:Brighton, Illinois

Brighton is a small community that dates back to the early 19th century, when settlers began the transformation of the Illinois prairie into productive farmland. The village was named after Brighton, Massachusetts. A post office was opened in 1837, and the village was incorporated in 1869.[http://www.greatriverroad.com/Cities/Brighton/brightonCover.htm Brighton description & history] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928211919/http://www.greatriverroad.com/Cities/Brighton/brightonCover.htm |date=September 28, 2007 }}, retrieved August 24, 2007 Brighton is noted for its five-star historic museum.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Brighton currently has two restaurants and one traffic signal.

Brighton is located in southwestern Macoupin County and eastern Jersey County at {{Coord|39|2|22|N|90|8|23|W|type:city}} (39.039357, -90.139645).{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} The village center and most of its area are within Macoupin County. Some rural residents of Madison County have Brighton mailing addresses.

Illinois Routes 111 and 267 pass jointly through the west side of the village, leading north {{convert|9|mi|0}} to Medora and south {{convert|6|mi|0}} to Godfrey. Carlinville, the Macoupin county seat, is {{convert|26|mi}} to the northeast, while Jerseyville, the Jersey county seat, is {{convert|13|mi}} to the northwest.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Brighton has a total area of {{convert|1.96|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|1.92|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 98.01%) is land and {{convert|0.04|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 1.99%) is water.{{Cite web |author=US Census Bureau |title=Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Census.gov}}

{{US Census population

|align=left|1880= 691

|1890= 742

|1900= 660

|1910= 595

|1920= 586

|1930= 548

|1940= 697

|1950= 934

|1960= 1248

|1970= 1889

|1980= 2364

|1990= 2270

|2000= 2196

|2010= 2254

|2020= 2221

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}

}}As of the 2020 census{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1708264 |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=data.census.gov}} there were 2,221 people, 874 households, and 606 families residing in the village. The population density was {{Convert|1,133.16|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 927 housing units at an average density of {{Convert|472.96|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the village was 94.28% White, 0.77% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 4.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.

There were 874 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.23% were married couples living together, 17.73% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.66% were non-families. 24.03% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.73% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 2.58.

The village's age distribution consisted of 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $61,167, and the median income for a family was $66,827. Males had a median income of $42,734 versus $29,063 for females. The per capita income for the village was $26,345. About 15.0% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

• Joe Bernard, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals
• Jason Isringhausen, pitcher for the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Rays
• Bushrod Johnson, Confederate general in the American Civil War

• Martha A. Bentley, There the Heart Is: A History of Brighton, Illinois, 1826–1964, was reprinted in 1995.
• Around the center of the village, there was an old American Civil War prisoner of war camp that was controlled by the Union.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
• The opening scene of The Music Man (1962) is set in Brighton, purported to be one stop from River City, Iowa.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ9U4Cbb4wg |title="Rock Island" The Music Man (opening scene) |via=YouTube}}
• Although the state is never explicitly said, a map within the show suggests that The Ghost and Molly McGee, a 2021 Disney Channel show, is set in this version of Brighton. {{cite episode |title=Festival of Lights/Saving Christmas |episode-link= |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15754998/ |access-date=August 19, 2022 |series=The Ghost and Molly McGee |series-link=The Ghost and Molly McGee |first= |last= |network=Disney Channel |station= |date=November 2021 |season= |series-no= |number= |minutes=12 |time= |transcript= |transcript-url= |quote= |language=}} Series co-creator Bill Motz revealed that the quad cities in the area of Illinois and Iowa were the inspiration for the show's setting.{{cite web|url=https://qctimes.com/entertainment/have-you-watched-the-new-disney-show-the-ghost-and-molly-mcgee-a-rock-islander/article_fb945d86-c27b-5944-82fa-40be8c18a5e3.html|title=Have you watched the new Disney show, 'The Ghost and Molly McGee?' A Rock Islander is the co-creator and executive producer.|website=Quad-City times|last=Draisey|first=Brooklyn|date=March 13, 2022|access-date=May 8, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220829145621/https://qctimes.com/entertainment/have-you-watched-the-new-disney-show-the-ghost-and-molly-mcgee-a-rock-islander/article_fb945d86-c27b-5944-82fa-40be8c18a5e3.html|archive-date=August 29, 2022|url-status=live}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|www.brightonil.com}}

{{Macoupin County, Illinois}}

{{Jersey County, Illinois}}

{{Metro-East}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1869 establishments in Illinois

Category:Metro East

Category:Populated places established in 1869

Category:Villages in Jersey County, Illinois

Category:Villages in Macoupin County, Illinois

Category:Villages in Illinois