Editing Grayville, Illinois

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Grayville
| official_name = 
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name = 
| settlement_type = [[List of cities in Illinois|City]]
| image_skyline = William W. Gray House.jpg
| imagesize = 
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = The William W. Gray House, a local landmark
| image_flag = 
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| etymology = 
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| image_map = File:Edwards County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Grayville Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 
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| map_caption = Location of Grayville in Edwards County, Illinois.
| image_map1 = Illinois in United States (US48).svg
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| map_caption1 = Location of Illinois in the United States
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| coordinates = {{coord|38|15|33|N|87|59|48|W|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
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| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Illinois
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = [[Edwards County, Illinois|Edwards]], [[White County, Illinois|White]]
| subdivision_type3 = Township
| subdivision_name3 = 
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| established_title = Founded
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| leader_title = Mayor
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| leader_title1 = mayor
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| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_17.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 15, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 5.62
| area_total_sq_mi = 2.17
| area_land_km2 = 5.51
| area_land_sq_mi = 2.13
| area_water_km2 = 0.11
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.04
| area_water_percent = 
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| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft = 423
| elevation_point = 
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 1550
| pop_est_as_of = 
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| population_rank = 
| population_density_km2 = 281.34
| population_density_sq_mi = 728.73
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| timezone1 = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1 = -6
| timezone1_DST = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = -5
| timezone2 = 
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| postal_code_type = [[ZIP code|ZIP Code(s)]]
| postal_code = 62844
| postal2_code_type = 
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| area_code = [[Area code 618|618]]
| geocode = 
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| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info = 17-31165
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| blank1_name_sec2 = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] ID
| blank1_info_sec2 = 2394970<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2394970}}</ref>
| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = Grayville, Illinois
| website = https://grayville-il.gov/
| footnotes = 
}}
'''Grayville''' is a city in [[Edwards County, Illinois|Edwards]] and [[White County, Illinois|White]] counties in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Illinois]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the city's population was 1,550,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1731165 |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> down from 1,666 at the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]]. Grayville is the birthplace of naval hero [[James Meredith Helm]].

==History==
Grayville was founded in about 1810 by the head of the Gray family, James Gray.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cityofgrayville.com/new/history/|title=City Of Grayville {{!}} Grayville History|website=cityofgrayville.com|access-date=2016-04-25|archive-date=April 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426172127/http://cityofgrayville.com/new/history/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The city became popular for its oil. Many people came to drill for oil. In the 1950s the population began to drop. Unlike other Illinois oil towns, Grayville still tends to thrive.

==Geography==
Grayville is located at {{coord|38|15|33|N|87|59|48|W|type:city}} (38.259146, -87.996678).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Grayville has a total area of {{convert|2.17|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|2.13|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 98.02%) is land and {{convert|0.04|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 1.98%) is water.<ref name="gaz2021">{{Cite web |publisher=United States Census Bureau |title=Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Census.gov}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{Weather box   <!-- Infobox begins -->
| single line = Y
| location    = Grayville, Illinois (1991–2020)
<!-- Average high temperatures -->
| Jan high F  =41.2
| Feb high F  =45.0
| Mar high F  =55.7
| Apr high F  =67.6
| May high F  =77.5
| Jun high F  =85.7
| Jul high F  =88.6
| Aug high F  =87.6
| Sep high F  =82.2
| Oct high F  =70.1
| Nov high F  =56.3
| Dec high F  =44.8
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
| Jan mean F  =32.4
| Feb mean F  =35.4
| Mar mean F  =45.3
| Apr mean F  =56.2
| May mean F  =66.3
| Jun mean F  =75.1
| Jul mean F  =78.1
| Aug mean F  =76.2
| Sep mean F  =69.8
| Oct mean F  =57.8
| Nov mean F  =46.0
| Dec mean F  =36.2
<!-- Average low temperatures -->
| Jan low F  =23.6
| Feb low F  =25.8
| Mar low F  =34.9
| Apr low F  =44.8
| May low F  =55.2
| Jun low F  =64.5
| Jul low F  =67.6
| Aug low F  =64.8
| Sep low F  =57.3
| Oct low F  =45.5
| Nov low F  =35.7
| Dec low F  =27.6
<!-- Total precipitation, this should include rain and snow. -->
| precipitation colour    =  green
| Jan precipitation inch  =3.22
| Feb precipitation inch  =3.80
| Mar precipitation inch  =4.59
| Apr precipitation inch  =4.52
| May precipitation inch  =5.75
| Jun precipitation inch  =4.46
| Jul precipitation inch  =5.28
| Aug precipitation inch  =3.64
| Sep precipitation inch  =3.72
| Oct precipitation inch  =3.90
| Nov precipitation inch  =3.35
| Dec precipitation inch  =3.77
<!-- Snowfall -->
| Jan snow inch  =2.3
| Feb snow inch  =4.6
| Mar snow inch  =0.2
| Apr snow inch  =0.0
| May snow inch  =0.0
| Jun snow inch  =0.0
| Jul snow inch  =0.0
| Aug snow inch  =0.0
| Sep snow inch  =0.0
| Oct snow inch  =0.0
| Nov snow inch  =0.0
| Dec snow inch  =4.7
<!-- Mandatory fields, source -->
| source = NOAA<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset=normals-monthly&timeframe=30&station=USC00113612 |title=NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access |publisher=NOAA |access-date=2024-04-17 }}</ref>
}}<!-- Infobox ends -->

