Piatt County, Illinois

Piatt County is a county in Illinois. According to the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 16,729.[1] Its county seat is Monticello.[2]

Piatt County
U.S. county
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°01′N 88°35′W
Country United States
State Illinois
Founded1841
Named forJames A. Piatt
SeatMonticello
Largest cityMonticello
Area
 • Total439 sq mi (1,140 km2)
 • Land439 sq mi (1,140 km2)
 • Water0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)  0.06%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total16,729
 • Estimate 
(2018)
16,396
 • Density38/sq mi (15/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district13th
Websitewww.piattcounty.org

Piatt County is part of the Champaign–Urbana, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The first settler was George Haworth, a Quaker, followed by James Martin, Abraham Hanline, Solomon Carter and William Cordell.

Piatt County was formed in 1841 from Macon and Dewitt counties. Two local residents, James A. Piatt and Jesse Warner, were instrumental in forming the county. It was named after James A. Piatt after winning a coin flip against Jesse Warner.

  • Piatt County at the time of its creation in 1841

Abraham Lincoln practiced law in Piatt County as a circuit lawyer. Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas planned their presidential debates in Piatt County in 1858, one of which is ornamented by a marker just south of Monticello.

The first courthouse was built in 1843. It was replaced by the current courthouse in 1904.

Illinois Power Company was a major electric utility in Central Illinois, centered in Decatur, to the west of Piatt County. At one time, Illinois had a "personal property tax", an ad valorem tax levied by the counties on property that was not real estate. The personal property tax was a major expense for the electric utilities, since their generators and transmission lines were "personal property". Under Illinois law, a corporation, such as Illinois Power, paid personal property tax to the county in which the corporate headquarters was located. Because Piatt County offered a low tax rate, Illinois Power moved its corporate headquarters to that county. This allowed Piatt County to tax utility assets over half of the state, providing a rich source of revenue which was responsible for much of the wealth of this tiny county.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 439 square miles (1,140 km2), of which 439 square miles (1,140 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.06%) is water.[3]

Climate and weather
Monticello, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
1.6
 
 
32
14
 
 
1.7
 
 
37
19
 
 
3
 
 
49
30
 
 
3.4
 
 
62
40
 
 
4
 
 
73
51
 
 
4
 
 
83
60
 
 
3.8
 
 
85
64
 
 
4
 
 
84
62
 
 
2.9
 
 
78
54
 
 
2.6
 
 
66
42
 
 
2.9
 
 
49
31
 
 
2.4
 
 
36
21
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 Monticello have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1966. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.61 inches (41 mm) in January to 3.99 inches (101 mm) in August.[4]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18501,606—
18606,127281.5%
187010,95378.8%
188015,58342.3%
189017,0629.5%
190017,7063.8%
191016,376−7.5%
192015,714−4.0%
193015,588−0.8%
194014,659−6.0%
195013,970−4.7%
196014,9607.1%
197015,5093.7%
198016,5816.9%
199015,548−6.2%
200016,3655.3%
201016,7292.2%
2018 (est.)16,396[5]−2.0%
US Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,729 people, 6,782 households, and 4,823 families residing in the county.[10] The population density was 38.1 inhabitants per square mile (14.7/km2). There were 7,269 housing units at an average density of 16.6 per square mile (6.4/km2).[3] The racial makeup of the county was 98.0% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population.[10] In terms of ancestry, 26.1% were German, 21.9% were American, 15.2% were English, and 13.4% were Irish.[11]

Of the 6,782 households, 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.9% were non-families, and 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 42.6 years.[10]

The median income for a household in the county was $55,752 and the median income for a family was $65,850. Males had a median income of $50,425 versus $32,304 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,492. About 5.1% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.[12]

Communities

City

Villages
Map of Piatt County, Illinois

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Former places
  • Blue Ridge
  • Centerville
  • Combs
  • Harris
  • Unity
  • Willow Branch

Townships

Politics
Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 62.2% 5,634 29.2% 2,645 8.6% 781
2012 61.9% 5,413 35.4% 3,090 2.7% 239
2008 55.3% 4,991 42.8% 3,859 1.9% 168
2004 62.8% 5,392 36.4% 3,124 0.8% 70
2000 55.1% 4,619 41.6% 3,488 3.3% 278
1996 44.1% 3,265 44.2% 3,274 11.8% 873
1992 36.4% 3,076 41.7% 3,520 21.9% 1,851
1988 56.9% 4,137 42.6% 3,099 0.6% 41
1984 63.5% 5,000 36.1% 2,840 0.5% 39
1980 62.3% 4,867 31.0% 2,421 6.8% 530
1976 55.4% 4,442 43.8% 3,509 0.9% 69
1972 67.7% 5,057 32.1% 2,394 0.2% 17
1968 56.3% 3,973 34.7% 2,447 9.1% 639
1964 44.6% 3,141 55.4% 3,897 0.0% 0
1960 60.9% 4,506 39.1% 2,889 0.1% 4
1956 66.2% 4,622 33.8% 2,356 0.0% 1
1952 67.8% 4,701 32.0% 2,220 0.2% 11
1948 60.1% 3,646 38.9% 2,361 0.9% 57
1944 59.4% 3,912 40.1% 2,641 0.5% 35
1940 55.9% 4,564 43.7% 3,564 0.4% 31
1936 48.8% 3,931 50.7% 4,084 0.6% 46
1932 42.7% 3,179 56.4% 4,200 0.9% 64
1928 69.6% 4,565 29.9% 1,959 0.5% 33
1924 64.3% 3,799 29.3% 1,733 6.4% 375
1920 68.2% 4,283 30.3% 1,903 1.6% 98
1916 55.5% 4,012 41.9% 3,028 2.6% 190
1912 30.7% 1,150 37.8% 1,417 31.5% 1,178
1908 58.0% 2,349 37.8% 1,530 4.3% 174
1904 63.2% 2,515 33.5% 1,334 3.2% 128
1900 57.3% 2,648 41.2% 1,905 1.5% 67
1896 56.1% 2,579 42.6% 1,958 1.4% 63
1892 51.1% 2,138 45.3% 1,896 3.6% 152

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  4. "Monthly Averages for Monticello IL". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  6. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  10. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  11. "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  12. "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  13. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 11, 2018.

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