Winnebago County, Illinois

Winnebago County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 295,266,[1] making it the seventh most populous county in Illinois behind Cook County and its five surrounding collar counties. Its county seat is Rockford.[2]

Winnebago County
U.S. county
City Hall in Rockford, Illinois.
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 42°20′N 89°10′W
Country United States
State Illinois
FoundedJanuary 16, 1836
Named forWinnebago Tribe
SeatRockford
Largest cityRockford
Area
 • Total519 sq mi (1,340 km2)
 • Land513 sq mi (1,330 km2)
 • Water5.9 sq mi (15 km2)  1.1%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total295,266
 • Estimate 
(2019)
282,572
 • Density570/sq mi (220/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts16th, 17th
Websitewww.wincoil.us

Winnebago County is the central county of the Rockford Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Winnebago County was formed on January 16, 1836 out of Jo Daviess and LaSalle counties. It was named for the Winnebago Tribe of American Indians. At the time the county was founded its inhabitants consisted almost entirely of New Englanders and New England transplants from upstate New York.[3] These were "Yankee" settlers, meaning they were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England during the early 1600s. They made up virtually all of Winnebago County's inhabitants during the first several decades of its history. In this regard the county was similar to most of the northern portion of the state of Illinois, and almost all of the neighboring state of Wisconsin. After the conclusion of the Black Hawk War there was an additional surge of immigration from New England. As a result of this heritage the inhabitants of Winnebago County considered themselves, and functioned as, a cultural expansion of early New England culture.[4] In the Presidential election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln won 3,985 votes in Winnebago County, whereas Stephen A. Douglas only won 817 votes.[5]

  • Winnebago County for its first year of existence
  • Winnebago County in 1837, reduced to its current borders by the creation of Stephenson and Boone Counties

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 519 square miles (1,340 km2), of which 513 square miles (1,330 km2) is land and 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (1.1%) is water.[6]

Climate and weather
Rockford, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
1.4
 
 
27
11
 
 
1.3
 
 
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46
27
 
 
3.6
 
 
59
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4
 
 
71
48
 
 
4.8
 
 
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83
63
 
 
4.2
 
 
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74
52
 
 
2.6
 
 
62
40
 
 
2.6
 
 
46
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2.1
 
 
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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 Rockford have ranged from a low of 11 °F (−12 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −27 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1982 and a record high of 112 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.34 inches (34 mm) in February to 4.80 inches (122 mm) in June.[7]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18404,609—
185011,773155.4%
186024,491108.0%
187029,30119.6%
188030,5054.1%
189039,93830.9%
190047,84519.8%
191063,15332.0%
192090,92944.0%
1930117,37329.1%
1940121,1783.2%
1950152,38525.8%
1960209,76537.7%
1970246,62317.6%
1980250,8841.7%
1990252,9130.8%
2000278,41810.1%
2010295,2666.1%
2019 (est.)282,572[8]−4.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2019[1]

As of the 2010 census, there were 295,266 people, 115,501 households, and 76,854 families residing in the county.[13] The population density was 575.2 inhabitants per square mile (222.1/km2). There were 125,965 housing units at an average density of 245.4 per square mile (94.7/km2).[6] The racial makeup of the county was 77.4% white, 12.2% black or African American, 2.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 4.9% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.9% of the population.[13] In terms of ancestry, 25.6% were German, 13.5% were Irish, 9.4% were American, 8.7% were Swedish, 8.3% were English, and 7.4% were Italian.[14]

Of the 115,501 households, 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.5% were non-families, and 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 38.3 years.[13]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,198 and the median income for a family was $59,814. Males had a median income of $48,358 versus $32,103 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,008. About 11.5% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.0% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.[15]

Winnebago County is comprised by the following districts represented in 2015-2016 by the following individuals listed along with their political affiliation: [16]

District 1 Faye Lyon (R)

District 2 Jim Webster (R)

District 3 Steve Schultz (R)

