Ogle County, Illinois facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Ogle County
U.S. county
Ogle County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Founded	January 16, 1836
Named for	Joseph Ogle
Seat	Oregon
Largest city	Rochelle
Area
• Total	763 sq mi (1,980 km²)
• Land	759 sq mi (1,970 km²)
• Water	4.4 sq mi (11 km²) 0.6%
Population (2020)
• Total	51,788
• Estimate (2023)	51,265
• Density	67.87/sq mi (26.206/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	16th

Ogle County is a county located in the northern part of Illinois, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 51,788 people lived there. The main town where the county government is located is Oregon. The biggest city in Ogle County is Rochelle. Ogle County is part of a larger area called the Rockford-Freeport-Rochelle Combined Statistical Area.

History of Ogle County

Ogle County was created in 1836. It was formed from parts of Jo Daviess and LaSalle counties. The county was named after Captain Joseph Ogle. He was a soldier in the American Revolutionary War and moved to Illinois in 1785.

The county government for Ogle County started in 1837. Before that, it was managed by Jo Daviess County for laws, taxes, and court matters. In 1839, a part of Ogle County was used to create Lee County.

Many of the first settlers in Ogle County came from New England. These "Yankee" settlers were descendants of English Puritans. The Puritans had settled in New England in the 1600s. These early settlers were farmers who moved into the Northwest Territory in the early 1800s. Their journey was made easier by the Erie Canal, which was finished in 1825.

When they arrived, they found thick forests and wide-open prairies. They quickly set up farms, built roads, and created government buildings. They also cared a lot about education and strongly opposed slavery. Many were members of the Congregationalist or Episcopalian churches. Because of these settlers, Ogle County and much of northern Illinois kept values similar to those in New England.

Ogle County between 1836 and 1839
Ogle County after 1839, when Lee County was formed

Geography and Climate

According to the US Census Bureau, Ogle County covers a total area of 763 square miles. Most of this area, 759 square miles, is land. Only a small part, 4.4 square miles (0.6%), is water.

Neighboring Counties

Ogle County shares its borders with several other counties:

Winnebago County to the north
Boone County to the northeast
Stephenson County to the northwest
DeKalb County to the east
Carroll County to the west
Lee County to the south
Whiteside County to the southwest

Weather in Ogle County

Weather chart for Oregon, Illinois

1.6

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4.3

4.9

3.5

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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
41 -3 -12	36 0 -9	65 7 -3	92 14 3	110 21 9	124 26 14	88 28 17	114 27 16	84 23 11	69 17 4	72 7 -2	54 -1 -8
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm

In Oregon, the average temperatures change throughout the year. In January, it's usually around 10°F (about -12°C). In July, it gets warmer, with average highs around 82°F (about 28°C).

The coldest temperature ever recorded in January was -27°F (about -33°C) in 1999. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 110°F (about 43°C) in July 1936.

The amount of rain and snow also changes each month. February usually has the least precipitation, about 1.43 inches. June tends to be the wettest month, with about 4.88 inches.

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	3,479	—
1850	10,020	188.0%
1860	22,888	128.4%
1870	27,492	20.1%
1880	29,937	8.9%
1890	28,710	−4.1%
1900	29,129	1.5%
1910	27,864	−4.3%
1920	26,830	−3.7%
1930	28,118	4.8%
1940	29,869	6.2%
1950	33,429	11.9%
1960	38,106	14.0%
1970	42,867	12.5%
1980	46,338	8.1%
1990	45,957	−0.8%
2000	51,032	11.0%
2010	53,497	4.8%
2020	51,788	−3.2%
2023 (est.)	51,265	−4.2%
US Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010

In 2010, Ogle County had 53,497 people living in 20,856 homes. About 14,711 of these were families. The average number of people in a household was 2.54. The average family size was 3.01.

Most people in Ogle County are white (93.2%). Other groups include Black or African American (0.9%), Asian (0.5%), and American Indian (0.2%). About 8.9% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino background.

The average age of people in Ogle County in 2010 was 40.7 years. About 33.1% of homes had children under 18 living there.

The average income for a household in the county was $55,733. For families, the average income was $64,927. About 8.9% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line. This included 12.4% of those under 18 years old.

Economy of Ogle County

By the year 2000, most workers in Ogle County (65%) had white-collar jobs. These are jobs that usually involve office work or professional services. This was a big increase from 1990.

Manufacturing is still a very important job sector. It employs over 21.7% of the workers. However, this number has gone down since 1995. Experts think that service jobs might become the biggest employer after 2015.

Farming is also very important in Ogle County. The main crops grown are corn and soybeans. In 2003, Ogle County was ranked 17th in Illinois for money made from crops. It was also 14th for money made from livestock. While hog and pig farming is still a leader, the number of animals raised has decreased.

Ogle County has also received money for new projects. In 2006, a $180 million project was started to create a hub for moving cargo from trucks to trains. Also in 2006, a new ethanol production plant received $5.5 million from the state.