Edwards County
County
Edwards County Courthouse in Albion
Edwards County Courthouse in Albion
Map of Illinois highlighting Edwards County
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°25′N 88°04′W / 38.42°N 88.06°W / 38.42; -88.06
Country United States
State Illinois
Founded1814
Named forNinian Edwards
SeatAlbion
Largest cityAlbion
Area
 • Total223 sq mi (580 km2)
 • Land222 sq mi (570 km2)
 • Water0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total6,245
 • Density28/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district12th

Edwards County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,245.[1] Its county seat is Albion.[2]

History

Edwards County was named for Ninian Edwards,[3] the governor of the Illinois Territory, and, later, governor of Illinois.

Edwards County is subdivided into "Road Districts", rather than "Townships" as in most Illinois counties. Pursuant to the Land Ordinance of 1785, the Northwest Territory (including Illinois) was surveyed and mostly organized into townships that are six miles square; but Edwards County was settled prior to that survey, and its pre-existing Road Districts do not generally correspond with the survey's townships.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 223 square miles (580 km2), of which 222 square miles (570 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.1%) is water.[4] It is the fourth-smallest county in Illinois by area.

When Edwards County was formed in 1814, it comprised nearly half of the State of Illinois. New counties were formed from it until, in 1824, it assumed its present form from the creation of Wabash County. The two are the fourth and fifth smallest counties in Illinois.

Edwards County is separated from Wabash County by the Bonpas Creek.

Climate and weather

Albion, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
2.6
 
 
37
21
 
 
2.7
 
 
44
25
 
 
4.3
 
 
55
35
 
 
5.1
 
 
66
45
 
 
4.6
 
 
76
55
 
 
4.2
 
 
86
64
 
 
3.9
 
 
89
68
 
 
3.4
 
 
88
66
 
 
2.9
 
 
81
58
 
 
3.4
 
 
70
47
 
 
4.3
 
 
54
36
 
 
3.5
 
 
42
26
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Source:The Weather Channel[5]
Metric conversion
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
65
 
 
3
−6
 
 
69
 
 
7
−4
 
 
109
 
 
13
2
 
 
130
 
 
19
7
 
 
117
 
 
24
13
 
 
106
 
 
30
18
 
 
98
 
 
32
20
 
 
87
 
 
31
19
 
 
73
 
 
27
14
 
 
85
 
 
21
8
 
 
109
 
 
12
2
 
 
89
 
 
6
−3
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Albion have ranged from a low of 21 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 89 °F (32 °C) in July, although a record low of −20 °F (−29 °C) was recorded in January 1982 and a record high of 109 °F (43 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.57 inches (65 mm) in January to 5.13 inches (130 mm) in April.[5]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18203,444—
18301,649−52.1%
18403,07086.2%
18503,52414.8%
18605,45454.8%
18707,56538.7%
18808,59713.6%
18909,4449.9%
190010,3459.5%
191010,049−2.9%
19209,431−6.1%
19308,303−12.0%
19408,9748.1%
19509,0560.9%
19607,940−12.3%
19707,090−10.7%
19807,96112.3%
19907,440−6.5%
20006,971−6.3%
20106,721−3.6%
20206,245−7.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2017[10]
2000 census age pyramid for Edwards County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 6,721 people, 2,840 households, and 1,926 families residing in the county.[11] The population density was 30.2 inhabitants per square mile (11.7/km2). There were 3,187 housing units at an average density of 14.3 per square mile (5.5/km2).[4] The racial makeup of the county was 98.0% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population.[11] In terms of ancestry, 26.8% were German, 22.4% were English, 13.3% were American, and 8.4% were Irish.[12]

Of the 2,840 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 42.7 years.[11]

The median income for a household in the county was $40,430 and the median income for a family was $51,337. Males had a median income of $40,183 versus $27,295 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,113. About 10.6% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.[13]

Communities

Precincts of Edwards County

Cities

Villages

Unincorporated Communities

Precincts

Edwards County is divided into 12 election precincts:

Politics

Edwards County is one of the most consistently Republican counties in the nation. It has voted for the Republican candidate in all Presidential elections from 1856 to present, except in 1912 when the party was divided and Theodore Roosevelt won the county as the “Bull Moose” Progressive candidate.[14] In the last five Presidential elections no Democratic candidate has reached 34 percent of the county's vote.[15] Edwards County also holds the distinction of having the lowest percentage of any Illinois county of votes for governor Pat Quinn, a Democrat, in his failed 2014 reelection bid. Quinn lost 101 of the 102 counties in Illinois, capturing only 13.7% of the vote in Edwards County.[16] Hillary Clinton fared even worse in 2016 with only 13.1 percent of the county's ballots. The last Democrat to win the county was Andrew Jackson in 1832.

