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Pope County, Illinois facts for kids

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Pope County
Pope County Courthouse in Golconda
Pope County Courthouse in Golconda
Map of Illinois highlighting Pope 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 1816
Named for Nathaniel Pope
Seat Golconda
Largest city Golconda
Area
 • Total 374 sq mi (970 km2)
 • Land 369 sq mi (960 km2)
 • Water 5.5 sq mi (14 km2)  1.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 3,763 Decrease
 • Density 10/sq mi (4/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 12th

Pope County is the southeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 3,763, making it the second-least populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Golconda. The county was organized in 1816 from portions of Gallatin and Johnson counties and named after Nathaniel Pope, a politician and jurist from the Illinois Territory and State of Illinois.

History

The first permanent settlement in future Pope County was established in 1798 at the modern-day site of Golconda, then a part of the Northwest Territory which operated as a ferry point across the Ohio River. The county was formed in 1816 from portions of Gallatin and Johnson Counties.

Nathaniel Pope
Nathaniel Pope, a politician and jurist from the Illinois Territory and State of Illinois was the Pope County namesake.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 374 square miles (970 km2), of which 369 square miles (960 km2) is land and 5.5 square miles (14 km2) (1.5%) is water.

The entire county is hilly and during rainy weather rivulets cascade down the hills in the park forming waterfalls of varying sizes and heights. The county contains Dixon Springs State Park, one of many state parks in the Illinois Shawnee Hills, and is part of the Shawnee National Forest. It is bordered to the south and east by the Ohio River, which marks the state's border with Kentucky.

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Golconda, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
3.5
 
41
21
 
 
3.7
 
47
24
 
 
4.7
 
57
33
 
 
4.8
 
68
42
 
 
5
 
76
52
 
 
4.2
 
84
60
 
 
4.2
 
87
65
 
 
3.5
 
87
63
 
 
3.2
 
80
55
 
 
3.2
 
70
43
 
 
4.4
 
57
34
 
 
4.3
 
46
25
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Golconda have ranged from a low of 21 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −22 °F (−30 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in August 2007. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.22 inches (82 mm) in October to 5.02 inches (128 mm) in May.

Transit

  • Rides Mass Transit District

Major highways

  • Illinois 34.svg Illinois Route 34
  • Illinois 145.svg Illinois Route 145
  • Illinois 146.svg Illinois Route 146
  • Illinois 147.svg Illinois Route 147

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • Shawnee National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1820 2,610
1830 3,316 27.0%
1840 4,094 23.5%
1850 3,975 −2.9%
1860 6,742 69.6%
1870 11,437 69.6%
1880 13,256 15.9%
1890 14,016 5.7%
1900 13,585 −3.1%
1910 11,215 −17.4%
1920 9,625 −14.2%
1930 7,996 −16.9%
1940 7,999 0.0%
1950 5,779 −27.8%
1960 4,061 −29.7%
1970 3,857 −5.0%
1980 4,404 14.2%
1990 4,373 −0.7%
2000 4,413 0.9%
2010 4,470 1.3%
2020 3,763 −15.8%
2023 (est.) 3,707 −17.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2017

As of the 2010 census, there were 4,470 people, 1,829 households, and 1,209 families living in the county. The population density was 12.1 inhabitants per square mile (4.7/km2). There were 2,491 housing units at an average density of 6.8 per square mile (2.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.7% white, 6.0% black or African American, 0.6% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 31.8% were German, 19.1% were Irish, 11.4% were English, and 5.4% were American.

Of the 1,829 households, 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.9% were non-families, and 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.72. The median age was 46.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,672 and the median income for a family was $51,500. Males had a median income of $45,865 versus $28,519 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,134. About 6.6% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

Village

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

  • James Lusk Alcorn (1816-1894), born near Golconda, American Civil War general in the Confederate Army
  • John R. Hodge (1893-1963), born in Golconda; Military Governor of South Korea preceding the Korean War and Commanding General of the U.S. Third Army
  • C. L. McCormick (1919-1987), born in McCormick, Illinois state representative and businessman
  • Green B. Raum (1820-1909), born in Golconda, American Civil War general in the Union Army
  • James A. Rose (1850-1912), born in Golconda, Illinois Secretary of State
  • Mason Ramsey (2006-), born in Golconda, star of viral video “Walmart Kid Singing” and country singer
  • Victor Belenko (1947-2023) born in the USSR, served in the Soviet Air Force until he stole a MiG-25 and flew to Japan providing the West with invaluable intelligence. He became an American and settled in the town of Rosebud, where he died in 2023.

See also

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

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