Editing Fulton County, Illinois

{{Short description|County in Illinois, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Fulton, Illinois}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
| county           = Fulton County
| state            = Illinois
| ex image         = Courthouse columns at Oak Hill Cemetery.jpg
| ex image cap     = The old courthouse columns at [[Oak Hill Cemetery (Lewistown, Illinois)|Oak Hill Cemetery]]
| founded          = 1823
| seat wl          = Lewistown
| largest city wl  = Canton
| area_total_sq_mi = 883
| area_land_sq_mi  = 866
| area_water_sq_mi = 17
| area percentage  = 1.9
| population_as_of = 2020
| population_total = 33609 
| pop_est_as_of    = 2023
| population_est   = 32451 {{loss}}
| population_density_sq_mi = 39
| time zone        = Central
| web              = www.fultonco.org
| district         = 15th
| district2        = 17th
| named for        = [[Robert Fulton]]
}}

'''Fulton County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Illinois]]. According to the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], it had a population of 33,609.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fulton County, Illinois|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Fulton_County,_Illinois?g=050XX00US17057|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=June 8, 2023}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Lewistown, Illinois|Lewistown]],<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/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|archive-date=May 31, 2011}}</ref> and the largest city is [[Canton, Illinois|Canton]]. Fulton County comprises the Canton, IL [[Micropolitan Statistical Area]], which is part of the [[Peoria, Illinois|Peoria]]-Canton, IL [[Peoria, Illinois metropolitan area|Combined Statistical Area]].

==History==
Fulton County was organized in 1823 from [[Pike County, Illinois|Pike County]].  It is named for [[Robert Fulton]], developer of the first commercially successful steamboat.<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|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n132 133]}}</ref> American poet and writer [[Edgar Lee Masters]] lived in Fulton County during the 1890s; he later became famous for the [[Spoon River Anthology]], written in 1915.  Fulton County was home to [[Camp Ellis]] during [[World War II]].

The county is known for the annual [[Spoon River]] Scenic Drive, which occurs the first 2 weekends in October. This has been a tradition since 1968 and attracts thousands of participants from all over the country.

Fulton County is home to the [[Ogden-Fettie Site]], a significant site for [[Havana Hopewell culture|Havana Hopewell Native culture]]. It is the largest collection of [[Mound|Woodland Mounds]] in Illinois, with 35 Mounds, dating from 400 BC, arranged in a crescent.

<gallery>
File:Fulton County Illinois 1823.png|Fulton County between 1823 and 1825, including unorganized territory temporarily attached.<ref>White, Jesse.  ''Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties.'' State of Illinois, March 2010.  {{cite web|url=http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/ipub15.pdf|title=Archived copy|access-date=26 September 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806214135/http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/ipub15.pdf|archive-date=6 August 2012}}</ref>
File:Fulton County Illinois 1825.png|Fulton County, reduced to its current size in 1825, its unorganized territory formed into new counties.
</gallery>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|US Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|883|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|866|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|17|sqmi}} (1.9%) is water.<ref name=CD/>

Fulton County is the site of [[Dickson Mounds]] Museum, a state museum of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] daily life in the [[Illinois River]] valley.

===Climate and weather===
{{climate chart
|[[Lewistown, Illinois]]
|14|32|1.85
|19|38|1.94
|30|50|3.02
|40|63|3.45
|51|74|4.43
|60|84|3.81
|64|88|3.87
|61|86|3.45
|52|80|3.21
|41|68|2.86
|30|51|3.26
|19|37|2.63
|float=right
|units=imperial
|clear=both
|source=The Weather Channel<ref name=WX>{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0664|title=Monthly Averages for Lewistown IL|access-date=January 27, 2011|publisher=The Weather Channel|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023151736/http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0664|archive-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref>}}
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Lewistown have ranged from a low of {{convert|14|°F}} in January to a high of {{convert|88|°F}} in July, although a record low of {{convert|-30|°F}} was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of {{convert|106|°F}} was recorded in July 1983. Average monthly precipitation ranged from {{convert|1.85|in}} in January to {{convert|4.43|in}} in May.<ref name=WX/>

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Warren County, Illinois|Warren County]] - northwest
* [[Knox County, Illinois|Knox County]] - north
* [[Peoria County, Illinois|Peoria County]] - northeast
* [[Tazewell County, Illinois|Tazewell County]] - east
* [[Mason County, Illinois|Mason County]] - south
* [[Schuyler County, Illinois|Schuyler County]] - southwest
* [[McDonough County, Illinois|McDonough County]] - west
{{div col end}}

===National protected area===
* [[Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge]]

==Transportation==
===Major highways===
{{div col}}
* [[Image:US 24.svg|25px]] [[US Route 24]]
* [[Image:US 136.svg|25px]] [[US Route 136]]
* [[Image:Illinois 9.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 9]]
* [[Image:Illinois 41.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 41]]
* [[Image:Illinois 78.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 78]]
* [[Image:Illinois 95.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 95]]
* [[Image:Illinois 97.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 97]]
* [[Image:Illinois 100.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 100]]
* [[Image:Illinois 116.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 116]]
{{div col end}}

