Red Bud, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Red Bud
City
Location of Red Bud in Randolph County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Randolph
Area
• Total	2.65 sq mi (6.85 km2)
• Land	2.62 sq mi (6.79 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation	453 ft (138 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,804
• Density	1,450.25/sq mi (559.92/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	62278
Area code(s)	618
FIPS code	17-63043
GNIS feature ID	2396334
Wikimedia Commons	Red Bud, Illinois
Website	www.cityofredbud.org

Red Bud is a city in Randolph County, Illinois, located in the United States. In 2020, about 3,804 people lived there.

It is also home to a campus of Southwestern Illinois College, a local college.

Exploring Red Bud's Location

Red Bud is found at 38°12′37″N 89°59′47″W / 38.210205°N 89.996494°W / 38.210205; -89.996494.

In 2010, the city covered a total area of about 2.453 square miles (6.35 km²). Most of this area, about 2.43 square miles (6.29 km²) (or 99.06%), is land. Only a small part, about 0.023 square miles (0.06 km²) (or 0.94%), is water.

Red Bud is in the northwestern part of Randolph County. It shares borders with Monroe County to the north and west. To the east, it is bordered by the Kaskaskia River. To the south, you'll find Ruma and Horse creeks. The area was originally mostly rolling grasslands, with good forests near the Kaskaskia River.

The Story of Red Bud City

Red Bud in 1938, a long time ago

The city gets its name from the redbud tree. This type of tree grows naturally in the area. The first European settler to build something here was Preston Brickey in 1820. He built a log cabin and started a farm near where Main and Power streets are today.

In 1839, James Pollock opened a small store in another log cabin. He ran his business for about a year. The next year, he moved his store to a different log building. In 1840, R.D. Dufree became the first permanent merchant in Red Bud. Two years later, he built a proper store on the corner of Main and Market streets. The first brick school building was built in 1854, in the eastern part of town.

Becoming a Village and City

The area officially became the village of Red Bud on April 19, 1866. The first leaders included John Brickey, who was the president of the board.

Red Bud then became a chartered city on February 28, 1867. This meant it had its own city government. In April, the first city elections were held. Jacob Miller became the first Mayor. Other leaders, called Aldermen, were also elected to help run the city.

Red Bud's Population Over Time

According to the census in 2000, there were 3,422 people living in Red Bud. The city had about 1,626.3 inhabitants per square mile (627.9/km²) people per square mile.

There were 1,370 households in the city. About 31.5% of these households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (55.0%) were married couples living together. About 10.2% had a female head of household without a husband.

The population was spread out by age. About 23.2% were under 18 years old. Around 19.9% were 65 years or older. The average age in the city was 40 years.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,300. This means half the households earned more than this, and half earned less. For families, the median income was $50,280. About 9.4% of all people in Red Bud lived below the poverty line.

Famous People from Red Bud

• Conrad F. Becker: He was born in Red Bud and later became the Illinois State Treasurer and Mayor of Red Bud.
• James Birchler: He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a group of top scientists.
• Martin Stephan: He was a religious leader, a Bishop, who moved to Perry County, Missouri.