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Stephenson County, Illinois facts for kids

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Stephenson County
U.S. county
Stephenson County Courthouse
Stephenson County Courthouse
Map of Illinois highlighting Stephenson 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 1837
Named for Benjamin Stephenson
Seat Freeport
Largest city Freeport
Area
 • Total 565 sq mi (1,460 km2)
 • Land 565 sq mi (1,460 km2)
 • Water 0.5 sq mi (1 km2)  0.09%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 44,630
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 43,105 Decrease
 • Density 78.99/sq mi (30.499/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts 16th, 17th

Stephenson County is a county located in the state of Illinois, in the United States. It's a place where many people live and work. The main city and the place where the county government is located is Freeport. In 2020, about 44,630 people lived here.

History of Stephenson County

The first person to settle in the area that became Stephenson County was William Waddams in 1832. He started a community called Waddams Grove.

By 1837, enough people lived in the area to create a new county. Land was taken from Jo Daviess and Winnebago counties to form Stephenson County. The county was named after Colonel Benjamin Stephenson. He was an important official in the early days of the Illinois Territory.

  • Waddams hill

    This marker shows where Waddams first settled in Stephenson County.

  • Stephenson County Illinois 1837

    This map shows Stephenson County when it was first created in 1837. Its borders haven't changed since then.

Geography and Nature

Stephenson County covers a total area of about 565 square miles. Almost all of this area is land. Only a very small part, about 0.5 square miles, is water.

Weather in Stephenson County

Weather chart for Freeport, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
1.3
 
25
9
 
 
1.3
 
31
14
 
 
2.1
 
43
25
 
 
3.2
 
57
36
 
 
4
 
69
47
 
 
4.5
 
78
57
 
 
3.6
 
82
62
 
 
4.1
 
80
59
 
 
3.7
 
73
50
 
 
2.6
 
61
39
 
 
2.7
 
44
28
 
 
1.7
 
30
16
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
 
 
34
 
-4
-13
 
 
34
 
-1
-10
 
 
54
 
6
-4
 
 
82
 
14
2
 
 
101
 
21
8
 
 
113
 
26
14
 
 
91
 
28
17
 
 
104
 
27
15
 
 
93
 
23
10
 
 
66
 
16
4
 
 
68
 
7
-2
 
 
44
 
-1
-9
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm

The weather in Stephenson County changes throughout the year. In the county seat of Freeport, temperatures usually range from about 9°F (which is very cold!) in January to a warm 82°F in July.

However, temperatures can go even lower or higher. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -29°F in January 2009. The hottest was 101°F in July 1988. The county also gets rain and snow. The most rain usually falls in June, with about 4.46 inches. January is usually the driest month.

Neighboring Counties

Stephenson County shares its borders with several other counties:

Main Roads and Highways

Several important roads run through Stephenson County, helping people travel and connect communities:

People of Stephenson County

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1840 2,800 —
1850 11,666 316.6%
1860 25,112 115.3%
1870 30,608 21.9%
1880 31,963 4.4%
1890 31,338 −2.0%
1900 34,933 11.5%
1910 36,821 5.4%
1920 37,743 2.5%
1930 40,064 6.1%
1940 40,646 1.5%
1950 41,595 2.3%
1960 46,207 11.1%
1970 48,861 5.7%
1980 49,536 1.4%
1990 48,052 −3.0%
2000 48,979 1.9%
2010 47,711 −2.6%
2020 44,630 −6.5%
2023 (est.) 43,105 −9.7%
US Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2013

In 2010, there were 47,711 people living in Stephenson County. The population density was about 84.5 people per square mile. This means that, on average, about 84 or 85 people lived in every square mile of the county.

Most people in the county were white (86.5%). About 9.0% were Black or African American. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 2.9% of the population. Many families in Stephenson County have German roots (46.6%). Others have Irish (12.5%) or English (10.0%) backgrounds.

The average age of people in the county was 43.1 years old. About 28.6% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.36 people. The average family had 2.90 people.

The median income for a household was $43,304. This means half of the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less. For families, the median income was $54,224. About 14.8% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line. This included 24.1% of those under 18 years old.

Education in Stephenson County

Stephenson County has many school districts. These districts help educate students from kindergarten all the way through high school. Some of these districts also serve parts of other counties.

School Districts

  • Dakota Community Unit School District 201
  • Durand Community Unit School District 322
  • Eastland Community Unit School District 308
  • Forrestville Valley Community Unit School District 221
  • Freeport School District 145
  • Lena-Winslow Community Unit School District 202
  • Orangeville Community Unit School District 203
  • Pearl City Community Unit School District 200
  • Pecatonica Community Unit School District 321
  • Warren Community Unit School District 205
  • Winnebago Community Unit School District 323

High Schools

There are five public high schools and one private high school in Stephenson County. Here are their approximate student numbers:

Public High Schools

  • Freeport High (about 1,254 students)
  • Lena-Winslow High (about 299 students)
  • Dakota High (about 254 students)
  • Pearl City High (about 150 students)
  • Orangeville High (about 142 students)

Private High School

  • Aquin Catholic High (about 93 students)

Communities in Stephenson County

Stephenson County has one main city and many smaller towns and villages. It also has some census-designated places and unincorporated communities.

Kent Il Scenic view3
A view looking north across the western edge of Stephenson County, seen from a spot near Kent.

City

Villages

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like villages but are not officially incorporated as one.

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that do not have their own local government.

Townships

Townships are smaller local government areas within the county.

  • Buckeye
  • Dakota
  • Erin
  • Florence
  • Freeport
  • Harlem
  • Jefferson
  • Kent
  • Lancaster
  • Loran
  • Oneco
  • Ridott
  • Rock Grove
  • Rock Run
  • Silver Creek
  • Waddams
  • West Point
  • Winslow

Historic Sites

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Stephenson para niños

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