===Airport===
The county contains one public-use airport: [[Ingersoll Airport]] (CTK), located in Canton.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tollfreeairline.com/illinois/fulton.htm|title=Fulton County Public and Private Airports|website=www.tollfreeairline.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018194922/http://www.tollfreeairline.com/illinois/fulton.htm|archive-date=October 18, 2011}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1830= 1841
|1840= 13142
|1850= 22508
|1860= 33338
|1870= 38291
|1880= 41240
|1890= 43110
|1900= 46201
|1910= 49549
|1920= 48163
|1930= 43983
|1940= 44627
|1950= 43716
|1960= 41954
|1970= 41890
|1980= 43687
|1990= 38080
|2000= 38250
|2010= 37069
|2020= 33609
|estyear=2023
|estimate=32541
|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|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|archive-date=August 11, 2012}}</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=US Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424084443/http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/il190090.txt|archive-date=April 24, 2014}}</ref><br/>1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218203824/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|archive-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref> 2010<ref name=QF>{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17057.html|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606163021/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17057.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref>
}}
{{Stack|[[Image:USA Fulton County, Illinois age pyramid.svg|thumb|left|2000 census age pyramid for Fulton County]]}}

As of the [[2010 United States Census]], there were 37,069&nbsp;people, 14,536&nbsp;households, and 9,744&nbsp;families residing in the county.<ref name=DP1>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17057|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/20200213022730/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17057|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> The population density was {{convert|42.8|PD/sqmi}}. There were 16,195 housing units at an average density of {{convert|18.7|/sqmi}}.<ref name=CD>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17057|access-date=July 11, 2015|title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County|publisher=US Census Bureau|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212202751/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17057|archive-date=February 12, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 93.4% white, 3.4% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.4% of the population.<ref name=DP1/> In terms of ancestry, 23.7% were [[Germans|German]], 19.1% were [[Americans|American]], 14.0% were [[English people|English]], and 13.2% were [[Irish people|Irish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17057|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/20200213024314/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17057|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Of the 14,536&nbsp;households, 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.0% were non-families, and 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 41.9 years.<ref name=DP1/>

The median income for a household in the county was $41,268 and the median income for a family was $50,596. Males had a median income of $41,376 versus $28,596 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,309. About 9.9% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17057|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/20200213032134/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17057|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Communities==
===Cities===
* [[Canton, Illinois|Canton]]
* [[Cuba, Illinois|Cuba]]
* [[Farmington, Illinois|Farmington]]
* [[Lewistown, Illinois|Lewistown]] (seat)

===Town===
* [[Astoria, Illinois|Astoria]]

===Villages===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Avon, Illinois|Avon]]
* [[Banner, Illinois|Banner]]
* [[Bryant, Illinois|Bryant]]
* [[Dunfermline, Illinois|Dunfermline]]
* [[Ellisville, Illinois|Ellisville]]
* [[Fairview, Illinois|Fairview]]
* [[Ipava, Illinois|Ipava]]
* [[Liverpool, Illinois|Liverpool]]
* [[London Mills, Illinois|London Mills]]
* [[Marietta, Illinois|Marietta]]
* [[Norris, Illinois|Norris]]
* [[Smithfield, Illinois|Smithfield]]
* [[St. David, Illinois|St. David]]
* [[Table Grove, Illinois|Table Grove]]
* [[Vermont, Illinois|Vermont]]
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Babylon, Illinois|Babylon]]
* [[Beaty, Illinois|Beaty]]
* [[Bernadotte, Illinois|Bernadotte]]
* [[Blyton, Illinois|Blyton]]
* [[Breeds, Illinois|Breeds]]
* [[Brereton, Illinois|Brereton]]
* [[Checkrow, Illinois|Checkrow]]
* [[Depler Springs, Illinois|Depler Springs]]
* [[Duncan Mills, Illinois|Duncan Mills]]
* [[Enion, Illinois|Enion]]
* [[Fiatt, Illinois|Fiatt]]
* [[Gilchrist, Fulton County, Illinois|Gilchrist]]
* [[Leesburg, Illinois|Leesburg]]
* [[Little America, Illinois|Little America]]
* [[Manley, Illinois|Manley]]
* [[Maples Mill, Illinois|Maples Mill]]
* [[Marbletown, Illinois|Marbletown]]
* [[Middlegrove, Illinois|Middlegrove]]
* [[Monterey, Illinois|Monterey]]
* [[Poverty Ridge, Illinois|Poverty Ridge]]
* [[Rawalts, Illinois|Rawalts]]
* [[Sepo, Illinois|Sepo]]
* [[Seville, Illinois|Seville]]
* [[Summum, Illinois|Summum]]
{{div col end}}

