Rock Island County, Illinois

Rock Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, bounded on the west by the Mississippi River. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 147,546.[1] Its county seat is Rock Island; its largest city is neighboring Moline.[2]

"Rock Island County" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Rock Island Township.

Rock Island County
U.S. county
Rock Island County Justice Center
Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°28′N 90°34′W
Country United States
State Illinois
Founded1831
Named forRock (Arsenal) Island
SeatRock Island
Largest cityMoline
Area
 • Total451 sq mi (1,170 km2)
 • Land428 sq mi (1,110 km2)
 • Water24 sq mi (60 km2)  5.2%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total147,546
 • Estimate 
(2019)
141,879
 • Density330/sq mi (130/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district17th
Websitewww.co.rock-island.il.us

Rock Island County is one of the four counties that make up the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.[3]

History
Rock Island County at the time of its creation in 1831

Rock Island County was formed in 1831 out of Jo Daviess County. It was named for Rock Island, an island in the Mississippi River now known as Arsenal Island.[4] The Rock River (which the Sauk and Fox Indians called Sinnissippi meaning "rocky waters")[5] flows from Whiteside County and points further east and north and joins the Mississippi River at Rock Island. The Sinnissippi Mounds, dating from the Hopewell period and on the National Register of Historic Places are upriver at Sterling in Whiteside County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 451 square miles (1,170 km2), of which 428 square miles (1,110 km2) is land and 24 square miles (62 km2) (5.2%) is water.[6]

Climate and weather
Rock Island, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
1.3
 
 
30
13
 
 
1.4
 
 
36
19
 
 
2.6
 
 
48
29
 
 
3.6
 
 
61
41
 
 
4.4
 
 
72
52
 
 
4.8
 
 
81
63
 
 
3
 
 
85
68
 
 
4.3
 
 
83
66
 
 
2.9
 
 
76
57
 
 
2.4
 
 
65
45
 
 
2.5
 
 
48
32
 
 
1.9
 
 
35
20
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[7]

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Rock Island have ranged from a low of 13 °F (−11 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −22 °F (−30 °C) was recorded in February 1996 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) was recorded in July 2006. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.28 inches (33 mm) in January to 4.75 inches (121 mm) in June.[7]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18402,610—
18506,937165.8%
186021,005202.8%
187029,78341.8%
188038,30228.6%
189041,9179.4%
190055,24931.8%
191070,40427.4%
192092,29731.1%
193098,1916.4%
1940113,32315.4%
1950133,55817.9%
1960150,99113.1%
1970166,73410.4%
1980165,968−0.5%
1990148,723−10.4%
2000149,3740.4%
2010147,546−1.2%
2019 (est.)141,879[8]−3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2019[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 147,546 people, 61,303 households, and 38,384 families residing in the county.[13] The population density was 345.0 inhabitants per square mile (133.2/km2). There were 65,756 housing units at an average density of 153.8 per square mile (59.4/km2).[6] The racial makeup of the county was 81.6% white, 9.0% black or African American, 1.6% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 4.4% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 11.6% of the population.[13] In terms of ancestry, 25.9% were German, 14.2% were Irish, 8.7% were English, 6.8% were Swedish, and 5.2% were American.[14]

Of the 61,303 households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.4% were non-families, and 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 40.0 years.[13]

The median income for a household in the county was $46,226 and the median income for a family was $58,962. Males had a median income of $42,548 versus $31,917 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,071. About 8.7% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.[15]

Economy

At one time Mississippi Valley Airlines had its headquarters in Quad City Airport in the county.[16] John Deere is headquartered in Moline.[17]

Communities

Cities

Villages

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Rock Island County is divided into eighteen townships:

Politics

Prior to 1932, Rock Island County was a Republican stronghold in presidential elections, backing the party's candidate in every election from 1892 to 1928. From 1932 on, it has consistently backed Democratic Party presidential candidates outside of four national Republican landslides. In 2016, Donald Trump managed to keep Hillary Clinton to a single digit margin of victory, the first Republican to do so since Ronald Reagan in 1984; in 2020, while Trump won more votes than in 2016, Joe Biden increased the Democratic margin from 8.3% to 12.1%, though he also won the smallest margin in the county for a winning Democratic presidential candidate since 1976 and the smallest voteshare since 1992.

Presidential election results
Presidential election results[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 42.9% 28,603 55.0% 36,691 2.2% 1,464
2016 42.2% 26,998 50.5% 32,298 7.3% 4,698
2012 38.2% 24,934 60.0% 39,157 1.7% 1,126
2008 37.0% 25,364 61.5% 42,210 1.5% 1,034
2004 42.4% 29,663 57.0% 39,880 0.6% 429
2000 38.7% 25,194 58.3% 37,957 3.0% 1,944
1996 33.8% 20,626 57.1% 34,822 9.0% 5,507
1992 32.2% 23,212 51.9% 37,412 15.9% 11,415
1988 40.4% 27,412 59.2% 40,174 0.5% 315
1984 46.4% 35,121 53.1% 40,208 0.5% 343
1980 48.5% 34,788 41.9% 30,045 9.7% 6,942
1976 47.7% 34,007 50.5% 35,994 1.8% 1,260
1972 53.4% 37,548 46.3% 32,529 0.4% 253
1968 43.4% 30,404 49.2% 34,506 7.5% 5,230
1964 36.2% 23,714 63.8% 41,759 0.0% 0
1960 49.0% 32,534 50.9% 33,812 0.2% 108
1956 51.7% 31,342 48.1% 29,145 0.2% 118
1952 54.1% 32,933 45.8% 27,879 0.2% 100
1948 47.0% 22,192 52.0% 24,542 1.0% 477
1944 44.2% 23,980 55.5% 30,102 0.3% 180
1940 42.0% 25,629 57.7% 35,240 0.4% 232
1936 36.8% 19,487 61.7% 32,741 1.5% 799
1932 45.6% 21,205 53.0% 24,676 1.4% 668
1928 65.2% 27,246 34.3% 14,334 0.5% 196
1924 57.7% 20,563 10.2% 3,631 32.1% 11,453
1920 71.3% 21,908 17.0% 5,208 11.7% 3,603
1916 53.2% 16,169 35.9% 10,914 10.9% 3,327
1912 42.6% 6,506 26.1% 3,997 31.3% 4,786
1908 55.5% 8,196 32.1% 4,739 12.5% 1,846
1904 61.7% 8,152 16.3% 2,156 21.9% 2,895
1900 61.2% 8,299 35.3% 4,786 3.5% 471
1896 60.1% 7,323 38.5% 4,692 1.4% 176
1892 52.4% 5,052 41.8% 4,034 5.8% 559

See also

Footnotes
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. United States Office of Management and Budget. "Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses" (PDF). pp. 5, 36. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2006.
  4. Rock Island, the island, History: Introduction Archived January 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, US Army Corps of Engineers
  5. "Castle Rock State Park". Illinois DNR. Archived from the original on April 1, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  6. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  7. "Monthly Averages for Rock Island, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Archived from the original on November 12, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  8. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  11. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  13. "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 12, 2015.
  14. "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 12, 2015.
  15. "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 12, 2015.
  16. "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 30, 1985. 98 Archived February 23, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. "Head Office: PO Box 949, Quad City Airport, Moline, Illinois 61265, USA."
  17. "Deere & Company World Headquarters". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  18. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2018.

Further reading

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