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Wayne County, Illinois facts for kids

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Wayne County
Wayne County Courthouse in Fairfield
Wayne County Courthouse in Fairfield
Map of Illinois highlighting Wayne 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 1819
Named for Anthony Wayne
Seat Fairfield
Largest city Fairfield
Area
 • Total 715 sq mi (1,850 km2)
 • Land 714 sq mi (1,850 km2)
 • Water 1.7 sq mi (4 km2)  0.2%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 16,760
 • Estimate 
(2018)
16,332
 • Density 23.441/sq mi (9.050/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 15th

Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 16,760. Its county seat is Fairfield. It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known locally as "Little Egypt".

History

Wayne County was formed in 1819 out of Edwards County. It is named after Gen. "Mad Anthony" Wayne, an officer in the Revolutionary War and Northwest Indian War.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 715 square miles (1,850 km2), of which 714 square miles (1,850 km2) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) (0.2%) is water.

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Fairfield, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
2.8
 
37
20
 
 
2.7
 
43
24
 
 
4.6
 
54
33
 
 
4.8
 
66
43
 
 
4.7
 
76
52
 
 
4.2
 
85
61
 
 
3.8
 
88
65
 
 
3.4
 
87
63
 
 
2.9
 
80
55
 
 
3.3
 
68
44
 
 
4.3
 
53
34
 
 
3.5
 
42
24
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Fairfield have ranged from a low of 20 °F (−7 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −23 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 113 °F (45 °C) was recorded in July 1901. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.70 inches (69 mm) in February to 4.80 inches (122 mm) in April.

Major highways

  • I-64.svg Interstate 64
  • US 45.svg U.S. Highway 45
  • Illinois 15.svg Illinois Route 15
  • Illinois 242.svg Illinois Route 242

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1820 1,114
1830 2,553 129.2%
1840 5,133 101.1%
1850 6,825 33.0%
1860 12,223 79.1%
1870 19,758 61.6%
1880 21,291 7.8%
1890 23,806 11.8%
1900 27,626 16.0%
1910 25,697 −7.0%
1920 22,772 −11.4%
1930 19,130 −16.0%
1940 22,092 15.5%
1950 20,933 −5.2%
1960 19,008 −9.2%
1970 17,004 −10.5%
1980 18,059 6.2%
1990 17,241 −4.5%
2000 17,151 −0.5%
2010 16,760 −2.3%
2018 (est.) 16,332 −2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,760 people, 7,102 households, and 4,853 families living in the county. The population density was 23.5 inhabitants per square mile (9.1/km2). There were 7,975 housing units at an average density of 11.2 per square mile (4.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.0% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.0% were German, 14.1% were English, 12.7% were American, and 9.8% were Irish.

Of the 7,102 households, 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.7% were non-families, and 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 42.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,207 and the median income for a family was $47,879. Males had a median income of $34,800 versus $27,192 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,493. About 9.9% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

Villages

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Wayne County is divided into these 20 townships:

  • Arrington
  • Barnhill
  • Bedford
  • Berry
  • Big Mound
  • Elm River
  • Four Mile
  • Garden Hill
  • Grover
  • Hickory Hill
  • Indian Prairie
  • Jasper
  • Keith
  • Lamard
  • Leech
  • Massilon
  • Mount Erie
  • Orchard
  • Orel
  • Zif

Program 1033 Acquisitions

According to Department of Defense data, Wayne County has received six 5.56MM rifles and three "Utility Trucks" with a total acquisition cost of $120,705.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Wayne (Illinois) para niños

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