===Townships===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Astoria Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Astoria]]
* [[Banner Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Banner]]
* [[Bernadotte Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Bernadotte]]
* [[Buckheart Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Buckheart]]
* [[Canton Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Canton]]
* [[Cass Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Cass]]
* [[Deerfield Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Deerfield]]
* [[Ellisville Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Ellisville]]
* [[Fairview Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Fairview]]
* [[Farmers Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Farmers]]
* [[Farmington Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Farmington]]
* [[Harris Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Harris]]
* [[Isabel Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Isabel]]
* [[Joshua Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Joshua]]
* [[Kerton Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Kerton]]
* [[Lee Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Lee]]
* [[Lewistown Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Lewistown]]
* [[Liverpool Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Liverpool]]
* [[Orion Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Orion]]
* [[Pleasant Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Pleasant]]
* [[Putman Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Putman]]
* [[Union Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Union]]
* [[Vermont Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Vermont]]
* [[Waterford Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Waterford]]
* [[Woodland Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Woodland]]
* [[Young Hickory Township, Fulton County, Illinois|Young Hickory]]

===Bases===

* [[Camp Ellis]]
{{div col end}}

==Politics==
In its early years, Fulton County favored the Democratic Party, being one of the northernmost Democratic counties and the nearest to [[Yankee]], then solidly Republican [[Northern Illinois]]. It was never won by a Republican until the Democratic Party moved towards [[Populist Party (United States)|the Populist Party]]’s policies under [[William Jennings Bryan]], a change which resulted in the county voting Republican except in landslide victories between 1896 and 1960. In that period, [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] in 1932 and 1936 was the solitary Democratic presidential candidate to gain a majority of the county’s vote.

However, the 1964 election saw the county trend Democratic – so much so that [[Hubert Humphrey]] gained a narrow plurality in his 1968 election loss. Despite not going Democratic again until 1988, the party would always remain competitive in the county, and between 1988 and 2012 every Democratic presidential candidate gained a majority in Fulton County. However, concern over economic decline in the “[[Rust Belt]]” saw Donald Trump produce a dramatic swing in the 2016 election, winning Fulton County by fifteen percentage points and gaining the best GOP record in the county since 1980. In 2020, Trump improved his margin significantly, the best Republican performance in the county since Nixon in 1972. In 2024, Trump improved the Republican strength again, reaching more than 60% of the vote.

{{PresHead|place=Fulton County, Illinois|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323225526/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|archive-date=March 23, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|9,827|5,980|405|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|9,867|6,503|354|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|8,492|6,133|1,172|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|6,632|8,328|451|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|6,251|9,732|386|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|7,818|9,080|137|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|6,936|8,940|401|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|5,155|8,857|1,694|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|5,062|9,725|2,914|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|6,999|9,046|63|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|9,147|9,131|99|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|10,316|7,481|1,160|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|9,588|9,314|188|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|12,328|7,529|92|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|9,582|9,622|1,305|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|7,785|13,030|0|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|11,999|10,194|58|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|12,375|8,702|48|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|13,302|8,414|44|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|9,504|8,226|203|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|11,117|8,946|166|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|12,816|12,198|214|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|10,130|12,864|428|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|7,579|12,144|888|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|10,600|6,591|489|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|8,664|5,011|4,246|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|9,523|5,293|1,256|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|9,735|8,686|1,650|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|3,334|3,902|4,965|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|6,077|4,906|1,042|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|6,373|3,791|1,082|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|6,130|5,762|329|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|6,195|5,979|129|Illinois}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Democratic|4,948|5,253|621|Illinois}}

==In popular culture==
The fictional town of Lanford, Illinois in the sitcom ''[[Roseanne]]'' is set in Fulton County.

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

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
;Specific
{{Reflist|30em}}

;General
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070310144543/http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/irad/edgar.html US Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles]
* [http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/ US Board on Geographic Names (GNIS)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081205020547/http://www.nationalatlas.gov/ US National Atlas]

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071020170023/http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/irad/fulton.html Illinois State Archives]
* [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/il/state2/fulton_co_cemetery_list.htm Illinois Saving Graves: Fulton Co.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529055044/http://www.usgennet.org/usa/il/state2/fulton_co_cemetery_list.htm |date=May 29, 2023 }}

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Fulton County, Illinois
|North     = [[Knox County, Illinois|Knox County]]
|Northeast = [[Peoria County, Illinois|Peoria County]]
|East      = [[Tazewell County, Illinois|Tazewell County]]
|South     = [[Mason County, Illinois|Mason County]]
|Southwest = [[Schuyler County, Illinois|Schuyler County]]
|West      = [[McDonough County, Illinois|McDonough County]]
|Northwest = [[Warren County, Illinois|Warren County]]
}}

{{Fulton County, Illinois}}
{{Illinois}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|40.48|-90.21|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-IL_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Fulton County, Illinois| ]]
[[Category:Illinois counties]]
[[Category:1823 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Peoria metropolitan area, Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1823]]