts

• Illinois' 12th congressional district
• State House District 118
• State Senate District 59

Demographics

2000 census age pyramid for Alexander County.

2010

Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:

• 60.9% White
• 35.4% Black
• 0.3% Native American
• 0.2% Asian
• 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• 1.7% Two or more races
• 1.5% Other races
• 1.9% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

2000

As of the census^[10] of 2000, there were 9,590 people, 3,808 households, and 2,475 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 people per square mile (16/km²). There were 4,591 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 62.98% White, 34.90% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.3% were of American, 11.2% German, 8.2% Irish and 5.1% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.7% spoke English and 1.8% Spanish as their first language.

There were 3,808 households out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.10% were married couples living together, 17.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.00% were non-families. 32.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.80% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 26.60% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,042, and the median income for a family was $31,824. Males had a median income of $29,133 versus $18,966 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,084. About 21.20% of families and 26.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.60% of those under age 18 and 14.80% of those age 65 or over.

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Cairo have ranged from a low of 26 °F (−3 °C) in January to a high of 90 °F (32 °C) in July, although a record low of −12 °F (−24 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in June 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.04 inches (77 mm) in September to 4.76 inches (121 mm) in May.^[11]

See also

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

References

• United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles
• United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS)
• United States National Atlas

1. ^ [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17003.html. Alexander counter is the poorest county in Illinois, The Poverty rate: 31.1% Poverty rate of residents under 18: 49%, and the Median household income: $29,278. "Alexander County QuickFacts"]. United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17003.html. Alexander counter is the poorest county in Illinois, The Poverty rate: 31.1% Poverty rate of residents under 18: 49%, and the Median household income: $29,278.. Retrieved 2011-11-05. 
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
3. ^ Perrin 1883, p. 455.
4. ^ Callary, Edward (2009). Place Names of Illinois. Urbana and Chicago, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. p. 4. 
5. ^ "Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_counties_national.txt. Retrieved 2011-11-05. 
6. ^ "Tamms village, Illinois." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on August 15, 2010.
7. ^ "Tamms Correctional Center." Illinois Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 1, 2010.
8. ^ "Tamms Closed Maximum Security Unit: Ten-Point Plan Brief." Illinois Department of Corrections. 3 (9/51). September 3, 2009. Retrieved on September 1, 2010.
9. ^ "DOC Report Online." Illinois Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 1, 2010.
10. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
11. ^ ^{a b} "Monthly Averages for Cairo, Illinois". The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0168. Retrieved 2011-01-27. 

Bibliography

• Perrin, William Henry, ed. (1883). History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois. Chicago: O. L. Baskin and Company, Historical Publishers. http://archive.org/stream/historyofalexand00perr#page/n5/mode/2up. 

External links

• Rootsweb - Alexander County

	Cape Girardeau County, Missouri	Union County
	Scott County, Missouri		Pulaski County
		Alexander County, Illinois
		Mississippi County, Missouri	Ballard County, Kentucky

v t e Municipalities and communities of Alexander County, Illinois, United States County seat: Cairo City Cairo Villages East Cape Girardeau McClure Tamms Thebes Precincts Cache Cairo McClure Olive Branch Sandusky Tamms Thebes Unincorporated communities Cache Cairo Junction Clank Dawleys Diswood Elco Fayville Future City Gale Golden Lily Klondike Miller City Olive Branch Roth Sandusky Tankville Tatumville Unity Urbandale Willard Ghost town Shasta

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Coordinates: 37°11′N 89°20′W / 37.19°N 89.34°W / 37.19; -89.34

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