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Rock Island County, Illinois
Rock Island County Justice Center
Rock Island County Justice Center
Logo of Rock Island County, Illinois
Logo
Map of Illinois highlighting Rock Island County
Location in the state of Illinois
Map of the U.S
Illinois's location in the U.S.
Founded 1831
Named for Rock (Arsenal) Island
Seat Rock Island
Largest city Moline
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

451 sq mi (1,168 km²)
428 sq mi (1,109 km²)
24 sq mi (62 km²), 5.2
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

144,672
Congressional district 17th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.co.rock-island.il.us

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 2020 census, it had a population of 144,672.[1] Its county seat is Rock Island; its largest city is neighboring Moline.[2] 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 Illinois 1831

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. The Rock River (which the Sauk and Fox Indians called Sinnissippi meaning "rocky waters")[4] 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.[5]

Climate and weather[]

Climate chart for Rock Island, Illinois
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
1.28
 
30
13
 
 
1.41
 
36
19
 
 
2.59
 
48
29
 
 
3.64
 
61
41
 
 
4.44
 
72
52
 
 
4.75
 
81
63
 
 
2.99
 
85
68
 
 
4.31
 
83
66
 
 
2.90
 
76
57
 
 
2.39
 
65
45
 
 
2.47
 
48
32
 
 
1.93
 
35
20
temperatures in °Cprecipitation totals in mm
source: The Weather Channel[6]

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 (−30.0 °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.[6]

Major highways[]

  • I-74 Interstate 74
  • I-80 Interstate 80
  • I-88 Interstate 88
  • I-280 Interstate 280
  • US 6 U.S. Highway 6
  • US 67 U.S. Highway 67
  • US 150 U.S. Highway 150
  • Illinois 2 Illinois Route 2 (formerly)
  • Illinois 5 Illinois Route 5
  • Illinois 84 Illinois Route 84
  • Illinois 92 Illinois Route 92
  • Illinois 94 Illinois Route 94
  • Illinois 110 Illinois Route 110
  • Illinois 192 Illinois Route 192

Adjacent counties[]

National protected area[]

  • Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (part)

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1840 2,610
1850 6,937 165.8%
1860 21,005 202.8%
1870 29,783 41.8%
1880 38,302 28.6%
1890 41,917 9.4%
1900 55,249 31.8%
1910 70,404 27.4%
1920 92,297 31.1%
1930 98,191 6.4%
1940 113,323 15.4%
1950 133,558 17.9%
1960 150,991 13.1%
1970 166,734 10.4%
1980 165,968 −0.5%
1990 148,723 −10.4%
2000 149,374 0.4%
2010 147,546 −1.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 147,546 people, 61,303 households, and 38,384 families residing in the county.[11] 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).[5] 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.[11] 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.[12]

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.[11]

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.[13]

Economy[]

At one time Mississippi Valley Airlines had its headquarters in Quad City Airport in the county. John Deere is headquartered in Moline.[14]

Communities[]

Cities[]

Villages[]

  • Andalusia
  • Carbon Cliff
  • Coal Valley (part)
  • Cordova
  • Hampton
  • Hillsdale
  • Milan
  • Oak Grove
  • Port Byron
  • Rapids City
  • Reynolds (part)

Census-designated places[]

  • Coyne Center
  • Rock Island Arsenal

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Barstow
  • Buffalo Prairie
  • Campbell's Island
  • Edgington
  • Illinois City
  • Joslin
  • Taylor Ridge

Townships[]

Rock Island County is divided into eighteen townships:

  • Andalusia
  • Blackhawk
  • Bowling
  • Buffalo Prairie
  • Canoe Creek
  • Coal Valley
  • Coe
  • Cordova
  • Drury
  • Edgington
  • Hampton
  • Moline
  • Port Byron
  • Rock Island
  • Rural
  • South Moline
  • South Rock Island
  • Zuma

Forts[]

  • Fort Armstrong

Politics[]

