Havana, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Havana, Illinois
|
|
|---|---|
Havana Water Tower
|
|
Location in Mason County, Illinois
|
|
 Havana, Illinois
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Mason |
| Township | Havana |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.94 sq mi (7.62 km2) |
| • Land | 2.78 sq mi (7.19 km2) |
| • Water | 0.17 sq mi (0.43 km2) |
| Elevation | 469 ft (143 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 2,963 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
62644
|
| Area code(s) | 309 |
| FIPS code | 17-33513 |
| GNIS ID | 2394323 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Havana, Illinois |
Havana is a city located in Mason County, Illinois, in the United States. It's also the main town, or county seat, of Mason County. In 2020, about 2,963 people lived there. This number was a bit lower than in 2010, when the population was 3,301.
Contents
Discovering Havana's Past
Havana has a very long history. About 2,000 years ago, it was a big settlement for ancient Americans. They built a large mound here, which is the biggest one found from the Western Hopewell Culture.
Early Explorers and Settlers
French explorers wrote about landmarks in the Havana area in the late 1600s. A religious medal from the early 1700s suggests that missionaries were active here. When the first English-speaking settlers arrived in 1822, a Pottawatomie village was already on the site. A ferry was set up to cross the Illinois River. This ferry connected to a road that followed the Spoon River.
Abraham Lincoln's Connection
Abraham Lincoln visited Havana many times. He came here from his time as a soldier in the Black Hawk Wars. He even gave a three-hour speech on the Rockwell Mound in 1858. This was when he was running for the US Senate. Stephen Douglas had spoken there the day before. When Lincoln was younger, he delivered mail from New Salem to Havana. Later, he worked as a surveyor and then as a traveling lawyer. Mason County was the only place where Lincoln owned farmland.
Town Name and Reputation
The English-speaking settlement was first called "Ross's Ferry." Later, it was named after Havana, the capital of Cuba. Havana was known as a river town where people gambled. It's said that famous people would visit the local clubs to hunt, fish, and gamble.
Havana's Location and Surroundings
Havana is in western Mason County, right on the Illinois River.
Roads and Routes
U.S. Route 136 goes through the city. It's known as Dearborn Street, South Promenade Street, and East Laurel Street. This route leads east about 24 miles (39 km) to San Jose. It goes west about 40 miles (64 km) to Macomb. US 136 crosses the Illinois River on the Scott Wike Lucas Bridge. Illinois Routes 78 and 97 also pass through Havana and cross the Illinois River. IL 78 goes south about 9 miles (14 km) to Bath and north about 21 miles (34 km) to Canton. IL 97 goes southeast about 11 miles (18 km) to Kilbourne and northwest about 11 miles (18 km) to Lewistown.
Natural Areas Nearby
The Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge is about 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Havana. It's located along the Illinois River.
Land and Water Area
Havana covers a total area of about 2.94 square miles (7.62 km²). Most of this area, about 2.78 square miles (7.19 km²), is land. The rest, about 0.17 square miles (0.43 km²), is water. This means about 5.61% of Havana is covered by water.
Havana's Climate
| Climate data for Havana, Illinois (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.5 (0.8) |
38.8 (3.8) |
51.2 (10.7) |
63.8 (17.7) |
74.5 (23.6) |
84.6 (29.2) |
88.1 (31.2) |
86.0 (30.0) |
80.4 (26.9) |
67.8 (19.9) |
52.4 (11.3) |
39.1 (3.9) |
63.4 (17.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.0 (−3.9) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
40.7 (4.8) |
52.4 (11.3) |
63.7 (17.6) |
73.1 (22.8) |
76.6 (24.8) |
74.4 (23.6) |
66.9 (19.4) |
54.9 (12.7) |
42.1 (5.6) |
30.5 (−0.8) |
52.5 (11.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.4 (−8.7) |
20.4 (−6.4) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
40.9 (4.9) |
52.8 (11.6) |
61.6 (16.4) |
65.1 (18.4) |
62.9 (17.2) |
53.5 (11.9) |
42.0 (5.6) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
21.8 (−5.7) |
41.6 (5.3) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.20 (56) |
2.18 (55) |
2.72 (69) |
4.22 (107) |
5.08 (129) |
4.73 (120) |
4.18 (106) |
4.02 (102) |
3.26 (83) |
3.37 (86) |
2.73 (69) |
2.35 (60) |
41.04 (1,042) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.7 (25) |
5.8 (15) |
3.2 (8.1) |
1.2 (3.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.1 (2.8) |
6.9 (18) |
27.9 (71.9) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Who Lives in Havana?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 462 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,785 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,118 | 18.7% | |
| 1890 | 2,525 | 19.2% | |
| 1900 | 3,268 | 29.4% | |
| 1910 | 3,525 | 7.9% | |
| 1920 | 3,614 | 2.5% | |
| 1930 | 3,451 | −4.5% | |
| 1940 | 3,999 | 15.9% | |
| 1950 | 4,379 | 9.5% | |
| 1960 | 4,363 | −0.4% | |
| 1970 | 4,376 | 0.3% | |
| 1980 | 4,277 | −2.3% | |
| 1990 | 3,610 | −15.6% | |
| 2000 | 3,577 | −0.9% | |
| 2010 | 3,301 | −7.7% | |
| 2020 | 2,963 | −10.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 3,577 people living in Havana. These people made up 1,467 households. About 981 of these households were families. The city had about 1,361 people per square mile (525 per km²).
Age and Gender in Havana
The population of Havana is spread out across different age groups. About 23.7% of the people were under 18 years old. About 22.3% were 65 years old or older. The average age in the city was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were about 87.5 males.
Famous People from Havana
Havana has been home to several notable people:
- Fred Beck, a baseball player for teams like the Boston Doves and Cincinnati Reds.
- Roy Hamey, a general manager for baseball teams such as the New York Yankees.
- Scott W. Lucas, who served as a U.S. senator from Illinois.
- Paul Samuell, an Illinois Supreme Court justice.
See also
In Spanish: Havana (Illinois) para niños
