Macon County, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Macon County
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Wabash Railroad Station and Railway Express Agency in Decatur
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Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
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 Illinois's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Illinois |
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| Founded | January 19, 1829 | |
| Named for | Nathaniel Macon | |
| Seat | Decatur | |
| Largest city | Decatur | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 586 sq mi (1,520 km2) | |
| • Land | 581 sq mi (1,500 km2) | |
| • Water | 5.2 sq mi (13 km2) 0.9% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 103,998 | |
| • Density | 177.47/sq mi (68.52/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | |
| Congressional districts | 13th, 15th | |
Macon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 103,998. Its county seat and most populous city is Decatur.
Macon County comprises the Decatur, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Macon County was formed on January 19, 1829, out of Shelby County. It was named for Nathaniel Macon, a Colonel in the Revolutionary War. Macon later served as senator from North Carolina until his resignation in 1828. In 1830, future US President Abraham Lincoln and his family moved to Macon County.
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Macon County (1829)
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Macon County (1829–1841)
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Macon County (1841–1843)
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Macon County (1843–present)
Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 586 square miles (1,520 km2), of which 581 square miles (1,500 km2) is land and 5.2 square miles (13 km2) (0.9%) is water.
Macon County is primarily flat, as is most of the state and all of the surrounding counties, the result of geological activity during the Pleistocene epoch. During the Illinoian Stage of the Pleistocene, the Laurentide Ice Sheet covered about 85 percent of Illinois, including the Macon County area. The subsequent thaw of the region and retreat of the ice sheet left central Illinois with its present characteristic flat topography.
Because of its central location, Macon County is often referred to as "The Heart of Illinois."
Climate and weather
| Weather chart for Decatur, Illinois | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2.1
35
17
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2
41
22
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3.2
53
32
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3.6
65
42
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4.5
76
52
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3.9
85
61
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4.5
88
65
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4.1
86
63
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3
80
55
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2.7
68
44
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3.3
52
34
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2.9
39
23
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| temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches source: The Weather Channel |
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Metric conversion
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In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Decatur have ranged from a low of 17 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in February 1905 and a record high of 113 °F (45 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.95 inches (50 mm) in February to 4.54 inches (115 mm) in July.
Major highways
Interstate 72
U.S. Route 36
U.S. Route 51
Illinois Route 48
Illinois Route 105
Illinois Route 121
Illinois Route 128
Transit
- Decatur Public Transit System
- SHOW Bus
- List of intercity bus stops in Illinois
Adjacent counties
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1830 | 1,122 | — | |
| 1840 | 3,039 | 170.9% | |
| 1850 | 3,988 | 31.2% | |
| 1860 | 13,738 | 244.5% | |
| 1870 | 26,481 | 92.8% | |
| 1880 | 30,665 | 15.8% | |
| 1890 | 38,083 | 24.2% | |
| 1900 | 44,003 | 15.5% | |
| 1910 | 54,186 | 23.1% | |
| 1920 | 65,175 | 20.3% | |
| 1930 | 81,731 | 25.4% | |
| 1940 | 84,693 | 3.6% | |
| 1950 | 98,853 | 16.7% | |
| 1960 | 118,257 | 19.6% | |
| 1970 | 125,010 | 5.7% | |
| 1980 | 131,375 | 5.1% | |
| 1990 | 117,206 | −10.8% | |
| 2000 | 114,706 | −2.1% | |
| 2010 | 110,768 | −3.4% | |
| 2020 | 103,998 | −6.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 100,591 | −9.2% | |
| US Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 |
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As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 110,768 people, 45,855 households, and 29,326 families residing in the county. The population density was 190.8 inhabitants per square mile (73.7/km2). There were 50,475 housing units at an average density of 86.9 per square mile (33.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 79.3% white, 16.3% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.7% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.7% were German, 17.0% were American, 12.9% were Irish, and 10.8% were English.
Of the 45,855 households, 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.0% were non-families, and 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 40.3 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,337 and the median income for a family was $57,570. Males had a median income of $48,570 versus $31,568 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,726. About 10.3% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
Villages
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
Ghost Town
Townships
- Austin
- Blue Mound
- Decatur
- Friends Creek
- Harristown
- Hickory Point
- Illini
- Long Creek
- Maroa
- Milam (former, now defunct, after merger with Mount Zion Township)
- Mount Zion
- Niantic
- Oakley
- Pleasant View
- South Macon
- South Wheatland
- Whitmore
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Macon (Illinois) para niños
