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Lawrence County, Illinois facts for kids

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Lawrence County
Lawrence County Courthouse in Lawrenceville
Lawrence County Courthouse in Lawrenceville
Map of Illinois highlighting Lawrence 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 James Lawrence
Seat Lawrenceville
Largest city Lawrenceville
Area
 • Total 374 sq mi (970 km2)
 • Land 372 sq mi (960 km2)
 • Water 2.0 sq mi (5 km2)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 15,280
 • Density 40.86/sq mi (15.774/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 12th

Lawrence County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. At the 2020 census, the population was 15,280. Its county seat is Lawrenceville.

History

Lawrence County was formed in 1821 out of Crawford and Edwards counties. It was named for Capt. James Lawrence, who was killed in action during the War of 1812 while commanding the frigate USS Chesapeake. Mortally wounded, he gave his men the famous last order, "Don't give up the ship."

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 374 square miles (970 km2), of which 372 square miles (960 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.5%) is water.

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Lawrenceville, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
2.6
 
36
18
 
 
2.5
 
42
22
 
 
3.6
 
53
32
 
 
4.3
 
65
42
 
 
5.1
 
75
52
 
 
4.1
 
84
61
 
 
4.7
 
88
65
 
 
3.7
 
86
63
 
 
3.2
 
80
54
 
 
3.2
 
68
42
 
 
4.3
 
54
33
 
 
3.2
 
42
23
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Lawrenceville have ranged from a low of 18 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −26 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.51 inches (64 mm) in February to 5.13 inches (130 mm) in May.

Transit

  • Rides Mass Transit District

Major highways

  • US 50.svg U.S. Route 50
  • Illinois 1.svg Illinois Route 1
  • Illinois 33.svg Illinois Route 33
  • Illinois 250.svg Illinois Route 250

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1830 3,668
1840 7,092 93.3%
1850 6,121 −13.7%
1860 9,214 50.5%
1870 12,533 36.0%
1880 13,663 9.0%
1890 14,693 7.5%
1900 16,523 12.5%
1910 22,661 37.1%
1920 21,380 −5.7%
1930 21,885 2.4%
1940 21,075 −3.7%
1950 20,539 −2.5%
1960 18,540 −9.7%
1970 17,522 −5.5%
1980 17,807 1.6%
1990 15,972 −10.3%
2000 15,452 −3.3%
2010 16,833 8.9%
2020 15,280 −9.2%
2023 (est.) 14,813 −12.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013
USA Lawrence County, Illinois age pyramid
2000 census age pyramid for Lawrence County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,833 people, 6,130 households, and 4,056 families living in the county. The population density was 45.2 inhabitants per square mile (17.5/km2). There were 6,936 housing units at an average density of 18.6 per square mile (7.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.3% white, 9.6% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.7% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 12.7% were German, 10.4% were American, 9.5% were Irish, and 7.8% were English.

Of the 6,130 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.8% were non-families, and 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 39.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,771 and the median income for a family was $45,565. Males had a median income of $40,949 versus $25,991 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,297. About 14.8% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Village

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Nine townships make up Lawrence County. They are:

  • Allison
  • Bond
  • Bridgeport
  • Christy
  • Denison
  • Lawrence
  • Lukin
  • Petty
  • Russell

See also

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

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