Clinton, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clinton
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Clinton city hall
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| Motto(s):
"On the rise since 1835"
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Location of Clinton in De Witt County, Illinois.
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Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | DeWitt |
| Township | Clintonia, Texas |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.54 sq mi (9.18 km2) |
| • Land | 3.54 sq mi (9.18 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 726 ft (221 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,004 |
| • Density | 1,976.30/sq mi (762.95/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code(s) |
61727
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| Area code(s) | 217 |
| FIPS code | 17-15001 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Clinton, Illinois |
Clinton is the biggest city and the main town (called the county seat) in DeWitt County, Illinois, USA. In 2020, about 7,004 people lived there.
Both the city and the county are named after DeWitt Clinton. He was a governor of New York from 1817 to 1823. The Clinton Nuclear Generating Station, a power plant, is located about six miles away on Clinton Lake.
Contents
Where is Clinton, Illinois?
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Clinton is located right in the middle of Illinois. You can find it at coordinates 40.152240 degrees North and -88.959214 degrees West. Major roads like Routes 51, 54, and 10 make it easy to get there.
The city covers a total area of about 3.54 square miles (9.18 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
The History of Clinton
How Clinton Was Founded
Clinton was started in 1835 by two men: Jesse W. Fell and James Allen. Jesse Fell was a land dealer and a lawyer from Bloomington, Illinois. James Allen was a representative in the Illinois State Legislature.
One day, they were traveling from Decatur, Illinois back to Bloomington. They stopped to rest their horses in an open grassy area. They realized this spot was perfect for a new town because there was nothing else nearby. They decided to name the new town after DeWitt Clinton.
Abraham Lincoln's Connection to Clinton
Clinton is part of the 8th Judicial Circuit. This was a court circuit that Abraham Lincoln traveled for twenty years. He traveled with Judge David Davis. Lincoln worked as a lawyer in the area because there were not many lawyers around at that time.
One of the two official historical places in DeWitt County is in Clinton. It is called the C.H. Moore House. This house was bought and improved by a lawyer named Clifton H. Moore in the 1880s. Today, it is the DeWitt County Museum.
When Moore passed away in 1901, he left his huge private library to the city. He had over 7,000 books! These books became the first collection for the Vespasian Warner Public Library. This library was started by and named after Moore's son-in-law.
In 1858, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech in Clinton. A famous quote is often said to be from this speech:
You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.
However, there is no official written record of this speech. Some people think Lincoln said it in Bloomington, Illinois, two years earlier. It is still debated whether he ever said it at all.
People of Clinton
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 367 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,362 | 271.1% | |
| 1870 | 1,800 | 32.2% | |
| 1880 | 2,709 | 50.5% | |
| 1890 | 2,598 | −4.1% | |
| 1900 | 4,452 | 71.4% | |
| 1910 | 5,165 | 16.0% | |
| 1920 | 5,898 | 14.2% | |
| 1930 | 5,920 | 0.4% | |
| 1940 | 6,331 | 6.9% | |
| 1950 | 5,945 | −6.1% | |
| 1960 | 7,355 | 23.7% | |
| 1970 | 7,581 | 3.1% | |
| 1980 | 8,014 | 5.7% | |
| 1990 | 7,437 | −7.2% | |
| 2000 | 7,485 | 0.6% | |
| 2010 | 7,225 | −3.5% | |
| 2020 | 7,004 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of the 2020 census, Clinton had 7,004 residents. There were 3,102 households and 1,676 families living in the city. The population density was about 1,976 people per square mile.
Most of the people in Clinton (about 91.49%) were White. Other groups included African American (1.06%), Native American (0.19%), and Asian (0.30%). About 5.15% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 25% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 2.97 people. The median age in Clinton was 39.0 years old.
What Jobs Are There in Clinton?
The main employers in Clinton include:
- The Clinton Nuclear Power Plant
- Warner Hospital & Health Services
- Miller Container
- RR Donnelley
- HNC Products Inc.
- Liberty Village of Clinton
Fun Things to Do in Clinton
Festivals and Events
- The annual Apple and Pork Festival is a huge event. It brings in ten times or more of the city's population! People come to visit, enjoy food, and buy local items.
- Terror on Washington Street is a haunted house that happens every year. It is put on by Clinton's Chamber of Commerce.
- May Days is another yearly festival. It has carnival rides, live music, and other fun entertainment.
Nature and Outdoor Activities
- Clinton Lake (Illinois) and Weldon Springs State Recreation Area are state parks located nearby. They are great for outdoor fun.
- Clinton has seven small parks within the town. These parks have things like lighted tennis courts, basketball courts, and fields for baseball and softball. They also have playground equipment for kids.
Other Places to Visit
- The C. H. Moore House is the main part of the Dewitt County Museum. It's a great place to learn about local history.
- Mr. Lincoln's Square is a historic spot where Abraham Lincoln once gave a speech.
- Dewitt County Fairgrounds hosts various events throughout the year.
Famous People From Clinton
- Al Atkinson, a baseball pitcher.
- Keith Brendley, a business leader.
- Charlie Irwin, a baseball third baseman.
- Mike Overy, a baseball pitcher; he was born in Clinton.
- Doc Marshall, a baseball catcher and doctor; he lived and passed away in Clinton.
- William Querfeld, an Illinois state representative and farmer.
- Gene Vance, a famous basketball player from the University of Illinois.
- Vespasian Warner, a member of Congress.
See also
In Spanish: Clinton (Illinois) para niños
