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Greene County, Illinois facts for kids

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Greene County
Greene County Courthouse
Greene County Courthouse
Map of Illinois highlighting Greene 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 1821
Named for Nathanael Greene
Seat Carrollton
Largest city Carrollton
Area
 • Total 546 sq mi (1,410 km2)
 • Land 543 sq mi (1,410 km2)
 • Water 3.3 sq mi (9 km2)  0.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 11,843
 • Density 21.690/sq mi (8.375/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 15th
Website https://

Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it has a population of 11,843. Its county seat is Carrollton.

A notable archaeological area, the Koster Site, has produced evidence of more than 7,000 years of human habitation. Artifacts from the site are displayed at the Center for American Archeology in Kampsville, Illinois.

History

Greene County is named in honor of General Nathanael Greene, a hero of the American Revolutionary War. In 1821, three years after Illinois became a state, Greene County was established, being carved out of what was previously Madison county and St. Clair county before that. Over the course of the next 18 years four more counties were formed out of what was once Greene Country. These include Scott, Morgan, Macoupin and Jersey counties. This left Greene county with approximately 546 square miles of land located in western-central Illinois near the Illinois River, which was an important resource that provided both a means for travel and to ship goods. Like much of southern Illinois the earliest settlers in the county came from Southern states such as North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. By the time of the Civil War, 1860, the population of Greene County had grown to 16,093 and 10% of the adult population had been born in the Northeast, 15% were foreign born, 25% were born in Southern states, and almost 50% had been born in the Midwest. Of the population born in the Midwest many could still trace their roots to the South, with almost 80% of them having parents born in a Southern state.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 546 square miles (1,410 km2), of which 543 square miles (1,410 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (0.6%) is water.

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Carrollton, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
1.6
 
34
16
 
 
1.8
 
40
20
 
 
3.3
 
52
30
 
 
3.6
 
64
42
 
 
4.3
 
74
52
 
 
3.6
 
83
61
 
 
3.4
 
87
65
 
 
2.8
 
85
63
 
 
3
 
78
54
 
 
2.6
 
67
43
 
 
3.3
 
52
32
 
 
2.6
 
39
21
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Carrollton have ranged from a low of 16 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −26 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1912 and a record high of 113 °F (45 °C) was recorded in July 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.60 inches (41 mm) in January to 4.34 inches (110 mm) in May.

Major highways

  • US 67.svg U.S. Highway 67
  • Illinois 16.svg Illinois Route 16
  • Illinois 100.svg Illinois Route 100
  • Illinois 106.svg Illinois Route 106
  • Illinois 108.svg Illinois Route 108
  • Illinois 267.svg Illinois Route 267

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1830 7,674
1840 11,951 55.7%
1850 12,429 4.0%
1860 16,093 29.5%
1870 20,277 26.0%
1880 23,010 13.5%
1890 23,791 3.4%
1900 23,402 −1.6%
1910 22,363 −4.4%
1920 22,883 2.3%
1930 20,417 −10.8%
1940 20,292 −0.6%
1950 18,852 −7.1%
1960 17,460 −7.4%
1970 17,014 −2.6%
1980 16,661 −2.1%
1990 15,317 −8.1%
2000 14,761 −3.6%
2010 13,886 −5.9%
2020 11,985 −13.7%
2023 (est.) 11,543 −16.9%
US Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2013
USA Greene County, Illinois age pyramid
2000 census age pyramid for Greene County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 13,886 people, 5,570 households, and 3,777 families living in the county. The population density was 25.6 inhabitants per square mile (9.9/km2). There were 6,389 housing units at an average density of 11.8 per square mile (4.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.9% white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 30.7% were German, 14.7% were Irish, 13.3% were English, and 12.1% were American.

Of the 5,570 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 41.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,450 and the median income for a family was $52,049. Males had a median income of $38,185 versus $27,231 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,107. About 11.8% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Villages

Unincorporated communities

Townships

  • Athensville
  • Bluffdale
  • Carrollton
  • Kane
  • Linder
  • Patterson
  • Rockbridge
  • Roodhouse
  • Rubicon
  • Walkerville
  • White Hall
  • Woodville
  • Wrights

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Greene County.

county seat

Rank Place Municipal type Population (2020 Census)
1 Carrollton City 2,485
2 White Hall City 2,295
3 Roodhouse City 1,578
4 Greenfield City 1,059
5 Kane Village 296
6 Rockbridge Village 175
7 Eldred Village 149
8 Hillview Village 94
9 Wilmington (Patterson) Village 91

See also

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

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