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Pleasant Plains, Illinois facts for kids

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Pleasant Plains
Location of Pleasant Plains in Sangamon County, Illinois.
Location of Pleasant Plains in Sangamon County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country United States
State Illinois
County Sangamon
Incorporated April 8, 1876
Area
 • Total 1.33 sq mi (3.46 km2)
 • Land 1.33 sq mi (3.46 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
614 ft (187 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 808
 • Density 605.24/sq mi (233.65/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)
62677
Area code(s) 217
FIPS code 17-60599
Wikimedia Commons Pleasant Plains, Illinois

Pleasant Plains is a small village located in Sangamon County, Illinois. In 2020, about 809 people lived there. It is part of the larger Springfield area. The village officially became a town on April 8, 1876.

Where is Pleasant Plains?

Pleasant Plains is located in central Illinois. Its exact coordinates are 39°52′27″N 89°55′12″W. The village covers a total area of about 1.33 square miles (3.46 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Who Lives in Pleasant Plains?

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 417
1890 518 24.2%
1900 575 11.0%
1910 625 8.7%
1920 1,078 72.5%
1930 486 −54.9%
1940 531 9.3%
1950 500 −5.8%
1960 518 3.6%
1970 644 24.3%
1980 688 6.8%
1990 701 1.9%
2000 777 10.8%
2010 802 3.2%
2020 808 0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2020, there were 809 people living in Pleasant Plains. There were 310 households, which are groups of people living together. About 228 of these were families.

Most people in the village (97.4%) are White. Small percentages are African American (0.5%) or Asian (0.4%). About 1.3% of residents are from two or more races. About 0.9% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

Many households (36.8%) had children under 18 living with them. Most households (57.1%) were married couples. About 11.6% were single mothers with no husband present. Around 23.2% of households were single people. About 10.4% of people lived alone and were 65 or older.

The average age in the village was about 38.5 years old. About 28.2% of the population was under 18. About 13.0% were 65 years or older.

Exploring Pleasant Plains History

The Pleasant Plains Historical Society was started in 2009. Mayor Jim Verkuilan and his friends created it. Their goal is to find, fix, and take care of historical places nearby.

The Clayville Site

One important project for the Historical Society was buying the Clayville, Illinois site. They achieved this goal in 2010. Clayville is a very old stagecoach stop. It also has an 1824 tavern building. This site was used during the time of Abraham Lincoln. Today, the Clayville Historic Site, which is connected to the Historical Society, runs the stagecoach stop and tavern.

Famous People from Pleasant Plains

Peter Cartwright tombstone
Peter Cartwright's tombstone

Several notable people have connections to Pleasant Plains:

  • Peter Cartwright: He was a politician and a leader in the Methodist church.
  • William J. Frey: He was an Illinois state legislator, a farmer, and a businessman.
  • James F. Short Jr.: He was a well-known sociologist, which is someone who studies how people live in groups.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Pleasant Plains (Illinois) para niños

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