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DeKalb County, Illinois facts for kids

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DeKalb County
U.S. county
DeKalb County Court House, Sycamore, Illinois
DeKalb County Court House, Sycamore, Illinois
Official seal of DeKalb County
Seal
Map of Illinois highlighting DeKalb County
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Illinois
Founded March 4, 1837
Named for Johann de Kalb
Seat Sycamore
Largest city DeKalb
Area
 • Total 635 sq mi (1,640 km2)
 • Land 631 sq mi (1,630 km2)
 • Water 3.4 sq mi (9 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 100,420
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 100,288 Decrease
 • Density 158.14/sq mi (61.06/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts 11th, 14th, 16th

DeKalb County is a county in the state of Illinois, USA. In 2020, about 100,420 people lived there. The main town, or county seat, is Sycamore. DeKalb County is also part of the larger Chicago area.

A Look at DeKalb County's Past

DeKalb County was created on March 4, 1837. It was formed from a part of Kane County, Illinois. The county got its name from Johann de Kalb. He was a German hero during the American Revolutionary War. DeKalb County is about 632.7 square miles in size. It is located about 63 miles west of Chicago.

Early Settlers and Growth

Between 1834 and 1837, European Americans began to settle here. This happened after the Potawatomi people moved away. Settlers chose areas near streams and woods. The soil was good, and there was plenty of wild game, food, and water.

The county grew a lot when railroads arrived. Trains made it easier to travel and move goods. This also helped industries grow. Some early businesses in DeKalb County included Sandwich Mfg. Co. and Marsh Harvester Co. Barbed wire was also invented here. The Gurler Bros Pure Milk Co was another important early business.

Farming and Education in DeKalb

DeKalb County is well known for its farms. In 1852, the first Agricultural Fair was held in Sycamore. Later, farmers and business people formed groups. These groups helped create the Farm Bureau movement. DeKalb County is known as the birthplace of this movement. Today, DeKalb County is a top hog-producing county in Illinois.

Education is also very important here. Northern Illinois University is located in DeKalb. Kishwaukee College is in Malta. Every year since 1887, a big fair has been held. This is the Sandwich Fair, and it takes place at the Sandwich Fairgrounds. Only in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, was the fair not held.

DeKalb County Illinois 1837
DeKalb County at the time it was created in 1837

How to Say "DeKalb"

People in DeKalb County, Illinois, say the name with an "L" sound. It sounds like /dɪˈkælb/ or "di-KALB". This is different from other places named DeKalb, like in Georgia. They say it this way because of its German namesake.

DeKalb County's Location and Weather

The US Census Bureau says DeKalb County covers about 635 square miles. Most of this is land (631 square miles). A small part, about 3.4 square miles, is water.

Weather in Sycamore

Weather chart for Sycamore, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
1.5
 
27
10
 
 
1.4
 
32
16
 
 
2.5
 
44
26
 
 
3.5
 
58
37
 
 
4.2
 
70
48
 
 
4.5
 
80
58
 
 
4.2
 
84
63
 
 
4.5
 
81
61
 
 
3.5
 
74
51
 
 
2.6
 
62
40
 
 
2.8
 
45
28
 
 
2.1
 
32
17
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel
Metric conversion
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
39
 
-3
-12
 
 
36
 
0
-9
 
 
62
 
7
-3
 
 
89
 
14
3
 
 
107
 
21
9
 
 
114
 
27
14
 
 
107
 
29
17
 
 
114
 
27
16
 
 
89
 
23
11
 
 
66
 
17
4
 
 
72
 
7
-2
 
 
54
 
0
-8
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm

In Sycamore, the county seat, temperatures change a lot. In January, the average low is about 10°F. In July, the average high is about 84°F. The coldest it ever got was -27°F in January 1985. The hottest was 103°F in August 1988. The county gets the most rain in June.

