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Menard County, Illinois facts for kids

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Menard County
Menard County Courthouse, Petersburg, Illinois
Menard County Courthouse, Petersburg, Illinois
Map of Illinois highlighting Menard 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 1839
Named for Pierre Menard
Seat Petersburg
Largest city Petersburg
Area
 • Total 315 sq mi (820 km2)
 • Land 314 sq mi (810 km2)
 • Water 1.0 sq mi (3 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 12,297
 • Density 39.04/sq mi (15.073/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 15th

Menard County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 12,297. Its county seat is Petersburg. Menard County is part of the Springfield, Illinois, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Menard County was formed in 1839 out of Sangamon County. The County was named for Pierre Menard, the first lieutenant governor of Illinois.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has an area of 315 square miles (820 km2), of which 314 square miles (810 km2) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) (0.3%) is water.

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Petersburg, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
1.6
 
33
17
 
 
1.8
 
39
22
 
 
3.2
 
51
32
 
 
3.4
 
63
42
 
 
4.1
 
74
53
 
 
3.8
 
83
62
 
 
3.5
 
87
66
 
 
3.4
 
85
64
 
 
2.8
 
79
55
 
 
2.6
 
67
44
 
 
2.9
 
51
34
 
 
2.5
 
38
23
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Petersburg have ranged from a low of 17 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in February 1905 and a record high of 112 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.62 inches (41 mm) in January to 4.06 inches (103 mm) in May.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1840 4,431
1850 6,349 43.3%
1860 9,584 51.0%
1870 11,735 22.4%
1880 13,024 11.0%
1890 13,120 0.7%
1900 14,336 9.3%
1910 12,796 −10.7%
1920 11,694 −8.6%
1930 10,575 −9.6%
1940 10,663 0.8%
1950 9,639 −9.6%
1960 9,248 −4.1%
1970 9,685 4.7%
1980 11,700 20.8%
1990 11,164 −4.6%
2000 12,486 11.8%
2010 12,705 1.8%
2020 12,297 −3.2%
2023 (est.) 11,954 −5.9%
US Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 12,705 people, 5,140 households, and 3,683 families living in the county. The population density was 40.4 inhabitants per square mile (15.6/km2). There were 5,654 housing units at an average density of 18.0 per square mile (6.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.5% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 32.5% were German, 20.8% were American, 15.6% were Irish, and 14.3% were English.

Of the 5,140 households, 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.3% were non-families, and 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 42.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $56,230 and the median income for a family was $65,882. Males had a median income of $42,408 versus $36,735 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,281. About 6.1% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Villages

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

See also

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

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