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McDonough County, Illinois facts for kids

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McDonough County
U.S. county
McDonough County Courthouse, 2006
McDonough County Courthouse, 2006
Flag of McDonough County
Flag
Map of Illinois highlighting McDonough 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 January 25, 1826
Named for Thomas Macdonough
Seat Macomb
Largest city Macomb
Area
 • Total 590 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Land 589 sq mi (1,530 km2)
 • Water 0.8 sq mi (2 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 27,238
 • Density 46.2/sq mi (17.82/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts 15th, 17th

McDonough County is a county in the state of Illinois, in the United States. In 2020, about 27,238 people lived there. Its main town, called the county seat, is Macomb. Macomb is also where Western Illinois University is located.

McDonough County is part of the Macomb, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. This means it's an important area for jobs and daily life around Macomb.

History of McDonough County

McDonough County got its name from Thomas Macdonough. He was a brave naval officer. Macdonough won a very important battle called the Battle of Lake Champlain during the War of 1812.

This county was also part of something called the "Military Tract." This was land set aside by the United States Congress. It was given to soldiers who fought in the War of 1812.

  • McDonough County Illinois 1826

    McDonough County when it was first created in 1826

Geography and Climate

Where is McDonough County Located?

The U.S. Census Bureau says McDonough County covers about 590 square miles. Most of this area, about 589 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 0.8 square miles, is water.

A cool fact about the county is its shape. On a map, it looks like a perfect square! The main town, Macomb, is right in the middle of the county. The courthouse there is also almost exactly in the center.

Weather in McDonough County

Weather chart for Macomb, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
1.5
 
32
13
 
 
1.7
 
38
18
 
 
2.9
 
50
29
 
 
3.8
 
62
39
 
 
4.6
 
73
50
 
 
4.4
 
83
60
 
 
4.5
 
87
64
 
 
3.5
 
85
62
 
 
4
 
77
54
 
 
2.9
 
66
42
 
 
3.2
 
50
31
 
 
2.3
 
36
19
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel
Metric conversion
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
37
 
0
-11
 
 
43
 
3
-8
 
 
73
 
10
-2
 
 
97
 
17
4
 
 
116
 
23
10
 
 
111
 
28
16
 
 
115
 
31
18
 
 
90
 
29
17
 
 
101
 
25
12
 
 
72
 
19
6
 
 
80
 
10
-1
 
 
58
 
2
-7
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm

The weather in Macomb changes a lot throughout the year. In January, the average low temperature is about 13 degrees Fahrenheit. In July, the average high is around 87 degrees Fahrenheit.

The coldest temperature ever recorded was -30 degrees Fahrenheit in February 1905. The hottest was 113 degrees Fahrenheit in August 1934. Rain and snow also vary. May usually gets the most rain, while January gets the least.

Getting Around: Public Transit and Highways

There are a few ways to get around McDonough County.

  • Go West Transit is a local bus system.
  • The Macomb Amtrak station offers train travel.

Many important roads pass through the county:

  • US 67.svg U.S. Route 67
  • US 136.svg U.S. Route 136
  • Illinois 9.svg Illinois Route 9
  • Illinois 41.svg Illinois Route 41
  • Illinois 61.svg Illinois Route 61
  • Illinois 95.svg Illinois Route 95
  • Illinois 110.svg Illinois Route 110
  • Illinois 336.svg Illinois Route 336

Neighboring Counties

McDonough County shares borders with several other counties:

Population of McDonough County

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1840 5,308 —
1850 7,616 43.5%
1860 20,069 163.5%
1870 26,509 32.1%
1880 27,970 5.5%
1890 27,467 −1.8%
1900 28,412 3.4%
1910 26,887 −5.4%
1920 27,074 0.7%
1930 27,329 0.9%
1940 26,944 −1.4%
1950 28,199 4.7%
1960 28,928 2.6%
1970 36,653 26.7%
1980 37,467 2.2%
1990 35,244 −5.9%
2000 32,913 −6.6%
2010 32,612 −0.9%
2020 27,238 −16.5%
2023 (est.) 26,839 −17.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010

In 2010, about 32,612 people lived in McDonough County. There were over 13,000 households. The county had about 55 people per square mile.

Most people in the county were white (90.4%). There were also Black or African American people (5.0%), Asian people (1.8%), and people from other backgrounds. About 2.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin. The average age in the county was about 28.9 years old.

Communities in McDonough County

McDonough County has several towns and villages.

Cities

Villages

Census-designated places

These are areas that are like towns but not officially incorporated as cities or villages.

Other Unincorporated Places

These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city or village.

Townships

Counties in Illinois are divided into smaller areas called townships.

  • Bethel Township
  • Blandinsville Township
  • Bushnell Township
  • Chalmers Township
  • Colchester Township
  • Eldorado Township
  • Emmet Township
  • Hire Township
  • Industry Township
  • Lamoine Township
  • Macomb Township
  • Macomb City Township
  • Mound Township
  • New Salem Township
  • Prairie City Township
  • Sciota Township
  • Scotland Township
  • Tennessee Township
  • Walnut Grove Township

Education in McDonough County

McDonough County has several schools and colleges for students of all ages.

  • West Prairie Community Unit School District 103
  • Bushnell Prairie City Community Unit School District 170
  • Macomb Community Unit School District 185
  • Spoon River College, which has a campus in Macomb
  • Western Illinois University, a larger university

Images for kids

  • McDonough County Courthouse

    McDonough County Courthouse, 2006

See also

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

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McDonough County, Illinois Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.