:Polo, Illinois

The community was named after Marco Polo.{{cite book|last1=Moyer|first1=Armond|last2=Moyer|first2=Winifred|title=The origins of unusual place-names|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89058322223;view=1up;seq=108|year=1958|publisher=Keystone Pub. Associates|page=104}} Polo was incorporated on February 16, 1857.City of Polo document- Certificate of Good Standing from the State of Illinois

Polo is located at {{coord|41|59|13|N|89|34|38|W|type:city}} (41.986852, -89.577100).{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}

According to the 2010 census, Polo has a total area of {{convert|1.36|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1760937

|title=G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1

|access-date=2015-12-27

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213071358/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1760937

|archive-date=2020-02-13

|url-status=dead

}}

{{US Census population

|align=left

|1870= 1805

|1880= 1819

|1890= 1728

|1900= 1869

|1910= 1828

|1920= 1867

|1930= 1871

|1940= 2071

|1950= 2242

|1960= 2552

|1970= 2542

|1980= 2643

|1990= 2514

|2000= 2477

|2010= 2355

|2020= 2291

|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 census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }} of 2000, there were 2,477 people, 1,007 households, and 654 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,886.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,081 housing units at an average density of {{convert|823.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 98.39% White, 0.04% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.

There were 1,007 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,833, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $37,857 versus $24,135 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,604. About 7.2% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Polo has its own school district, Polo School District 222, which includes Polo Community High School, Aplington Middle School which grades are through 6th to 8th, and Centennial Elementary School which is Preschool to 5th.

Christ Lutheran School, located in nearby Sterling, serves students of various religious backgrounds from Polo to Walnut and from Morrison to Dixon. As part of the largest network of Protestant schools in the US, CLS provides an education for students from age 3 through 8th grade that is focused on all of the core academic subjects while remaining true to the Bible.{{cite web

| url = http://www.christlutheranschool.com/

| title = Welcome to Christ Lutheran School

| publisher = Christ Lutheran School

| access-date = 2024-02-17

}}

The Polo Public Library at 302 West Mason Street in Polo is operated by the Polo Public Library District. The building is one of several Carnegie libraries on the National Register of Historic Places. The library was established in 1871 as an association which charged a membership fee and was transferred to the town under the new name Buffalo Township Free Public Library in 1891.{{cite web |url=http://www.polo.lib.il.us/historylib.htm| title=Polo Library History. Reprinted from 1 Voice of the Prairie: A Brief History of Polo, Illinois. Polo, IL, 1957. |work=Polo Public Library District|access-date=2009-07-01}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

{{div col}}

• George Perkins Clinton (1867–1937), botanist and mycologist
• George Peek, economist
• Kathleen Weaver, writer and editor

{{div col end}}

• Polo, Missouri, named after Polo, Illinois

{{reflist}}

{{commons}}

• [http://www.poloil.org/ Polo official website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071007161338/http://www.poloil.net/history/polo_1872-1.htm History of Polo]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180409043932/http://polo222.org/ Polo Community Unit School District 222]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090221101522/http://www.polo.lib.il.us/ Polo Public Library District]

{{Ogle County, Illinois}}

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Category:Cities in Ogle County, Illinois

Category:Cities in Illinois

Category:Rockford metropolitan area, Illinois

Category:1856 establishments in Illinois