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Adams County, Illinois
Adams County Courthouse, Quincy
Adams County Courthouse
Map of Illinois highlighting Adams County
Location in the state of Illinois
Map of the U.S
Illinois's location in the U.S.
Founded 1825
Named for John Quincy Adams
Seat Quincy
Largest city Quincy
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

871 sq mi (2,256 km²)
855 sq mi (2,214 km²)
16 sq mi (41 km²), 1.9
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

65,737
auto/sq mi (Expression error: Unrecognized word "auto"./km²)
Congressional district 18th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.co.adams.il.us

Adams County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,737.[1] Its county seat is Quincy.[2] Adams County is part of the Quincy, IL–MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History[]

Adams County was formed in 1825 out of Pike County. Its name is in honor of the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams.

Geography[]

Climate chart for Quincy, Illinois
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
1.36
 
34
16
 
 
1.74
 
40
21
 
 
2.93
 
52
30
 
 
3.48
 
65
41
 
 
4.61
 
75
51
 
 
3.26
 
84
61
 
 
3.89
 
88
66
 
 
3.09
 
86
63
 
 
3.45
 
78
55
 
 
2.50
 
66
43
 
 
3.10
 
51
33
 
 
2.22
 
38
21
temperatures in °Cprecipitation totals in mm
source: The Weather Channel[4]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 871 square miles (2,260 km2), of which 855 square miles (2,210 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (1.9%) is water.[5]

Adjacent counties[]

Major highways[]

  • I-172 Interstate 172
  • US 24 US Route 24
  • US 36 US Route 36
  • Illinois 57 Illinois Route 57
  • Illinois 61 Illinois Route 61
  • Illinois 94 Illinois Route 94
  • Illinois 96 Illinois Route 96
  • Illinois 104 Illinois Route 104
  • Illinois 336 Illinois Route 336

National protected area[]

  • Great River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Climate and weather[]

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Quincy have ranged from a low of 16 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −21 °F (−29.4 °C) was recorded in January 1979 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 2005. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.36 inches (35 mm) in January to 4.61 inches (117 mm) in May.[4]

Demographics[]

USA Adams County, Illinois age pyramid

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Adams County.

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1830 2,186
1840 14,476 562.2%
1850 26,508 83.1%
1860 41,323 55.9%
1870 56,362 36.4%
1880 59,135 4.9%
1890 61,888 4.7%
1900 67,058 8.4%
1910 64,588 −3.7%
1920 62,188 −3.7%
1930 62,784 1.0%
1940 65,229 3.9%
1950 64,690 −0.8%
1960 68,467 5.8%
1970 70,861 3.5%
1980 71,622 1.1%
1990 66,090 −7.7%
2000 68,277 3.3%
2010 67,103 −1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2020[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 67,103 people, 27,375 households, and 17,677 families residing in the county.[10] The population density was 78.5 inhabitants per square mile (30.3 /km2). There were 29,842 housing units at an average density of 34.9 per square mile (13.5 /km2).[5] The racial makeup of the county was 93.7% white, 3.5% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of the population.[10] In terms of ancestry, 43.5% were German, 13.1% were Irish, 10.7% were American, and 8.7% were English.[11]

Of the 27,375 households, 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.4% were non-families, and 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 40.7 years.[10]

The median income for a household in the county was $43,824 and the median income for a family was $55,791. Males had a median income of $38,830 versus $29,371 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,308. About 8.3% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.[12]

Communities[]

Map of Adams County Illinois

Adams County, Illinois.

City[]

Villages[]

  • Camp Point
  • Clayton
  • Coatsburg
  • Columbus
  • Golden
  • La Prairie
  • Liberty
  • Lima
  • Loraine
  • Mendon
  • Payson
  • Plainville
  • Ursa

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Adams
  • Beverly
  • Bigneck
  • Blacks
  • Bloomfield
  • Burton
  • Chatton
  • Cliola
  • Country Meadows
  • Ewbanks
  • Fall Creek
  • Fowler
  • Hickory Grove
  • Kellerville
  • Kingston
  • Marblehead
  • Marcelline
  • Meyer
  • North Quincy
  • Paloma
  • Richfield
  • Rock Creek
  • Sheridan Estates
  • Spring Valley
  • Woodville

Townships[]

Adams County is divided into twenty-three townships:

  • Beverly
  • Burton
  • Camp Point
  • Clayton
  • Columbus
  • Concord
  • Ellington
  • Fall Creek
  • Gilmer
  • Honey Creek
  • Houston
  • Keene
  • Liberty
  • Lima
  • McKee
  • Melrose
  • Mendon
  • Northeast
  • Payson
  • Quincy
  • Richfield
  • Riverside
  • Ursa

Politics[]

