Marion County, Illinois

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Marion County

| state = Illinois

| flag = Flag of Marion County, Illinois.png

| seal =

| founded = 1823

| seat wl = Salem

| largest city wl = Centralia

| area_total_sq_mi = 576

| area_land_sq_mi = 572

| area_water_sq_mi = 3.7

| area percentage = 0.6

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 37729

| pop_est_as_of = 2023

| population_est = 36673 {{loss}}

| density_sq_mi = auto

| time zone = Central

| footnotes =

| web =

| ex image = Marion County Courthouse in Salem.jpg

| ex image cap = Marion County Courthouse in Salem

| district = 15th

| named for =Francis Marion }}

Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 37,729.{{cite web|title=Marion County, Illinois |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Marion_County,_Illinois?g=050XX00US17121|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 10, 2023}} Its county seat is Salem.{{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=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|archive-date=May 31, 2011}} Marion County comprises the Centralia, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL Combined Statistical Area.

History

Marion County was organized on January 24, 1823, from portions of Jefferson and Fayette counties. It was named in honor of Revolutionary War Gen. Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox".{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n199 200]}}

File:Marion County Illinois 1823.png|Marion County at the time of its creation in 1823

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|576|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|572|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|3.7|sqmi}} (0.6%) is water.

The southwest corner of Marion County is the intersection of the Baseline with the Third Principal Meridian, the point of origin for the third survey of the Northwest Territory under the Land Ordinance of 1785. The origin is marked with a boulder south of Centralia just off U.S. 51.

=Climate and weather=

{{climate chart

|Salem, Illinois

|18|37|2.46

|22|43|2.53

|33|54|3.98

|44|65|4.01

|54|75|4.37

|63|84|4.15

|68|88|3.90

|66|87|3.43

|57|80|3.22

|45|69|3.10

|34|54|4.12

|24|42|3.26

|float=right

|units=imperial

|clear=both

|source=The Weather Channel{{cite web

|url = http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL1047

|title = Monthly Averages for Salem, Illinois

|access-date = January 27, 2011

|publisher = The Weather Channel

|url-status = live

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121023161017/http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL1047

|archive-date = October 23, 2012

}}}}

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Salem have ranged from a low of {{convert|18|°F}} in January to a high of {{convert|88|°F}} in July, although a record low of {{convert|-23|°F}} was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of {{convert|105|°F}} was recorded in August 1983. Average monthly precipitation ranged from {{convert|2.46|in}} in January to {{convert|4.37|in}} in May.

=Transit=

South Central Transit

=Major highways=

=Adjacent counties=

Fayette County - north
Clay County - east
Wayne County - southeast
Jefferson County - south
Washington County - southwest
Clinton County - west

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1830= 2125

|1840= 4742

|1850= 6720

|1860= 12739

|1870= 20622

|1880= 23686

|1890= 24341

|1900= 30446

|1910= 35094

|1920= 37497

|1930= 35635

|1940= 47989

|1950= 41700

|1960= 39349

|1970= 38986

|1980= 43523

|1990= 41561

|2000= 41691

|2010= 39437

|2020= 37729

|estyear=2023

|estimate=36673

|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 7, 2014}}
1790-1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=July 7, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|archive-date=August 11, 2012}} 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 7, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424084443/http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/il190090.txt|archive-date=April 24, 2014}}
1990-2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 7, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218203824/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|archive-date=December 18, 2014}} 2010{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17121.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 7, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607104132/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17121.html |archive-date=June 7, 2011 }}

}}

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 39,437 people, 16,148 households, and 10,746 families residing in the county.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17121

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

|access-date=July 12, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213084757/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17121

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}} The population density was {{convert|68.9|PD/sqmi}}. There were 18,296 housing units at an average density of {{convert|32.0|/sqmi}}.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17121

|access-date=July 12, 2015

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

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212200401/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17121

|archive-date=February 12, 2020

|url-status=dead

}} The racial makeup of the county was 93.1% white, 3.9% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.5% were German, 15.8% were Irish, 13.6% were English, and 10.8% were American.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17121

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

|access-date=July 12, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213024017/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17121

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}}

Of the 16,148 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.5% were non-families, and 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 41.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,974 and the median income for a family was $50,518. Males had a median income of $41,428 versus $28,042 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,493. About 12.2% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17121

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

|access-date=July 12, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213013235/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17121

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}}

Communities

=Cities=

=Villages=

=Townships=

Marion County is divided into seventeen townships:

=Unincorporated Communities=

Politics

Initially a strongly Democratic anti-Yankee county, Marion County has undergone two transitions. Between 1912 and 2004 it was a perfect bellwether apart from the Catholicism-influenced 1960 election when substantial anti-Catholic voting by its largely southern white population caused it to support Republican Richard Nixon. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century it has voted consistently for Republican presidential candidates.

{{PresHead|place=Marion County, Illinois|source={{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=May 1, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323225526/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|archive-date=March 23, 2018}}}}