Galva, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Galva
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| Nickname(s):
City of Go
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Location of Galva in Henry County, Illinois.
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Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Henry |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.75 sq mi (7.13 km2) |
| • Land | 2.75 sq mi (7.13 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 850 ft (260 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,470 |
| • Density | 896.55/sq mi (346.18/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code(s) |
61434
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| Area code(s) | 309 |
| FIPS code | 17-28430 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Galva, Illinois |
Galva is a city located in Henry County, Illinois, in the United States. In 2020, about 2,470 people lived there.
Contents
History of Galva
Galva was founded in 1854 by cousins William L. Wiley and James Wiley. The city's name, Galva, honors the Swedish people who settled in nearby Bishop Hill. It is named after Gävle, Sweden, which is Galva's sister city. A "sister city" is a partnership between two cities in different countries to promote cultural ties. Today, about 80% of the people in Galva have Scandinavian family roots.
Galva grew because of the railroads. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (also called the Burlington Route) was the first of three train lines to come through Galva. Trustees from Bishop Hill invested a lot of money to help bring this railroad to the town. This first line connected Aurora, Illinois to Galesburg, Illinois. Later, another branch of the Burlington Route and the Peoria and Rock Island Railroad also came to Galva.
Even though several Amtrak passenger train lines, like the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief, pass through Galva, they do not stop there. If you want to catch a train, there is a station 10 miles north in Kewanee for the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg trains. All trains also stop 25 miles south in Galesburg.
Geography and Climate
Galva covers a total area of about 2.76 square miles (7.13 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Galva's Climate
The weather in Galva changes a lot throughout the year. Summers are usually warm, and winters are cold. The city gets a good amount of rain and snow.
| Climate data for Galva, Illinois (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1887–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
71 (22) |
86 (30) |
93 (34) |
105 (41) |
105 (41) |
111 (44) |
105 (41) |
101 (38) |
93 (34) |
83 (28) |
69 (21) |
111 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.0 (−1.1) |
35.1 (1.7) |
48.2 (9.0) |
61.4 (16.3) |
72.6 (22.6) |
81.5 (27.5) |
84.1 (28.9) |
82.3 (27.9) |
76.5 (24.7) |
63.8 (17.7) |
48.3 (9.1) |
35.7 (2.1) |
60.0 (15.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 21.5 (−5.8) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
37.7 (3.2) |
49.6 (9.8) |
61.4 (16.3) |
70.6 (21.4) |
73.5 (23.1) |
71.2 (21.8) |
64.0 (17.8) |
52.1 (11.2) |
38.6 (3.7) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
49.5 (9.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 12.9 (−10.6) |
16.8 (−8.4) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
37.8 (3.2) |
50.2 (10.1) |
59.8 (15.4) |
62.9 (17.2) |
60.2 (15.7) |
51.5 (10.8) |
40.3 (4.6) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
18.8 (−7.3) |
38.9 (3.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −32 (−36) |
−28 (−33) |
−12 (−24) |
9 (−13) |
22 (−6) |
34 (1) |
44 (7) |
38 (3) |
19 (−7) |
9 (−13) |
−7 (−22) |
−26 (−32) |
−32 (−36) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.62 (41) |
1.76 (45) |
2.35 (60) |
4.22 (107) |
4.82 (122) |
5.17 (131) |
3.63 (92) |
3.73 (95) |
3.97 (101) |
2.84 (72) |
2.55 (65) |
2.01 (51) |
38.67 (982) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.9 | 5.3 | 8.0 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 7.1 | 5.6 | 91.6 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Galva
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 1,005 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,160 | 114.9% | |
| 1880 | 2,148 | −0.6% | |
| 1890 | 2,409 | 12.2% | |
| 1900 | 2,682 | 11.3% | |
| 1910 | 2,498 | −6.9% | |
| 1920 | 2,974 | 19.1% | |
| 1930 | 2,875 | −3.3% | |
| 1940 | 2,812 | −2.2% | |
| 1950 | 2,886 | 2.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,060 | 6.0% | |
| 1970 | 3,061 | 0.0% | |
| 1980 | 3,185 | 4.1% | |
| 1990 | 2,742 | −13.9% | |
| 2000 | 2,758 | 0.6% | |
| 2010 | 2,589 | −6.1% | |
| 2020 | 2,470 | −4.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
According to the 2020 census, 2,470 people lived in Galva. There were 1,148 households and 683 families. The city had about 897 people per square mile.
Most of the people in Galva (about 93%) are White. About 1% are African American, and small numbers are Native American or Asian. About 3% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
About 24% of households had children under 18 living with them. Almost half (46%) were married couples. About 39% of all households were single people living alone. About 16% of households had someone aged 65 or older living by themselves. The average household had about 2.95 people.
The median age in Galva was 46 years old. This means half the people were older than 46, and half were younger. About 23% of the population was under 18 years old. About 22% were 65 years or older.
The median income for a household in Galva was $44,191 per year. For families, the median income was $65,913. About 19.5% of all people in Galva lived below the poverty line. This included 44.3% of children under 18.
Education
Higher Education
Black Hawk College, which is a community college, has one of its campuses located in Galva.
Community Organizations
- Galva Arts Council
- Galva American Legion Post #45
Notable People
- Reuben Beals, an Illinois state representative, farmer, and carpenter.
- Rich Falk, a professional basketball player.
- Rollin Kirby, a political cartoonist who won the Pulitzer Prize three times.
- Mrs. Wiggins, also known as Carolyn Krans Wiggins, a piano professor at W. Illinois University.
See also
In Spanish: Galva (Illinois) para niños