District 4 David Boomer (R)

District 5 Dave Tassoni (D)

District 6 Keith McDonald (R)

District 7 Gary Jury (R)

District 8 Eli Nicolosi (R)

District 9 Dave Kelley (R)

District 10 Joe Hoffman (D)

District 11 Dave Fiduccia (R)

District 12 Julio Salgado (D)

District 13 Angie Goral (D)

District 14 L.C. Wilson (D)

District 15 Burt Gerl (D)

District 16 John F. Sweeney (R)

District 17 Fred Wescott (R)

District 18 Dorothy Redd (D)

District 19 John Guevara (R)

District 20 Ted Biondo (R)

Communities

Cities

Villages

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Winnebago County is divided into these townships:

Politics

Prior to 1992, Winnebago County was a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections, only backing the Democratic Party candidates in the national landslides of 1936 & 1964. Since then, it has become a swing county, backing the national winner in every presidential election from 1980 to 2012. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the county by only 89 votes over Donald Trump.

Presidential election results
Presidential election results[17]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 47.7% 60,861 50.2% 64,056 2.2% 2,792
2016 46.3% 55,624 46.4% 55,713 7.3% 8,718
2012 46.2% 55,138 51.7% 61,732 2.1% 2,527
2008 42.5% 53,886 55.3% 70,034 2.2% 2,784
2004 50.1% 60,782 49.2% 59,740 0.7% 903
2000 49.2% 53,816 47.6% 51,981 3.2% 3,500
1996 44.5% 44,479 46.3% 46,264 9.2% 9,167
1992 37.6% 42,221 43.0% 48,298 19.3% 21,696
1988 54.9% 55,699 44.6% 45,280 0.6% 571
1984 58.7% 64,203 40.8% 44,629 0.6% 619
1980 46.5% 48,825 30.8% 32,384 22.7% 23,880
1976 54.2% 52,736 43.5% 42,399 2.3% 2,252
1972 61.5% 57,682 38.3% 35,937 0.3% 231
1968 52.5% 47,646 40.5% 36,702 7.1% 6,391
1964 45.0% 39,920 55.0% 48,834 0.0% 0
1960 55.2% 49,541 44.7% 40,090 0.1% 110
1956 62.4% 48,332 37.5% 29,063 0.1% 89
1952 58.0% 43,468 41.9% 31,409 0.2% 127
1948 51.5% 29,537 47.4% 27,145 1.1% 631
1944 52.3% 30,837 47.2% 27,831 0.5% 277
1940 51.9% 30,683 47.5% 28,061 0.7% 383
1936 46.3% 24,997 50.4% 27,200 3.3% 1,792
1932 57.1% 26,632 38.0% 17,707 4.9% 2,286
1928 80.4% 33,258 18.6% 7,684 1.0% 430
1924 71.3% 21,978 7.2% 2,228 21.4% 6,608
1920 79.2% 19,913 13.4% 3,355 7.4% 1,866
1916 65.0% 14,893 27.1% 6,198 7.9% 1,806
1912 19.3% 2,537 17.3% 2,276 54.0% 7,089
1908 71.5% 8,919 17.4% 2,163 11.1% 1,385
1904 74.8% 8,143 10.8% 1,177 14.4% 1,567
1900 72.7% 8,103 22.4% 2,498 4.9% 546
1896 75.1% 8,242 22.3% 2,447 2.6% 286
1892 62.5% 5,854 28.1% 2,634 9.4% 878

See also

References
Specific
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. History of Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois: From the First Settlement in 1834 to the Civil War pg. 253
  4. The Expansion of New England: The Spread of New England Settlement and Institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620-1865 by Lois imball Mathews pg. 210-212
  5. History of Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois: From the First Settlement in 1834 to the Civil War, pg. 379
  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 Rockford, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  8. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  11. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 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. "County Board Office: County Board Members - Winnebago County, Illinois". wincoil.us. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
General

Further reading

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