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Kankakee County, Illinois facts for kids

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Kankakee County
Kankakee County Courthouse
Map of Illinois highlighting Kankakee 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 February 11, 1853
Named for Kankakee River
Seat Kankakee
Largest city Kankakee
Area
 • Total 681 sq mi (1,760 km2)
 • Land 677 sq mi (1,750 km2)
 • Water 4.8 sq mi (12 km2)  0.7%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 113,449
 • Estimate 
(2019)
109,862
 • Density 166.59/sq mi (64.32/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Kankakee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 113,449. Its county seat is Kankakee. Kankakee County comprises the Kankakee, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Starting in the 1770s, if not earlier, the area that is now Kankakee County was dominated by the Pottawatami.

French Canadian Settlers came to Kankakee County in 1834, after the federal government signed the Treaty of Camp Tippecanoe in 1832. They were soon joined by migrants from New York and Vermont who had moved their way west, mostly locating in Momence, Illinois. In the 1840s, most of the migrants were French Canadians or Metis and they settled in such places as Bourbonnais.

An act of the Illinois Legislature created Kankakee County out of the north part of Iroquois County and the south part of Will County on February 11, 1853. The six original townships were: Yellowhead, Rockville, Bourbonnais, Momence, Aroma Park, and Limestone. The population of the new county was about 8,000. It wasn’t until 1855 that the two western townships of Norton and Essex were taken from Vermilion County and added to Kankakee County. The County was named for the Kankakee River.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 681 square miles (1,760 km2), of which 677 square miles (1,750 km2) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km2) (0.7%) is water.

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Kankakee, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
1.8
 
31
12
 
 
1.6
 
37
17
 
 
2.8
 
48
28
 
 
3.8
 
61
38
 
 
4.5
 
73
49
 
 
4.4
 
83
59
 
 
4.4
 
86
63
 
 
3.1
 
84
61
 
 
3.5
 
78
52
 
 
2.7
 
65
40
 
 
3.4
 
50
30
 
 
2.6
 
36
19
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Kankakee have ranged from a low of 12 °F (−11 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −29 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 107 °F (42 °C) was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.62 inches (41 mm) in February to 4.54 inches (115 mm) in May.

Major highways

  • I-57.svg Interstate 57
  • US 45.svg U.S. Highway 45
  • US 52.svg U.S. Highway 52
  • Illinois 1.svg Illinois Route 1
  • Illinois 17.svg Illinois Route 17
  • Illinois 50.svg Illinois Route 50
  • Illinois 102.svg Illinois Route 102
  • Illinois 113.svg Illinois Route 113
  • Illinois 114.svg Illinois Route 114
  • Illinois 115.svg Illinois Route 115

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 15,412
1870 24,352 58.0%
1880 25,047 2.9%
1890 28,732 14.7%
1900 37,154 29.3%
1910 40,752 9.7%
1920 44,920 10.2%
1930 50,095 11.5%
1940 60,877 21.5%
1950 73,524 20.8%
1960 92,063 25.2%
1970 97,250 5.6%
1980 102,926 5.8%
1990 96,255 −6.5%
2000 103,833 7.9%
2010 113,449 9.3%
2019 (est.) 109,862 −3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2019
USA Kankakee County, Illinois age pyramid
2000 census age pyramid for Kankakee County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 113,449 people, 41,511 households, and 28,680 families residing in the county. The population density was 167.7 inhabitants per square mile (64.7/km2). There were 45,246 housing units at an average density of 66.9 per square mile (25.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.6% white, 15.1% black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 4.0% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 9.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.5% were German, 14.2% were Irish, 7.4% were English, 6.7% were Italian, 5.8% were Polish, and 3.6% were American.

Of the 41,511 households, 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.9% were non-families, and 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age was 36.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $50,484 and the median income for a family was $59,998. Males had a median income of $49,858 versus $32,247 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,888. About 10.8% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

Cities

Villages

Unincorporated places

Townships

Kankakee County is divided into seventeen townships:

  • Aroma
  • Bourbonnais
  • Essex
  • Ganeer
  • Kankakee
  • Limestone
  • Manteno
  • Momence
  • Norton
  • Otto
  • Pembroke
  • Pilot
  • Rockville
  • St. Anne
  • Salina
  • Sumner
  • Yellowhead

Education

The county is home to Olivet Nazarene University and Kankakee Community College.

Transportation

Kankakee County is served by the Greater Kankakee Airport. Amtrak runs train service through the city via Kankakee station.

Major Highways

  • I-57.svg Interstate 57
  • US 45.svg U.S. Highway 45
  • US 52.svg U.S. Highway 52
  • Illinois 1.svg Illinois Route 1
  • Illinois 17.svg Illinois Route 17
  • Illinois 50.svg Illinois Route 50
  • Illinois 102.svg Illinois Route 102
  • Illinois 113.svg Illinois Route 113
  • Illinois 114.svg Illinois Route 114
  • Illinois 115.svg Illinois Route 115

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Kankakee para niños

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