Neighboring Counties

DeKalb County shares borders with these other counties:

Main Roads and Transportation

Several important roads run through DeKalb County:

  • I-88.svg Interstate 88
  • US 30.svg US Route 30
  • US 34.svg US Route 34
  • Illinois 23.svg Illinois Route 23
  • Illinois 38.svg Illinois Route 38
  • Illinois 64.svg Illinois Route 64
  • Illinois 72.svg Illinois Route 72
  • Illinois 110.svg Illinois Route 110

For getting around locally, there is also DeKalb Public Transit.

Who Lives in DeKalb County?

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1840 1,697 —
1850 7,540 344.3%
1860 19,086 153.1%
1870 23,265 21.9%
1880 26,768 15.1%
1890 27,066 1.1%
1900 31,756 17.3%
1910 33,457 5.4%
1920 31,339 −6.3%
1930 32,644 4.2%
1940 34,388 5.3%
1950 40,781 18.6%
1960 51,714 26.8%
1970 71,654 38.6%
1980 74,624 4.1%
1990 77,932 4.4%
2000 88,969 14.2%
2010 105,160 18.2%
2020 100,420 −4.5%
2023 (est.) 100,288 −4.6%
US Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013
USA DeKalb County, Illinois age pyramid
2000 census age pyramid for DeKalb County. Notice the large number of college-aged people because of Northern Illinois University.

In 2020, the population of DeKalb County was 100,420 people. The county is home to people from many different backgrounds.

DeKalb County, Illinois – Racial and ethnic makeup
Note: The US Census counts Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic group. This table separates them from racial groups.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Not Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 75,772 83,825 71,249 85.17% 79.71% 70.95%
Black or African American alone (NH) 4,040 6,579 8,730 4.54% 6.26% 8.69%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 146 127 119 0.16% 0.12% 0.12%
Asian alone (NH) 2,067 2,400 2,280 2.32% 2.28% 2.27%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 40 19 29 0.04% 0.02% 0.03%
Other race alone (NH) 92 114 298 0.10% 0.11% 0.30%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 982 1,449 4,118 1.10% 1.38% 4.10%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5,830 10,647 13,597 6.55% 10.12% 13.54%
Total 88,969 105,160 100,420 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

In 2010, there were 105,160 people living in the county. About 85.1% were white, 6.4% were black, and 2.3% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 10.1% of the population. Many people had German, Irish, or English family roots.

The average age in the county was about 29.3 years old. This is a bit younger than many places. This is likely because of the college students living there.

Towns and Villages in DeKalb County

DeKalb County has several cities, one town, and many villages. It also has unincorporated communities and townships.

Cities in DeKalb County

Town in DeKalb County

Villages in DeKalb County

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller areas not part of a city or village:

Townships

Townships are smaller local government areas:

  • Afton
  • Clinton
  • Cortland
  • DeKalb
  • Franklin
  • Genoa
  • Kingston
  • Malta
  • Mayfield
  • Milan
  • Paw Paw
  • Pierce
  • Sandwich
  • Shabbona
  • Somonauk
  • South Grove
  • Squaw Grove
  • Sycamore
  • Victor

Schools and Learning

DeKalb County has many schools for students of all ages.

Colleges and Universities

Northern Illinois University is a large university located in the county.

K-12 Schools

Many school districts serve the county. Some of these districts also cover parts of other counties.

  • Belvidere Consolidated Unit School District 100
  • Central Community Unit School District 301
  • Community Unit School District 300
  • DeKalb Community Unit School District 428
  • Earlville Community Unit School District 9
  • Genoa-Kingston Community Unit School District 424
  • Hinckley-Big Rock Community Unit School District 429
  • Hiawatha Community Unit School District 426
  • Indian Creek Community Unit District 425
  • Kaneland Community Unit School District 302
  • Lee Center Community Unit School District 271
  • Leland Community Unit School District 1
  • Sandwich Community Unit School District 430
  • Somonauk Community Unit School District 432
  • Sycamore Community Unit School District 427

There are also districts just for high schools or elementary schools:

  • Rochelle Township High School District 212 (Secondary)
  • Creston Community Consolidated School District 161 (Elementary)
  • Eswood Community Consolidated District 269 (Elementary)
  • Steward Elementary School District 220 (Elementary)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de DeKalb (Illinois) para niños

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