Swansea, Illinois Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Swansea

Village

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Motto(s):

"A Great Place To Live And Growing Better Every Day"

Location of Swansea in St. Clair County, Illinois.

Location of Illinois in the United States

Country

United States

State

Illinois

County

St. Clair

Named after

Swansea, Wales

Area

• Total

6.62 sq mi (17.14 km²)

• Land

6.48 sq mi (16.77 km²)

• Water

0.14 sq mi (0.37 km²)

Elevation

561 ft (171 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

14,386

• Density

2,221.09/sq mi (857.59/km²)

Time zone

UTC-6 (CST)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-5 (CDT)

ZIP Code(s)

62226

Area code(s)

618

FIPS code

17-74119

GNIS feature ID

2399939

Wikimedia Commons

Swansea, Illinois

Swansea is a village located in St. Clair County, Illinois. It's part of the larger St. Louis metropolitan area and the Metro East region in southern Illinois. Swansea is surrounded by other towns like Fairview Heights, Belleville, O’Fallon, and Shiloh. In 2020, about 14,386 people lived there.

History of Swansea
Geography of Swansea
Population of Swansea
Education in Swansea
Notable People from Swansea
Images for kids
See also

History of Swansea

In the late 1800s, the area that is now Swansea was a mix of farms and businesses. It had coal mines, factories, and brickyards. There was also the Gundlach Drill Works, which made very good machines for planting seeds. The people living there wanted to manage their own community.

When a nearby city tried to take over their land and businesses, they decided to start their own town. On November 27, 1886, 35 local residents asked the county government to create a new village. They wanted to call it "New Swansea."

The residents voted on December 16, 1886, to form their own community. They chose the name "New Swansea." This was a quick way to avoid being taken over by the city of Belleville. So, on December 20, 1886, the new village was officially created. In 1898, they bought land for $300 to build a Village Hall. The hall was finished soon after, costing $619.50.

Geography of Swansea

Swansea is located at 38°32′30″N 89°59′14″W / 38.54167°N 89.98722°W / 38.54167; -89.98722.

The village covers about 6.43 square miles (16.66 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 6.26 square miles (16.21 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.17 square miles (0.45 square kilometers), is water. Swansea is mostly flat. It stretches mainly north to south along Illinois Route 159.

Swansea is bordered by Belleville to the south and west. Fairview Heights is to the north, and Shiloh is to the east. The city of St. Louis, Missouri is about 16 miles (26 kilometers) to the west.

Population of Swansea

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	735	—
1910	889	21.0%
1920	1,048	17.9%
1930	1,201	14.6%
1940	1,156	−3.7%
1950	1,816	57.1%
1960	3,018	66.2%
1970	5,432	80.0%
1980	5,529	1.8%
1990	8,201	48.3%
2000	10,579	29.0%
2010	13,430	26.9%
2020	14,386	7.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 10,579 people living in Swansea. There were 3,937 households and 2,799 families. About 37.3% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (57.6%) were married couples. About 24.4% of all households were people living alone.

The population was spread out by age. About 26.6% were under 18 years old. About 29.6% were between 25 and 44 years old. The average age in the village was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were about 90.4 males.

Education in Swansea

Swansea has two main school districts for younger students:

District 113 - Wolf Branch School District. This district includes Wolf Branch Elementary School and Wolf Branch Middle School. Their school mascot is the Wolverines.
District 116 - High Mount School District. This district includes High Mount School.

Students who are old enough for high school usually attend schools in Belleville Township District 201. This includes both Belleville East and Belleville West high schools. Some students might also choose to attend private high schools, like Althoff Catholic High School.