United States presidential election results for Adams County, Illinois[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 24,220 72.24% 8,633 25.75% 674 2.01%
2016 22,790 70.54% 7,676 23.76% 1,844 5.71%
2012 20,416 66.51% 9,648 31.43% 633 2.06%
2008 18,711 60.55% 11,794 38.17% 397 1.28%
2004 20,834 66.19% 10,511 33.39% 132 0.42%
2000 17,331 57.56% 12,197 40.51% 581 1.93%
1996 13,836 48.70% 11,336 39.90% 3,239 11.40%
1992 13,529 42.84% 11,748 37.20% 6,302 19.96%
1988 15,831 53.29% 13,768 46.34% 111 0.37%
1984 20,225 65.99% 10,336 33.72% 88 0.29%
1980 19,842 62.17% 10,606 33.23% 1,469 4.60%
1976 18,189 59.67% 11,926 39.12% 370 1.21%
1972 20,731 69.46% 9,055 30.34% 60 0.20%
1968 17,444 54.33% 11,521 35.88% 3,143 9.79%
1964 13,993 43.30% 18,321 56.70% 0 0.00%
1960 18,674 55.70% 14,827 44.22% 28 0.08%
1956 19,569 63.12% 11,402 36.78% 32 0.10%
1952 19,652 59.60% 13,301 40.34% 21 0.06%
1948 14,329 48.67% 14,960 50.81% 152 0.52%
1944 15,564 52.87% 13,733 46.65% 142 0.48%
1940 18,480 50.86% 17,361 47.78% 492 1.35%
1936 13,114 39.18% 18,857 56.33% 1,502 4.49%
1932 10,134 32.00% 21,098 66.62% 437 1.38%
1928 15,590 53.59% 13,215 45.42% 288 0.99%
1924 9,985 40.92% 8,628 35.35% 5,791 23.73%
1920 12,852 57.07% 7,222 32.07% 2,447 10.87%
1916 11,858 44.23% 14,268 53.22% 682 2.54%
1912 3,780 26.50% 6,952 48.74% 3,531 24.76%
1908 7,233 44.34% 8,294 50.84% 787 4.82%
1904 7,277 49.06% 6,149 41.45% 1,408 9.49%
1900 8,047 46.81% 8,844 51.44% 301 1.75%
1896 8,447 50.26% 8,025 47.75% 336 2.00%
1892 6,081 41.98% 7,746 53.48% 657 4.54%



Template:Illinois county elected officials Adams County, positioned in a primarily rural section of Illinois is culturally isolated from Chicago, and therefore more conservative than the state's northeastern corner. Quincy, the county seat, holds a high number of socially conservative Catholics[14] and likewise is the home to the campus of Quincy University, a private Catholic liberal arts college, and the Western Catholic Union.

The county is part of the historic belt of German settlement extending into the Missouri Rhineland. Since it was antagonistic to the Yankee northeast of Illinois, it voted solidly Democratic until 1892. After being a swing county in the first half of the twentieth century, Adams County has been a Republican stronghold. It has gone Republican in all but five presidential elections since 1920. The county last supported a Democrat in 1964, when it voted for Lyndon Johnson. The county regularly rejects Democrats at the state level as well; it has not supported a Democrat for Governor of Illinois since Adlai Stevenson II in 1948, and there are no elected Democrats above the county level.[15] Notably, while it voted for Barack Obama in his 2004 Senate campaign, he lost it by wide margins in both of his presidential bids.

The county is part of Illinois' 18th congressional district, currently represented by Republican Darin LaHood. For the Illinois House of Representatives, the county is located in the 94th district, represented by Republican Randy Frese. The county is located in the 47th district of the Illinois Senate, represented by Republican Jil Tracy.

Education[]

Unified school districts[]

  • Central Community Unit School District 3
  • Liberty Community Unit School District 2
  • Mendon Community Unit School District 4
  • Payson Community Unit School District 1
  • Quincy Public School District 172

Private schools[]

  • Blessed Sacrament Catholic School [2]
  • Chaddock School [3]
  • Quincy Christian School
  • Quincy Notre Dame High School
  • St. Dominic Catholic School [4]
  • St. Francis Solanus Catholic School [5]
  • St. James Lutheran School [6]
  • St. Peter Catholic School [7]

Colleges and universities[]

  • Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing
  • John Wood Community College
  • Quincy University

Attractions[]

  • Adams County Fair [8]
  • Bayview Bridge
  • Burton Cave [9]
  • Fall Creek Scenic Park
  • Golden Windmill [10]
  • John Wood Mansion
  • Saukenauk Scout Reservation [11]
  • Siloam Springs State Park
  • Spirit Knob Winery [12]
  • Villa Katharine [13]
  • Wavering Park [14]

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Adams County, Illinois

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17001.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ White, Jesse. Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties. State of Illinois, March 2010. [1]
  4. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Quincy, Illinois". The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0974. 
  5. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17001. 
  6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/il190090.txt. 
  9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  10. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17001. 
  11. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17001. 
  12. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17001. 
  13. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  14. ^ "Archived copy". http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/counties/17001_2000.asp. 
  15. ^ "Adams County Clerk". http://www.co.adams.il.us/County_clerk/results/index.htm. 

External links[]

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Coordinates: 39°59′N 91°11′W / 39.99, -91.19

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Adams County, Illinois. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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