Editing Macon County, Illinois (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Plaque honoring the soldiers of Macon County Illinois who fought in the Civil War.jpg|upright|thumb|Plaque honoring 2,486 Macon County soldiers that fought in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-65]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|US Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|586|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|581|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|5.2|sqmi}} (0.9%) is water.<ref name=CD/>

Macon County is primarily flat, as is most of the state and all of the surrounding counties, the result of geological activity during the [[Pleistocene]] epoch. During the [[Illinoian (stage)|Illinoian Stage]] of the Pleistocene, the [[Laurentide Ice Sheet]] covered about 85 percent of Illinois, including the Macon County area. The subsequent thaw of the region and retreat of the ice sheet left central Illinois with its present characteristic flat [[topography]].<ref>Stiff, B. J., and A.K. Hansel, 2004, ''Quaternary glaciations in Illinois.'' in Ehlers, J., and P.L. Gibbard, eds., pp. 71-82, ''Quaternary Glaciations: Extent and Chronology 2: Part II North America'', Elsevier, Amsterdam. {{ISBN|0-444-51462-7}}</ref>

Because of its central location, Macon County is often referred to as "The Heart of Illinois."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.co.macon.il.us/visitors.php|title=Visitors Information - Macon County Illinois|website=www.co.macon.il.us|access-date=May 1, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907234735/http://www.co.macon.il.us/visitors.php|archive-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref>

===Climate and weather===
{{climate chart
|[[Decatur, Illinois]]
|17|35|2.05
|22|41|1.95
|32|53|3.20
|42|65|3.58
|52|76|4.47
|61|85|3.90
|65|88|4.54
|63|86|4.14
|55|80|2.98
|44|68|2.74
|34|52|3.32
|23|39|2.87
|float=right
|units=imperial
|clear=both
|source=The Weather Channel<ref name=WX>{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0302|title=Monthly Averages for Decatur IL|access-date=January 27, 2011|publisher=The Weather Channel|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023160952/http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0302|archive-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref>}}
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Decatur have ranged from a low of {{convert|17|°F}} in January to a high of {{convert|88|°F}} in July, although a record low of {{convert|-25|°F}} was recorded in February 1905 and a record high of {{convert|113|°F}} was recorded in July 1954.  Average monthly precipitation ranged from {{convert|1.95|in}} in February to {{convert|4.54|in}} in July.<ref name=WX/>

===Major highways===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Image:I-72.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 72]]
* [[Image:US 36.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 36 in Illinois|U.S. Route 36]]
* [[Image:US 51.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 51 in Illinois|U.S. Route 51]]
* [[Image:Illinois 48.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 48]]
* [[Image:Illinois 105.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 105]]
* [[Image:Illinois 121.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 121]]
* [[Image:Illinois 128.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 128]]
{{div col end}}

===Transit===
* [[Decatur Public Transit System]]
* [[SHOW Bus]]
* [[List of intercity bus stops in Illinois]]

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[De Witt County, Illinois|De Witt]] - north
* [[Piatt County, Illinois|Piatt]] - northeast
* [[Moultrie County, Illinois|Moultrie]] - southeast
* [[Shelby County, Illinois|Shelby]] - south
* [[Christian County, Illinois|Christian]] - southwest
* [[Sangamon County, Illinois|Sangamon]] - west
* [[Logan County, Illinois|Logan]] - northwest
{{div col end}}