| LaSalle County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Illinois |
|
 Illinois's location in the U.S. |
|
| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1829 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Ottawa |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,148 sq mi (2,973 km²) 1,135 sq mi (2,940 km²) 13 sq mi (34 km²), 1.14% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
111,509 98/sq mi (38/km²) |
| Website: www.lasallecounty.org | |
LaSalle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 111,509. Its county seat and largest city is Ottawa, Illinois[1].
LaSalle County is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area. LaSalle County also borders Kendall, Grundy, and DeKalb counties (it shares several communities with them), meaning it is also influenced by the Chicago area.
Contents |
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,148 square miles (2,973 km²), of which 1,135 square miles (2,939 km²) is land and 13 square miles (34 km²) (1.14%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 39
Interstate 80
U.S. Highway 6
U.S. Highway 34
U.S. Highway 51
U.S. Highway 52
Illinois Route 17
Illinois Route 18
Illinois Route 23
Illinois Route 71
Illinois Route 170
Illinois Route 178
Illinois Route 251
Illinois Route 351
Townships
Adams, Allen, Brookfield, Bruce, Dayton, Deer Park, Dimmick, Eagle, Earl, Eden, Fall River, Farm Ridge, Freedom, Grand Rapids, Groveland, Hope, LaSalle, Manlius, Mendota, Meriden, Miller, Mission, Northville, Oglesby, Ophir, Osage, Ottawa, Otter Creek, Peru, Richland, Rutland, Serena, South Ottawa, Troy Grove, Utica, Vermillion, Wallace, Waltham
Adjacent counties
- Lee County, Illinois to the northwest
- DeKalb County, Illinois to the north
- Kendall County, Illinois to the northeast
- Grundy County, Illinois to the east
- Livingston County, Illinois to the southeast
- Woodford County, Illinois to the south
- Marshall County, Illinois to the southwest
- Putnam County, Illinois to the west
- Bureau County, Illinois to the west
LaSalle County, Illinois, is one of the few counties in the United States to border as many as nine counties. Illinois has two such counties--LaSalle and Pike.
History
LaSalle County was formed in 1831 out of Tazewell and Putnam Counties. It is named for the early French explorer, Robert de LaSalle.
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 111,509 people, 43,417 households, and 29,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile (38/km²). There were 46,438 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile (16/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.97% White, 1.55% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.71% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 5.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 25.8% were of German, 12.7% Irish, 8.8% Italian, 7.6% American, 7.3% English and 7.3% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.7% spoke English and 3.6% Spanish as their first language.
There were 43,417 households out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 27.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,308, and the median income for a family was $49,533. Males had a median income of $39,256 versus $22,097 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,185. About 6.90% of families and 9.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.10% of those under age 18 and 6.20% of those age 65 or over.
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1840 | 9,348 |
| 1850 | 17,815 |
| 1860 | 48,332 |
| 1870 | 60,792 |
| 1880 | 70,403 |
| 1890 | 80,798 |
| 1900 | 87,776 |
| 1910 | 90,132 |
| 1920 | 92,925 |
| 1930 | 97,695 |
| 1940 | 97,801 |
| 1950 | 100,610 |
| 1960 | 110,800 |
| 1970 | 111,409 |
| 1980 | 112,033 |
| 1990 | 106,913 |
| 2000 | 111,509 |
Cities and towns
- Cedar Point
- Dalzell (mostly in Bureau County)
- Dana
- Earlville
- Grand Ridge
- Kangley
- La Salle
- Leland
- Leonore
- Lostant
- Marseilles
- Millington (partly in Kendall County)
- Mendota
- Naplate
- North Utica
- Norway
- Oglesby
- Ottawa
- Peru
- Ransom
- Rutland
- Seneca (small portion in Grundy County)
- Sheridan
- Somonauk (mostly in DeKalb County)
- Streator (small portion in Livingston County)
- Tonica
- Triumph
- Troy Grove
- Wenona (mostly in Marshall County)
Election history
- 1968 presidential election- Republican Richard Nixon.
- 1972 presidential election- Republican Richard Nixon.
- 1976 presidential election- Republican Gerald Ford.
- 1980 presidential election- Republican Ronald Reagan.
- 1984 presidential election- Republican Ronald Reagan.
- 1988 presidential election- Democrat Michael Dukakis.
- 1992 presidential election- Democrat Bill Clinton.
- 1996 presidential election- Democrat Bill Clinton.
- 2000 presidential election- Democrat Al Gore.
- 2004 presidential election- Republican George W. Bush.
- LaSalle County has voted for the Republican candidate 7 out of 12 times.
- 2008 presidential election- Democrat Barack Obama (native son of Illinois).
Trivia
LaSalle County is the second largest county by land area in the state of Illinois after McLean County
LaSalle County is one of the few counties in the United States to border as many as nine counties
The Times newspaper, with a main office in Ottawa and branches in Streator and Marseilles, named the Seven Wonders of La Salle County in July 2007. They are: Hegeler Carus Mansion, La Salle; Effigy Tumuli at Buffalo Rock State Park; Streator Public Library building; Gen. W.H.L. Wallace window at Christ Episcopal Church, Ottawa; Fox River aqueduct; Vermilion River; and Middle East Conflicts Memorial Wall, Marseilles
Disputedly, It is believed that W.D. Boyce founded the Boy Scouts of America in Ottawa, for which the Council is currently named, but the claim is currently in contention.
See also
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: LaSalle County, Illinois |
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- 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.
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Lee County | DeKalb County | Kendall County | |
| Putnam County and Bureau County |  |
Grundy County | ||
 LaSalle County, Illinois  |
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| Marshall County | Woodford County | Livingston County |
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