Taylorville, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Taylorville, Illinois
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| Motto(s):
A Great Place To Live, Work, and Visit
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Location within Christian County and Illinois
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 Taylorville, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Taylorville, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Illinois |
| County | Christian |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.22 sq mi (31.66 km2) |
| • Land | 10.31 sq mi (26.72 km2) |
| • Water | 1.91 sq mi (4.95 km2) |
| Elevation | 617 ft (188 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10,506 |
| • Density | 1,018.52/sq mi (393.26/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
62568
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| Area codes | 217, 447 |
| FIPS code | 17-74574 |
| GNIS ID | 2396035 |
Taylorville is a city in Christian County, Illinois, United States. It is also the county seat, which means it's where the county government is located. In 2020, about 10,506 people lived there. This makes Taylorville the biggest city in Christian County.
Contents
History of Taylorville
Taylorville was started on May 24, 1839. It was named after John Taylor. He was a state official who helped plan new areas in Illinois.
Past Health Concerns
In the 1990s, there was a health concern in Taylorville. Some children developed a rare health issue. This led to a legal case against a local power company. The case was about the quality of the groundwater.
Natural Disasters and Accidents
Taylorville has experienced some natural events. On April 2, 2006, a small tornado hit the area. It damaged some homes and a business.
On August 11, 2012, a small airplane crashed into a neighborhood. The pilot died, but no one on the ground was hurt. Investigators later found that the crash was due to a pilot mistake.
In December 2018, a very strong tornado struck Taylorville. It injured at least 26 people. More than 600 homes and businesses were damaged. About 34 buildings were completely destroyed. Weather experts said the tornado had winds over 155 miles per hour.
Geography of Taylorville
Taylorville is located in Illinois. Records from 2021 show that the city covers about 12.23 square miles. Most of this area, about 10.32 square miles, is land. The rest, about 1.91 square miles, is water.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 2,237 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,829 | 26.5% | |
| 1900 | 4,248 | 50.2% | |
| 1910 | 5,446 | 28.2% | |
| 1920 | 5,806 | 6.6% | |
| 1930 | 7,316 | 26.0% | |
| 1940 | 8,313 | 13.6% | |
| 1950 | 9,188 | 10.5% | |
| 1960 | 8,801 | −4.2% | |
| 1970 | 10,644 | 20.9% | |
| 1980 | 11,386 | 7.0% | |
| 1990 | 11,133 | −2.2% | |
| 2000 | 11,427 | 2.6% | |
| 2010 | 11,246 | −1.6% | |
| 2020 | 10,506 | −6.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, Taylorville had 10,506 residents. There were over 5,000 households in the city. About 25% of households had children under 18 living there. The average age of people in Taylorville was about 42 years old.
Education and Sports
Taylorville High School has a famous basketball record. In 1944, their boys' basketball team won 45 games and lost none. This is an Illinois state record. Two famous players from that team were Ron Bontemps and Johnny Orr.
In 1911, a local baseball team called the Taylorville Christians played in a minor league. A future Baseball Hall of Famer, Ray Schalk, played on that team.
Local News and Media
The main newspaper in Taylorville is the Breeze-Courier. It is the only daily newspaper for Christian County. Other newspapers, like The State Journal-Register from Springfield and the Herald & Review from Decatur, also cover news in the Taylorville area.
Transportation in Taylorville
Taylorville is connected by several state roads. Illinois Route 29 links Taylorville to Springfield, Illinois. Illinois Route 48 connects to Decatur, Illinois. From Decatur, you can reach other cities like Pana, Illinois and Champaign, Illinois. Illinois Route 104 connects Taylorville to Jacksonville, Illinois.
Famous People from Taylorville
Many notable people have connections to Taylorville. Here are a few:
- John J. Bullington - An Illinois state representative and soldier.
- Jon Corzine - He was the 54th Governor of New Jersey and a United States Senator. He also led a big business company. Jon was born near Taylorville and went to Taylorville High School.
- Yvonne Craig - An actress famous for playing Batgirl in the 1960s Batman TV show. She was born in Taylorville.
- Rodney Davis - A Congressman who grew up in Taylorville.
- Harry B. Hershey - A judge on the Illinois Supreme Court. He also served as mayor of Taylorville.
- Johnny Orr - A well-known basketball player and coach. He was born in Taylorville.
- Edward Mills Purcell - A scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1952. He discovered something important called nuclear magnetic resonance, which is used in MRI machines. He was born in Taylorville.
- Ruth Robertson - A photojournalist, born in Taylorville.
- Joyce Taylor - An actress from the 1960s, born in Taylorville.
See also
In Spanish: Taylorville (Illinois) para niños