==Roads==
In Grayville, [[Illinois Route 130]] meets [[Illinois Route 1]], and Route 1 meets [[Interstate 64]].

Grayville was built on the [[Wabash River]]. While it is no longer on any major rail line, it was home to a large rail bridge across the Wabash into [[Indiana]], but sections of that bridge collapsed in January 2005 due to a major flood<ref>[http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pah/hydro/rainfall/jan05flood.php NWS Paducah, KY<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> of the Wabash River.

In late 2005, an [[ethanol]] plant was proposed for the Grayville area, and the construction of the plant would have included rebuilding the bridge and rail lines leading to it on both the Indiana and Illinois sides of the river, but as of July 2009, neither the plant nor the bridge have been built.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofgrayville.com/news.htm |title=NEWSROOM {{!}} City of Grayville Illiniois |website=www.cityofgrayville.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613054856/http://cityofgrayville.com/news.htm |archive-date=2006-06-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sailillinois.com/ethanol.html |title=$400 Million Power Plant Construction |access-date=2009-07-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828202944/http://www.sailillinois.com/ethanol.html |archive-date=2008-08-28 }}</ref>

The largest bridge to [[Indiana]] south of [[Lawrenceville, Illinois|Lawrenceville]], and the only [[Interstate Highway System|Interstate]] link between Illinois and Indiana south of [[Terre Haute]], the I-64 river crossing runs parallel to the collapsed rail bridge, about 1000 feet upstream.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left|1880= 1533
|1890= 1999
|1900= 1948
|1910= 1940
|1920= 1749
|1930= 1904
|1940= 2240
|1950= 2461
|1960= 2280
|1970= 2035
|1980= 2313
|1990= 2043
|2000= 1725
|2010= 1666
|2020= 1550
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]<ref name=":0" /> there were 1,550 people, 680 households, and 400 families residing in the city. The population density was {{Convert|714.29|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 808 housing units at an average density of {{Convert|372.35|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 94.45% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.32% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.06% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.71% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.13% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.52% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.81% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.61% of the population.

There were 680 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.24% were married couples living together, 14.12% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.18% were non-families. 33.97% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 2.24.

The city's age distribution consisted of 22.4% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,222, and the median income for a family was $58,333. Males had a median income of $41,522 versus $22,500 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $24,233. About 14.0% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 18.0% of those age 65 or over.

==The River==

Grayville had been at the northern end of a four-mile-long [[Meander|oxbow]] bend of the main channel of the [[Wabash River]]. The river changed course after a flood in 1985, with the result being that the town is now two miles from the new river channel. [[Bonpas Creek]] trickles through a portion of the former river channel, creating continued access to water for canoes, rafts, and extremely shallow-draft small boats.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{commons category|Grayville, Illinois}}
{{Edwards County, Illinois}}
{{White County, Illinois}}{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Illinois]]
[[Category:Cities in Edwards County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Cities in White County, Illinois]]