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Prairie City, Illinois facts for kids

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Prairie City, Illinois
Location in McDonough County, Illinois
Location in McDonough County, Illinois
Prairie City, Illinois is located in the United States
Prairie City, Illinois
Prairie City, Illinois
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Illinois
County McDonough
Area
 • Total 1.01 sq mi (2.61 km2)
 • Land 1.01 sq mi (2.61 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
667 ft (203 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 407
 • Density 403.77/sq mi (155.92/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
61470
Area code(s) 309
FIPS code 17-61548
Wikimedia Commons Prairie City, Illinois

Prairie City is a small village located in McDonough County, Illinois, in the United States. According to the 2020 census, 407 people live there.

Where is Prairie City Located?

Prairie City is found at coordinates 40°37′15″N 90°27′49″W. This means it's in the western part of Illinois.

Size and Roads

The village covers about 1.02 square miles (2.64 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the village limits. State Highway 41 runs right through Prairie City, making it easy to get to and from the village.

Who Lives in Prairie City?

The population of Prairie City has changed over the years. Here's a quick look at how many people have lived there since 1860:

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 770
1870 1,078 40.0%
1880 944 −12.4%
1890 812 −14.0%
1900 818 0.7%
1910 719 −12.1%
1920 638 −11.3%
1930 531 −16.8%
1940 574 8.1%
1950 500 −12.9%
1960 613 22.6%
1970 630 2.8%
1980 580 −7.9%
1990 497 −14.3%
2000 461 −7.2%
2010 379 −17.8%
2020 407 7.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population Details from 2010

In 2010, Prairie City had 379 residents. Most of the people were White (97.9%). A small number were Black (1.3%), Asian (0.3%), or from two or more races. About 0.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

There were 135 households in the village.

  • 43 households had children under 18 living with them.
  • 80 households were married couples.
  • 5 households had a female head with children, but no husband.
  • 25 households had only one person living there.
  • 37 households had someone aged 65 or older.

The average household had about 2.62 people. The average family had about 2.92 people. Most people (78.1%) were over 18 years old. About 19.3% were 65 or older. The average age in Prairie City was 43.5 years.

Population Details from 2000

In 2000, there were 461 people living in Prairie City. There were 155 households and 119 families.

  • 40% of households had children under 18.
  • 60% were married couples.
  • About 19.4% of households had just one person.

The average age in 2000 was 36 years.

The Decker Press: A Unique Publishing House

From 1937 to 1950, Prairie City was home to a special business called the Decker Press. This company was known for publishing poetry. In the mid-1940s, it was the biggest publisher in America focused only on poetry books!

The founder, James A. Decker, was from Prairie City. However, the business didn't make a lot of money. He eventually sold it. The new owner, Ervin Tax, tried to make the business better by buying new machines and hiring more people.

Education in Prairie City

Students in Prairie City attend schools that are part of the Bushnell-Prairie City Community Unit School District 170. This means that students from Prairie City go to schools located in the nearby town of Bushnell.

  • Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School
  • Bushnell-Prairie City Junior High School
  • Bushnell-Prairie City High School

All these schools are in Bushnell.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Prairie City (Illinois) para niños

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