Before 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, Joe Biden increased the Democratic margin from 8.3% to 12.1%. Due to the dominance of the Democratic Party in county politics, Rock Island County remains one of the most Democratic counties outside of the Chicago area in Illinois. Since 2010 the Republican Party began making inroads in county politics, gaining a few seats on the Democratic-dominated county board; however, since 2018, the Republican Party influence on the board has begun to decrease as the county resumed heavy Democratic voting.[15]

United States presidential election results for Rock Island County, Illinois[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 28,603 42.72% 36,691 54.81% 1,653 2.47%
2016 26,998 42.19% 32,298 50.47% 4,698 7.34%
2012 24,934 38.23% 39,157 60.04% 1,126 1.73%
2008 25,364 36.97% 42,210 61.52% 1,034 1.51%
2004 29,663 42.39% 39,880 56.99% 429 0.61%
2000 25,194 38.70% 37,957 58.31% 1,944 2.99%
1996 20,626 33.84% 34,822 57.13% 5,507 9.03%
1992 23,212 32.22% 37,412 51.93% 11,415 15.85%
1988 27,412 40.37% 40,174 59.17% 315 0.46%
1984 35,121 46.41% 40,208 53.13% 343 0.45%
1980 34,788 48.47% 30,045 41.86% 6,942 9.67%
1976 34,007 47.72% 35,994 50.51% 1,260 1.77%
1972 37,548 53.39% 32,529 46.25% 253 0.36%
1968 30,404 43.35% 34,506 49.20% 5,230 7.46%
1964 23,714 36.22% 41,759 63.78% 0 0.00%
1960 32,534 48.96% 33,812 50.88% 108 0.16%
1956 31,342 51.72% 29,145 48.09% 118 0.19%
1952 32,933 54.07% 27,879 45.77% 100 0.16%
1948 22,192 47.01% 24,542 51.98% 477 1.01%
1944 23,980 44.19% 30,102 55.48% 180 0.33%
1940 25,629 41.95% 35,240 57.67% 232 0.38%
1936 19,487 36.75% 32,741 61.74% 799 1.51%
1932 21,205 45.55% 24,676 53.01% 668 1.44%
1928 27,246 65.22% 14,334 34.31% 196 0.47%
1924 20,563 57.69% 3,631 10.19% 11,453 32.13%
1920 21,908 71.32% 5,208 16.95% 3,603 11.73%
1916 16,169 53.17% 10,914 35.89% 3,327 10.94%
1912 6,506 42.55% 3,997 26.14% 4,786 31.30%
1908 8,196 55.45% 4,739 32.06% 1,846 12.49%
1904 8,152 61.74% 2,156 16.33% 2,895 21.93%
1900 8,299 61.22% 4,786 35.31% 471 3.47%
1896 7,323 60.07% 4,692 38.49% 176 1.44%
1892 5,052 52.38% 4,034 41.82% 559 5.80%



See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Rock Island County, Illinois
  • Quad Cities International Airport

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17161.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ United States Office of Management and Budget. "Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses". pp. 5, 36. https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/bulletins/fy2006/b06-01.pdf. 
  4. ^ "Castle Rock State Park". Illinois DNR. http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r1/castle.htm. 
  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.CY10/0500000US17161. 
  6. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Rock Island, Illinois". The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL1011. 
  7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/il190090.txt. 
  10. ^ "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. 
  11. ^ 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/DPDP1/0500000US17161. 
  12. ^ "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/DP02/0500000US17161. 
  13. ^ "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/DP03/0500000US17161. 
  14. ^ "Deere & Company World Headquarters". https://www.deere.com/en/our-company/john-deere-careers/interview-resources/moline-world-headquarters/. 
  15. ^ "Rock Island County Clerk - Elections - Previous Election Results". https://www.rockislandcounty.org/PreviousElections/. 
  16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

Further reading[]

External links[]

Coordinates: 41°28′N 90°34′W / 41.47, -90.57


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Rock Island 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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