Effingham County, Illinois

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Effingham County

| state = Illinois

| seal = Effingham County Illinois seal.png

| founded = 1831

| seat wl = Effingham

| largest city wl = Effingham

| area_total_sq_mi = 480

| area_land_sq_mi = 479

| area_water_sq_mi = 1.2

| area percentage = 0.3

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 34668

| pop_est_as_of = 2023

| population_est = 34331 {{loss}}

| population_density_sq_mi = auto

| time zone = Central

| footnotes =

| web = www.effinghamcountyil.gov

| ex image = Effingham County Building and Jail.jpg

| ex image cap = Effingham County Government Center and Jail in Effingham

| district = 12th

| named for = Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham

}}

Effingham County is a county located in the south central part of the U.S. state Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,668.{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17049.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 4, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606162249/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17049.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}} Its county seat and largest city is Effingham.

Some other cities in Effingham County, Illinois include Altamont, Teutopolis, Beecher City, Montrose, Dieterich, Shumway, Watson, Mason, and Edgewood. Effingham County comprises the Effingham, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.{{cite web |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712220218/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=July 12, 2012 }}

History

File:Effingham County Illinois 1831.png

Effingham County was formed in 1831 out of Fayette and Crawford counties. It may have been named after Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham, who resigned his commission as general in the British army in 1775, refusing to serve in the war against the Colonies. The name is Anglo-Saxon for "Effa's house". New information suggests that the county was named after a surveyor who surveyed the area whose last name was Effingham. There is no written proof that the county was named after Lord Effingham.

Government

Image:Effingham County Courthouse, Effingham, IL.jpg ]]

Effingham County is governed by a board of elected representatives.{{cite web |title=Board {{!}} Effingham County, Illinois (IL) |url=http://www.co.effingham.il.us/board |website=www.co.effingham.il.us |access-date=December 13, 2023}} The Effingham County Board is the legislative body of County Government. It is composed of nine elected members, each representing a geographic district within the County. Each district is currently composed on average of just under 4000 residents. The districts are adjusted every 10 years after the national census information is published. The current Effingham County Board Chairman is Joshua Douthit (Republican) elected in 2022 from District B.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|480|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|479|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|1.2|sqmi}} (0.3%) is water.

Just west of Effingham on Interstate 70 there is a {{convert|198|ft|adj=on}} white cross; 35,000 vehicles are estimated to pass the site each day. It is one of the world's tallest crosses, and took over {{convert|200|ST|lk=in}} of steel to erect.

=Climate and weather=

{{climate chart

|Effingham, Illinois

|18|35|2.38

|22|41|2.51

|32|52|3.61

|42|64|4.09

|52|74|4.46

|62|83|4.26

|66|87|4.51

|63|85|2.92

|55|78|3.04

|43|67|2.95

|34|52|4.05

|23|40|3.27

|float=right

|units=imperial

|clear=both

|source=The Weather Channel{{cite web

|url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0353

|title=Monthly Averages for Effingham, Illinois

|access-date=January 27, 2011

|publisher=The Weather Channel

}}}}

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Effingham have ranged from a low of {{convert|18|°F}} in January to a high of {{convert|87|°F}} in July, although a record low of {{convert|-29|°F}} was recorded in January 1915 and a record high of {{convert|111|°F}} was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from {{convert|2.38|in}} in January to {{convert|4.51|in}} in July.

=Adjacent counties=

Cumberland County - northeast
Jasper County - east
Clay County - south
Fayette County - west
Shelby County - northwest

=Major highways=

=Transit=

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1840= 1675

|1850= 3799

|1860= 7816

|1870= 15653

|1880= 18920

|1890= 19358

|1900= 20465

|1910= 20055

|1920= 19556

|1930= 19013

|1940= 22034

|1950= 21675

|1960= 23107

|1970= 24608

|1980= 30944

|1990= 31704

|2000= 34264

|2010= 34242

|2020= 34668

|estyear=2023

|estimate=34331

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 2, 2024}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 4, 2014}}
1790-1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=July 4, 2014}} 1900-1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/il190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 4, 2014}}
1990-2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 4, 2014}} 2010-2013

}}

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 34,242 people, 13,515 households, and 9,302 families residing in the county.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17049

|title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data

|access-date=July 11, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213031630/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17049

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}} The population density was {{convert|71.5|PD/sqmi}}. There were 14,570 housing units at an average density of {{convert|30.4|/sqmi}}.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17049

|access-date=July 11, 2015

|title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212204447/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17049

|archive-date=February 12, 2020

|url-status=dead

}} The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% American Indian, 0.8% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 41.6% were German, 10.0% were Irish, 9.3% were American, and 8.8% were English.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17049

|title=DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

|access-date=July 11, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213012224/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17049

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}}

Of the 13,515 households, 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.2% were non-families, and 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age was 39.2 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $49,509 and the median income for a family was $61,373. Males had a median income of $40,951 versus $28,209 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,843. About 7.8% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17049

|title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

|access-date=July 11, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213025533/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17049

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}}

Communities

=Cities=

Altamont
Effingham (seat)

=Town=

Mason

=Villages=

=Townships=

Effingham County is divided into fifteen townships:

=Unincorporated Communities=

Politics

In its early years Effingham County was owing to its anti-Civil War German-American population powerfully Democratic. Until Woodrow Wilson’s harsh policies towards Germany following World War I drove many voters to the GOP’s Warren G. Harding, it had voted an absolute majority to the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since the county’s formation. Opposition to the New Deal caused a considerable swing away from Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, and combined with local opposition to Roosevelt’s war policies in 1940 to cause FDR to only win the county by forty-seven votes from Wendell Willkie.

Since that election, the county has voted Republican in every election except 1948 and 1964, and no Democrat since Jimmy Carter in 1976 has reached 35 percent of the county’s vote. Currently Effingham County is one of Illinois’ most Republican counties, rivalled by a number of southern counties like Edwards. In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, John McCain carried the county by a 36% margin over Barack Obama, making it McCain's strongest county in the state, with Obama carrying his home state by a 25.1% margin over McCain.[http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ U.S. Election Atlas]

Currently all elected officials holding major offices in Effingham County are Republican with 8 of 9 elected County Board Representatives being Republican.

{{PresHead|place=Effingham County, Illinois|source={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=November 1, 2018}}}}

References

;Specific

;General

History of Southern Illinois, George Washington Smith, 1912.
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070310144543/http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/irad/edgar.html United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles]
[http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/ United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS)]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20081205020547/http://www.nationalatlas.gov/ United States National Atlas]