United States presidential election results for Edwards County, Illinois[17]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 2,833 84.12% 488 14.49% 47 1.40%
2016 2,778 83.57% 434 13.06% 112 3.37%
2012 2,405 74.50% 754 23.36% 69 2.14%
2008 2,137 63.56% 1,140 33.91% 85 2.53%
2004 2,412 71.70% 930 27.65% 22 0.65%
2000 2,212 67.85% 978 30.00% 70 2.15%
1996 1,613 51.98% 1,089 35.10% 401 12.92%
1992 1,601 45.07% 1,299 36.57% 652 18.36%
1988 2,212 64.12% 1,218 35.30% 20 0.58%
1984 2,778 72.25% 1,057 27.49% 10 0.26%
1980 2,556 68.14% 1,041 27.75% 154 4.11%
1976 2,379 58.51% 1,648 40.53% 39 0.96%
1972 3,017 73.93% 1,055 25.85% 9 0.22%
1968 2,633 63.68% 1,095 26.48% 407 9.84%
1964 2,262 53.19% 1,991 46.81% 0 0.00%
1960 3,291 69.36% 1,446 30.47% 8 0.17%
1956 3,339 73.38% 1,210 26.59% 1 0.02%
1952 3,502 75.01% 1,162 24.89% 5 0.11%
1948 2,491 66.07% 1,206 31.99% 73 1.94%
1944 3,016 70.96% 1,197 28.16% 37 0.87%
1940 3,361 64.86% 1,770 34.16% 51 0.98%
1936 2,813 55.16% 2,211 43.35% 76 1.49%
1932 2,203 52.25% 1,956 46.39% 57 1.35%
1928 2,861 74.78% 950 24.83% 15 0.39%
1924 2,750 69.59% 1,047 26.49% 155 3.92%
1920 3,002 79.21% 742 19.58% 46 1.21%
1916 2,885 65.39% 1,389 31.48% 138 3.13%
1912 817 34.00% 650 27.05% 936 38.95%
1908 1,614 64.48% 747 29.84% 142 5.67%
1904 1,610 67.28% 595 24.86% 188 7.86%
1900 1,577 64.18% 823 33.50% 57 2.32%
1896 1,572 63.95% 852 34.66% 34 1.38%
1892 1,350 62.59% 677 31.39% 130 6.03%

In other positions the county has been not been consistently Republican for as long, but nevertheless has been so for many years. The last Democratic Senatorial candidate it backed was Alan J. Dixon in 1986[18] and the last Democratic gubernatorial candidate it supported was Glenn Poshard, who carried all of Southern Illinois in his failed 1998 bid.[19] Edwards County lies in Illinois's 15th congressional district, which has Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+21 and has been represented by Republican Mary Miller since 2021.

Edwards County is a dry county, with multiple referendums to allow alcohol sales failing in the mid-1990s. The portion of Grayville, Illinois that lies within Edwards County does allow alcohol sales per Grayville city ordinance.[20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 4, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 115.
  4. 1 2 "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Monthly Averages for Albion, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  10. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 "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 11, 2015.
  12. ↑ "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 11, 2015.
  13. ↑ "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 11, 2015.
  14. ↑ Kestenbaum, Lawrence. "Edwards County, Illinois". politicalgraveyard.com. The Political Graveyard. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  15. ↑ "President Map - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times". elections.nytimes.com.
  16. ↑ "WJBD - Local News - Quinn Loses Hardest in Edwards County". wjbdradio.com.
  17. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
  18. ↑ "David Leip's Election Atlas (Maps for Illinois Senate by election)". uselectionatlas.org.
  19. ↑ "David Leip's Election Atlas (Maps for Illinois Governor by election)". uselectionatlas.org.
  20. ↑ "Illinois Liquor Control Commission Home" (PDF). www.state.il.us. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 23, 2013.

38°25′N 88°04′W / 38.42°N 88.06°W / 38.42; -88.06

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