Editing Ford County, Illinois

{{Short description|County in Illinois, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
| county           = Ford County
| state            = Illinois
| ex image         = Ford County Courthouse in Paxton.jpg
| ex image cap     = [[Ford County Courthouse]] in Paxton
| founded          = February 17, 1859
| seat wl          = Paxton
| largest city     = Paxton
| area_total_sq_mi = 486
| area_land_sq_mi  = 486
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.6
| area percentage  = 0.1
| population_as_of = 2020
| population_total = 13534
| pop_est_as_of    = 2023
| population_est   = 13250
{{decrease}}
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| time zone        = Central
| web              = www.fordcountycourthouse.com
| district         = 2nd
| district2        = 16th
| named for        = [[Thomas Ford (politician)|Thomas Ford]]
}}

'''Ford County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Illinois]]. According to the [[2020 United States census]], it had a population of 13,534.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ford County, Illinois|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Ford_County,_Illinois?g=050XX00US17053|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=June 8, 2023}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Paxton, Illinois|Paxton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503072804/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|archive-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref> Ford County was part of the [[Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area]] until 2018, when the [[Office of Management and Budget]] removed the county from the area.<ref>{{cite web |author1=[[Office of Management and Budget]] |title=OMB Bulletin No. 18-03: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/OMB-BULLETIN-NO.-18-03-Final.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411132410/https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/OMB-BULLETIN-NO.-18-03-Final.pdf |archive-date=April 11, 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=December 27, 2021 |date=April 10, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=[[Office of Management and Budget]] |title=OMB Bulletin No. 18-04: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Bulletin-18-04.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915121824/https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Bulletin-18-04.pdf |archive-date=September 15, 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=December 27, 2021 |date=September 14, 2018}}</ref>

==History==
Ford County was formed February 17, 1859, making it Illinois's "newest" county. It was created at the behest of some residents of [[Vermilion County, Illinois|Vermilion County]], who complained to the [[Illinois General Assembly|General Assembly]] that they lived too far from the [[county seat]]. Ford County was named after [[Thomas Ford (politician)|Thomas Ford]], the Governor of Illinois from 1842 to 1846.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|publisher=Govt. Print. Off.| author=Gannett, Henry|year=1905|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n127 128]}}</ref>
<gallery>
File:Ford County Illinois 1859.png|The creation of Douglas and Ford Counties in 1859 resulted in Illinois's current county map.
</gallery>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|US Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|486|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|486|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.6|sqmi}} (0.1%) is water.<ref name=CD/>

===Climate and weather===
{{climate chart
|[[Paxton, Illinois]]
|14|30|1.66
|19|35|1.40
|29|48|3.17
|39|61|3.41
|50|72|4.38
|59|82|3.47
|62|85|3.75
|60|83|3.26
|53|77|3.20
|41|65|3.30
|31|49|3.02
|20|35|3.04
|float=right
|units=imperial
|clear=both
|source=The Weather Channel<ref name=WX>{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0928|title=Monthly Averages for Paxton IL|access-date=January 27, 2011|publisher=The Weather Channel}}</ref>}}
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Paxton have ranged from a low of {{convert|14|°F}} in January to a high of {{convert|85|°F}} in July, although a record low of {{convert|-25|°F}} was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of {{convert|102|°F}} was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from {{convert|1.40|in}} in February to {{convert|4.38|in}} in May.<ref name=WX/>

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Kankakee County, Illinois|Kankakee County]] – north
* [[Iroquois County, Illinois|Iroquois County]] – east
* [[Vermilion County, Illinois|Vermilion County]] – southeast
* [[Champaign County, Illinois|Champaign County]] – south
* [[McLean County, Illinois|McLean County]] – southwest
* [[Livingston County, Illinois|Livingston County]] – west

===Transit===
*[[SHOW Bus]]

