| Calhoun County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Illinois |
|
 Illinois's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1825 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Hardin |
| Largest city | Hardin |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
284 sq mi (735 km²) 254 sq mi (657 km²) 30 sq mi (77 km²), 10.53% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
5,084 20/sq mi (8/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Calhoun County is located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,084; the population was 5,167 at the 2007 official US Census estimate. The county seat is Hardin. It is part of the St. Louis metropolitan area.
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History
The territory was inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous people along the river fronts. The remains of their and later Native American settlements have provided some of the most valuable archaeological excavations in the country.
Calhoun County was not settled by European Americans until the 19th century, and was organized in 1825. It was named for South Carolina politician John C. Calhoun, then Vice President of the United States.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 284 square miles (171680 Acres) (735 km²), of which 254 square miles (657 km²) is land and 30 square miles (77 km²) (10.53%) is water.
Calhoun County is a narrow 37-mile-long peninsula of mostly high, rolling ground located between the Mississippi River and the Illinois River. The rolling hills escaped the leveling of glaciers.
County transportation is served by two state-operated, free ferries crossing the Illinois River (the Brussels Ferry in the south and the Kampsville ferry in the north). The Golden Eagle ferry, which is privately operated and charges a toll, crosses the Mississippi River to St. Charles County, Missouri. A bridge spans the Illinois River at Hardin. Land routes connect to the north to bordering Pike County.
When transportation was mainly by river, the county had many prosperous farms and orchards. It still produces a major portion of the peach crop of Illinois, and farmers raise corn and other commodities. The hotel in Brussels dates from 1847, when it was a stagecoach stop.
The county is popular with tourists due to the natural beauty of the Illinois River valley and its proximity to the Great River Road. It includes part of the Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge and attracts thousands of birds in migration seasons as part of the Mississippi Flyway. The county has several designated historic districts in the villages and properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Calhoun County was added to the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2003, along with Bond and Macoupin counties in Illinois, and Washington County, Missouri.
The Center for American Archeology is located in Kampsville in the northern part of the county. It has been the center for study of prehistoric indigenous culture in the area. It has created educational opportunities for children and adults to participate in its archaeological digs.
Adjacent counties
- Greene County - northeast
- Jersey County - east
- St. Charles County, Missouri - south
- Lincoln County, Missouri - west
- Pike County, Illinois - north
- Pike County, Missouri - northwest
National protected area
Major highways
Settlements
Villages
Unincorporated communities
School districts
- Brussels Community Unit School District 42
- Calhoun Community Unit School District 40
Political districts
- Illinois' 17th congressional district
- State House District 97
- State Senate District 49
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 8,917 |
|
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| 1910 | 8,610 | −3.4% | |
| 1920 | 8,245 | −4.2% | |
| 1930 | 8,034 | −2.6% | |
| 1940 | 8,207 | 2.2% | |
| 1950 | 6,898 | −15.9% | |
| 1960 | 5,933 | −14.0% | |
| 1970 | 5,675 | −4.3% | |
| 1980 | 5,867 | 3.4% | |
| 1990 | 5,322 | −9.3% | |
| 2000 | 5,084 | −4.5% | |
| Est. 2007 | 5,167 | 1.6% | |
| IL Counties 1900-1990 | |||
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 5,084 people, 2,046 households, and 1,438 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 2,681 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.80% White, 0.04% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 53.5% were of German, 13.5% American, 6.3% Irish and 6.0% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 98.5% spoke English and 1.3% Spanish as their first language.
There were 2,046 households out of which 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.80% were married couples living together, 5.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 22.90% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 19.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 100.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,375, and the median income for a family was $43,107. Males had a median income of $32,281 versus $20,943 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,785. About 7.30% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.10% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.
Creditworthiness
According to the TransUnion credit bureau Calhoun County is the only county in the United States to have a 0% delinquency rate on both credit cards and mortgages as of October 2008.
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009) |
References
- United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles
- United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS)
- United States National Atlas
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- Illinois Genealogy Trails: Calhoun County, Illinois
- History of Calhoun County, Illinois
- Calhoun County Unit 40
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Pike County, Missouri | Pike County | Greene County | |
| Lincoln County, Missouri |  |
Jersey County | ||
 Calhoun County, Illinois  |
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| St. Charles County, Missouri |
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