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Cooksville, Illinois
Location in McLean County, Illinois
Location in McLean County, Illinois
Cooksville, Illinois is located in the United States
Cooksville, Illinois
Cooksville, Illinois
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Illinois
County McLean
Township Blue Mound
Area
 • Total 0.22 sq mi (0.56 km2)
 • Land 0.22 sq mi (0.56 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
768 ft (234 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 157
 • Density 723.50/sq mi (279.70/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
61730
Area code(s) 309
FIPS code 17-16210
GNIS ID 2398622
Wikimedia Commons Cooksville, Illinois

Cooksville is a small village in McLean County, Illinois, United States. It is home to 157 people, according to the 2020 census. This village is part of the larger BloomingtonNormal area.

Exploring Cooksville's Location

Cooksville is located in the eastern part of McLean County. It is about 18 miles (29 km) east-northeast of Bloomington. Bloomington is the main city and county seat. Illinois Route 165 passes near the village. This road connects Cooksville to Bloomington and Sibley.

Land and Water Around Cooksville

The village covers a total area of about 0.22 square miles (0.56 square kilometers). All of this area is land. Cooksville is in the area where water flows into the Mackinaw River. The Mackinaw River flows west and is a branch of the Illinois River.

Cooksville's Past: A Look at its History

How Cooksville Began

Cooksville was first planned on December 4, 1882. It was originally called "Kochsville." The founder was Frederick Wilhelm Koch (1829–1900). He was a real estate dealer from Bloomington. Within a year, the name was changed to Cooksville.

Koch was born in Westphalia, which is now part of Germany. He came to the United States in 1854. By 1860, he was living in Bloomington. He even had another neighborhood in Bloomington named Kochsville after him.

Cooksville was founded when a new railroad line was completed. This line connected Colfax to Bloomington. The railroad was later taken over by the Illinois Central company. It was sometimes called the Bloomer Line. Over time, parts of the railroad tracks were removed. This meant that grain and other goods had to be moved by road.

Village Design and Early Growth

Cooksville officially became an incorporated village in December 1901. Its population reached its highest point in 1910, with 332 residents. The original village was shaped like a rectangle. It was mostly north of the railroad tracks.

The first grain elevator in Cooksville was built in 1883 by William G. Darnell. Grain elevators are tall buildings used to store grain. Also in 1883, Harvey W. Crumbacker moved to the town. He opened a hardware store. In 1902, he built a two-story brick building in the village.

Cooksville's Population Over Time

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 332
1920 297 −10.5%
1930 324 9.1%
1940 269 −17.0%
1950 256 −4.8%
1960 221 −13.7%
1970 241 9.0%
1980 259 7.5%
1990 211 −18.5%
2000 213 0.9%
2010 182 −14.6%
2020 157 −13.7%
Decennial US Census

In 2000, Cooksville had 213 people living there. There were 91 households, which are groups of people living together. Most of the people in the village were White. A small number were from other backgrounds.

The population included people of all ages. About 23.5% were under 18 years old. About 11.3% were 65 years or older. The average age in the village was 37 years old.

Learning in Cooksville

Students in Cooksville attend schools within the Ridgeview School District.

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