===Major highways===
{{div col}}
* [[Image:I-57.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 57]]
* [[Image:US 24.svg|25px]] [[US Route 24]]
* [[Image:US 45.svg|25px]] [[US Route 45]]
* [[Image:Illinois 9.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 9]]
* [[Image:Illinois 47.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 47]]
* [[Image:Illinois 54.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 54]]
* [[Image:Illinois 115.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 115]]
* [[Image:Illinois 116.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 116]]
{{div col end}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 1979
|1870= 9103
|1880= 15099
|1890= 17035
|1900= 18359
|1910= 17096
|1920= 16466
|1930= 15489
|1940= 15007
|1950= 15901
|1960= 16606
|1970= 16382
|1980= 15265
|1990= 14275
|2000= 14241
|2010= 14081
|2020= 13534
|estyear=2023
|estimate=13250
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 2, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=US Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=US Decennial Census|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2014}}</ref><br/>1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=July 5, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/il190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2014}}</ref> 2010<ref name=QF>{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17053.html|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606162303/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17053.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref>
}}
{{Stack|[[Image:USA Ford County, Illinois age pyramid.svg|thumb|left|2000 census age pyramid for Ford County]]}}

As of the [[2010 United States census]], there were 14,081&nbsp;people, 5,676&nbsp;households, and 3,798&nbsp;families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17053|title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data|access-date=July 11, 2015|publisher=US Census Bureau|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213031727/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17053|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> The population density was {{convert|29.0|PD/sqmi}}. There were 6,282 housing units at an average density of {{convert|12.9|/sqmi}}.<ref name=CD>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17053|access-date=July 11, 2015|title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County|publisher=US Census Bureau|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212195841/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17053|archive-date=February 12, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 97.1% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.1% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 35.7% were [[Germans|German]], 15.5% were [[Irish people|Irish]], 13.6% were [[Americans|American]], and 10.4% were [[English people|English]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17053|title=Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|access-date=July 11, 2015|publisher=US Census Bureau|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213020008/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17053|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Of the 5,676&nbsp;households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.1% were non-families, and 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 42.4 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $48,667 and the median income for a family was $62,819. Males had a median income of $43,849 versus $30,136 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,401. About 5.4% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17053|title=Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|access-date=July 11, 2015|publisher=US Census Bureau|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213013809/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17053|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Communities==
[[Image:Map of Ford County Illinois.png|thumb|right|200px|Map of Ford County]]

===Cities===
* [[Gibson City, Illinois|Gibson City]]
* [[Paxton, Illinois|Paxton]]

===Villages===
{{div col}}
* [[Cabery, Illinois|Cabery]]
* [[Elliott, Illinois|Elliott]]
* [[Kempton, Illinois|Kempton]]
* [[Melvin, Illinois|Melvin]]
* [[Piper City, Illinois|Piper City]]
* [[Roberts, Illinois|Roberts]]
* [[Sibley, Illinois|Sibley]]
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated communities===
* [[Clarence, Illinois|Clarence]]
* [[Guthrie, Illinois|Guthrie]]
* [[Patton Township, Ford County, Illinois#Geography|Perdueville]]
* [[Stelle, Illinois|Stelle]]

===Extinct settlements===
* [[Patton Township, Ford County, Illinois#Geography|Ten Mile Grove]]

===Townships===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Brenton Township, Ford County, Illinois|Brenton]]
* [[Button Township, Ford County, Illinois|Button]]
* [[Dix Township, Ford County, Illinois|Dix]]
* [[Drummer Township, Ford County, Illinois|Drummer]]
* [[Lyman Township, Ford County, Illinois|Lyman]]
* [[Mona Township, Ford County, Illinois|Mona]]
* [[Patton Township, Ford County, Illinois|Patton]]
* [[Peach Orchard Township, Ford County, Illinois|Peach Orchard]]
* [[Pella Township, Ford County, Illinois|Pella]]
* [[Rogers Township, Ford County, Illinois|Rogers]]
* [[Sullivant Township, Ford County, Illinois|Sullivant]]
* [[Wall Township, Ford County, Illinois|Wall]]
{{div col end}}

==Politics==
Ford County is one of the state's most consistently Republican counties; since its 1859 organization it has voted for Republican presidential candidates in all but two elections. In 1912, the GOP was divided and [[Progressive Party (United States, 1912)|Progressive]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]] carried the county over the more conservative official nominee [[William Howard Taft]]; in 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] in the first of his four campaigns became and has remained the only Democrat to carry Ford County. Since 1968 no Democratic presidential candidate has topped 36% of the county's vote, and since the county first formed only three Democrats – all in landslide national victories – have managed 40% of Ford County's votes.

