Effingham County, Illinois

Effingham County is located in the south central part of the U.S. state Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the population was 34,242.[1] Its county seat and largest city is Effingham. Some other cities in Effingham County, Illinois include Altamont, Teutopolis (T-Town), Beecher City, Montrose, Dieterich, Shumway, Watson, Mason, Edgewood, Heartville, and Funkhouser. Effingham County comprises the Effingham, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.[2]

For other places named Effingham, see Effingham (disambiguation).

Effingham County
U.S. county
Effingham County Government Center and Jail in Effingham
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°04′N 88°35′W
Country United States
State Illinois
Founded1831
Named forThomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham
SeatEffingham
Largest cityEffingham
Area
 • Total480 sq mi (1,200 km2)
 • Land479 sq mi (1,240 km2)
 • Water1.2 sq mi (3 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total34,242
 • Estimate 
(2018)
34,208
 • Density71/sq mi (28/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district15th
Websitewww.co.effingham.il.us

History

Effingham County was formed in 1831 out of Fayette and Crawford counties. It may have been named after Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham, who resigned his commission as general in the British army in 1775, refusing to serve in the war against the Colonies. The name is Anglo-Saxon for "Effa's house". New information suggests that the county was named after a surveyor who surveyed the area whose last name was Effingham. There is no written proof that the county was named after Lord Effingham.

  • Effingham County at the time of its creation in 1831
Effingham County Courthouse in Effingham

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 480 square miles (1,200 km2), of which 479 square miles (1,240 km2) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) (0.3%) is water.[3]

Just west of Effingham on Interstate 70 there is a 198-foot (60 m) white cross; 35,000 vehicles are estimated to pass the site each day. It is one of the world's tallest crosses, and took over 200 short tons (180 t) of steel to erect.

Climate and weather
Effingham, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
2.4
 
 
35
18
 
 
2.5
 
 
41
22
 
 
3.6
 
 
52
32
 
 
4.1
 
 
64
42
 
 
4.5
 
 
74
52
 
 
4.3
 
 
83
62
 
 
4.5
 
 
87
66
 
 
2.9
 
 
85
63
 
 
3
 
 
78
55
 
 
3
 
 
67
43
 
 
4.1
 
 
52
34
 
 
3.3
 
 
40
23
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[4]

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Effingham have ranged from a low of 18 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −29 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1915 and a record high of 111 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.38 inches (60 mm) in January to 4.51 inches (115 mm) in July.[4]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18401,675—
18503,799126.8%
18607,816105.7%
187015,653100.3%
188018,92020.9%
189019,3582.3%
190020,4655.7%
191020,055−2.0%
192019,556−2.5%
193019,013−2.8%
194022,03415.9%
195021,675−1.6%
196023,1076.6%
197024,6086.5%
198030,94425.7%
199031,7042.5%
200034,2648.1%
201034,242−0.1%
2018 (est.)34,208[5]−0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[1]
2000 census age pyramid for Effingham County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 34,242 people, 13,515 households, and 9,302 families residing in the county.[10] The population density was 71.5 inhabitants per square mile (27.6/km2). There were 14,570 housing units at an average density of 30.4 per square mile (11.7/km2).[3] The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% American Indian, 0.8% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population.[10] In terms of ancestry, 41.6% were German, 10.0% were Irish, 9.3% were American, and 8.8% were English.[11]

Of the 13,515 households, 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.2% were non-families, and 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age was 39.2 years.[10]

The median income for a household in the county was $49,509 and the median income for a family was $61,373. Males had a median income of $40,951 versus $28,209 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,843. About 7.8% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.[12]

Communities

Cities

Town

Villages

Townships

Effingham County is divided into fifteen townships:

Politics

In its early years Effingham County was owing to its anti-Civil War German-American population powerfully Democratic. Until Woodrow Wilson’s harsh policies towards Germany following World War I drove many voters to the GOP’s Warren G. Harding, it had voted an absolute majority to the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since the county’s formation. Opposition to the New Deal caused a considerable swing away from Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, and combined with local opposition to Roosevelt’s war policies in 1940 to cause FDR to only win the county by forty-seven votes from Wendell Willkie.

Since that election, the county has voted Republican in every election except 1948 and 1964, and no Democrat since Jimmy Carter in 1976 has reached 35 percent of the county’s vote. Currently Effingham County is one of Illinois’ most Republican counties, rivalled by a number of southern counties like Edwards. In the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, John McCain carried the county by a 36% margin over Barack Obama, making it McCain's strongest county in the state, with Obama carrying his home state by a 25.1% margin over McCain.[13]

Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[14]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 77.9% 13,635 17.6% 3,083 4.6% 796
2012 75.3% 12,501 23.2% 3,861 1.5% 251
2008 67.1% 11,323 31.2% 5,262 1.8% 295
2004 72.3% 11,774 27.0% 4,388 0.7% 116
2000 68.0% 9,855 29.2% 4,225 2.8% 405
1996 54.2% 7,696 34.0% 4,825 11.9% 1,683
1992 42.3% 6,329 34.9% 5,221 22.9% 3,431
1988 64.5% 8,431 34.9% 4,553 0.6% 82
1984 71.2% 9,617 28.4% 3,841 0.3% 46
1980 65.9% 9,104 30.6% 4,229 3.4% 475
1976 53.7% 7,194 44.5% 5,952 1.8% 245
1972 66.3% 8,752 33.6% 4,431 0.1% 10
1968 56.0% 6,698 37.6% 4,496 6.5% 778
1964 42.7% 5,044 57.4% 6,782
1960 53.0% 6,410 46.9% 5,676 0.1% 6
1956 60.7% 6,904 39.2% 4,455 0.2% 21
1952 57.8% 6,530 42.0% 4,745 0.2% 25
1948 48.9% 4,823 50.1% 4,940 1.0% 96
1944 53.8% 5,441 45.3% 4,587 0.9% 91
1940 49.5% 5,941 49.9% 5,988 0.6% 77
1936 40.6% 4,293 57.0% 6,030 2.5% 260
1932 30.7% 2,933 68.0% 6,503 1.4% 133
1928 47.3% 3,882 51.6% 4,239 1.1% 93
1924 39.2% 3,159 47.3% 3,814 13.5% 1,090
1920 57.5% 4,176 41.1% 2,985 1.5% 106
1916 40.4% 3,207 57.0% 4,529 2.7% 210
1912 23.3% 1,002 59.8% 2,575 17.0% 732
1908 38.9% 1,877 58.5% 2,826 2.6% 127
1904 42.7% 1,863 52.8% 2,303 4.6% 199
1900 38.0% 1,853 61.0% 2,979 1.0% 51
1896 38.6% 1,895 60.1% 2,953 1.3% 65
1892 32.9% 1,472 61.4% 2,744 5.7% 255

See also

References
Specific
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  4. "Monthly Averages for Effingham, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  10. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  11. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  12. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  13. U.S. Election Atlas
  14. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
General

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