After the [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party's]] success in the 1998 election for Ford County Sheriff and other countywide offices, it achieved ''established party status''. At the time this made Ford County the only county in Illinois with three established parties. Due to its second place showing over the then-dormant Democratic Party in that election, the Libertarians received the minority party's seat on the Board of Review and one of the five seats on the Sheriff's Merit Commission.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stahly|first=Jim|title=Libertarians Make History in Ford County|date=June 3, 1999|newspaper=[[The Pantagraph]]|page=A1|via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref> This status was lost by 2002 after the Libertarian Party failed to field any candidates in the 2002 general election.<ref>{{cite news|last=<!--none given-->|first=<!--none given-->|title=Election 2002|date=November 7, 2002|newspaper=[[The Pantagraph]]|page=A1|via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref>

President [[Gerald Ford]] visited Ford County on October 24, 1974, to mark the retirement of Congressman [[Leslie C. Arends]] of [[Melvin, Illinois|Melvin]] who served in Congress for 40 years, including over 30 years as Republican [[Minority Whip]].<ref>[http://www.paxtonil.com/fordco.html Welcome to Paxton] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212171741/http://www.paxtonil.com/fordco.html|date=December 12, 2010}}, accessed February 15, 2011.</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Ford County, Illinois|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=November 1, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|4,778|1,643|154|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|5,048|1,754|165|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|4,480|1,414|502|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|4,229|1,656|139|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|4,079|2,227|94|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|4,511|1,912|56|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|3,889|2,090|174|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|3,077|2,065|628|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|3,046|2,175|1,260|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|4,059|2,026|60|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|4,871|1,763|29|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|5,024|1,803|387|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|4,801|2,690|62|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|5,656|1,934|1|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|5,233|2,216|555|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|4,650|3,427|0|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|5,779|2,698|1|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|6,027|2,152|3|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|6,216|2,121|8|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|4,903|2,079|33|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|5,317|2,270|18|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|5,770|3,062|30|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|4,524|3,715|171|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|3,342|4,175|99|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|4,668|2,098|27|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|4,672|1,093|859|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|4,995|958|109|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|4,670|2,054|319|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|832|1,035|1,841|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|2,617|1,164|209|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|2,836|926|220|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|2,936|1,469|121|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|2,832|1,507|67|Illinois}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Republican|2,227|1,359|227|Illinois}}

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Illinois#Ford County|National Register of Historic Places listings in Ford County, Illinois]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070310144543/http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/irad/edgar.html United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles]
* [http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/ United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081205020547/http://www.nationalatlas.gov/ United States National Atlas]

==External links==
* [http://genealogytrails.com/ill/ford/History-Ford-County.htm History of Ford County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913185252/http://genealogytrails.com/ill/ford/History-Ford-County.htm |date=September 13, 2016 }} - Information from ''Centurama Celebrating The First 100 Years of Ford County, Illinois 1859-1959''

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Ford County, Illinois
|North     = [[Kankakee County, Illinois|Kankakee County]]
|East      = [[Iroquois County, Illinois|Iroquois County]]
|Southeast = [[Vermilion County, Illinois|Vermilion County]]
|South     = [[Champaign County, Illinois|Champaign County]]
|Southwest = [[McLean County, Illinois|McLean County]]
|West      = [[Livingston County, Illinois|Livingston County]]
}}

{{Ford County, Illinois}}
{{Illinois}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|40.59|-88.22|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-IL_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Ford County, Illinois| ]]
[[Category:Illinois counties]]
[[Category:1859 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1859]]