Editing Greene County, Illinois

{{Short description|County in Illinois, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
| county           = Greene County
| state            = Illinois
| ex image         = File:Image Greene County Courthouse.jpg
| ex image cap     = Greene County Courthouse
| founded          = 1821
| seat wl          = Carrollton
| largest city wl  = Carrollton 
| area_total_sq_mi = 546
| area_land_sq_mi  = 543
| area_water_sq_mi = 3.3
| area percentage  = 0.6
| population_as_of = 2020
| population_total = 11843
| pop_est_as_of    = 2023
| population_est   = 11543 {{loss}}
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| time zone        = Central
| district         = 15th
| named for        = [[Nathanael Greene]]
}}
'''Greene County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Illinois]]. According to the [[2020 United States census]], it has a population of 11,843.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/greenecountyillinois/PST045221 | title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Greene County, Illinois }}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Carrollton, Illinois|Carrollton]].<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>

A notable [[archaeological]] area, the [[Koster Site]], has produced evidence of more than 7,000 years of human habitation. Artifacts from the site are displayed at the [[Center for American Archeology]] in [[Kampsville, Illinois]].

==History==
Greene County is named in honor of General [[Nathanael Greene]], a hero of the [[American Revolutionary War]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA143|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|publisher=Govt. Print. Off.|author=Gannett, Henry|year=1905|page=143}}</ref> In 1821, three years after Illinois became a state, Greene County was established, being carved out of what was previously Madison county and St. Clair county before that. Over the course of the next 18 years four more counties were formed out of what was once Greene Country. These include Scott, Morgan, Macoupin and Jersey counties. This left Greene county with approximately 546 square miles of land located in western-central Illinois near the Illinois River, which was an important resource that provided both a means for travel and to ship goods. Like much of southern Illinois the earliest settlers in the county came from Southern states such as North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. By the time of the Civil War, 1860, the population of Greene County had grown to 16,093 and 10% of the adult population had been born in the Northeast, 15% were foreign born, 25% were born in Southern states, and almost 50% had been born in the Midwest. Of the population born in the Midwest many could still trace their roots to the South, with almost 80% of them having parents born in a Southern state.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/987445234|title=Greene County, Illinois : history & families|others=Francis, Charles A., Greene County Historical Society (Ill.).|year=2016|isbn=978-1-942613-43-5|location=Morley, Missouri|oclc=987445234}}</ref>
<gallery>
File:Greene County Illinois 1821.png|Greene County from its creation in 1821 to 1823, including unorganized territory temporarily attached to it.<ref>White, Jesse.  ''Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties.'' State of Illinois, March 2010.  [http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/ipub15.pdf]</ref>
File:Greene County Illinois 1823.png|Greene County between 1823 and 1825
File:Greene County Illinois 1825.png|Greene between 1825 and 1829
File:Greene County Illinois 1829.png|Greene between 1829 and 1839
File:Greene County Illinois 1839.png|Greene in 1839 after the creation of Jersey County reduced Greene to its current size
</gallery>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|US Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|546|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|543|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|3.3|sqmi}} (0.6%) is water.<ref name=CD/>

===Climate and weather===
{{climate chart
|[[Carrollton, Illinois]]
|16|34|1.60
|20|40|1.75
|30|52|3.28
|42|64|3.55
|52|74|4.34
|61|83|3.56
|65|87|3.37
|63|85|2.84
|54|78|2.96
|43|67|2.62
|32|52|3.25
|21|39|2.57
|float=right
|units=imperial
|clear=both
|source=The Weather Channel<ref name=WX>{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0194|title=Monthly Averages for Carrollton, Illinois|access-date=January 27, 2011|publisher=The Weather Channel}}</ref>}}
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Carrollton have ranged from a low of {{convert|16|°F}} in January to a high of {{convert|87|°F}} in July, although a record low of {{convert|-26|°F}} was recorded in January 1912 and a record high of {{convert|113|°F}} was recorded in July 1934.  Average monthly precipitation ranged from {{convert|1.60|in}} in January to {{convert|4.34|in}} in May.<ref name=WX/>

===Major highways===
{{div col}}
* [[Image:US 67.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 67]]
* [[Image:Illinois 16.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 16]]                                                                                                       
* [[Image:Illinois 100.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 100]]                                                                                                     
* [[Image:Illinois 106.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 106]]                                                                                                     
* [[Image:Illinois 108.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 108]]
* [[Image:Illinois 267.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 267]]
{{div col end}}

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Scott County, Illinois|Scott County]] - north
* [[Morgan County, Illinois|Morgan County]] - north
* [[Macoupin County, Illinois|Macoupin County]] - east
* [[Jersey County, Illinois|Jersey County]] - south
* [[Calhoun County, Illinois|Calhoun County]] - southwest
* [[Pike County, Illinois|Pike County]] - northwest
{{div col end}}

===National protected area===
* [[Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge]] (part: Apple Creek Division)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1830= 7674
|1840= 11951
|1850= 12429
|1860= 16093
|1870= 20277
|1880= 23010
|1890= 23791
|1900= 23402
|1910= 22363
|1920= 22883
|1930= 20417
|1940= 20292
|1950= 18852
|1960= 17460
|1970= 17014
|1980= 16661
|1990= 15317
|2000= 14761
|2010= 13886
|2020= 11985
|estyear=2023
|estimate=11543
|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=US 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> 2010–2013<ref name=QF>{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17061.html|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606163109/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17061.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref>
}}
{{Stack|[[Image:USA Greene County, Illinois age pyramid.svg|thumb|left|2000 census age pyramid for Greene County]]}}

As of the [[2010 United States Census]], there were 13,886&nbsp;people, 5,570&nbsp;households, and 3,777&nbsp;families living in the county.<ref name=DP>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17061|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/20200213014920/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17061|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> The population density was {{convert|25.6|PD/sqmi}}. There were 6,389 housing units at an average density of {{convert|11.8|/sqmi}}.<ref name=CD>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17061|access-date=July 11, 2015|title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County|publisher=US Census Bureau|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212203934/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17061|archive-date=February 12, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 97.9% white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population.<ref name=DP/> In terms of ancestry, 30.7% were [[German American|German]], 14.7% were [[Irish American|Irish]], 13.3% were [[English American|English]], and 12.1% were [[Americans|American]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17061|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/20200213024606/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17061|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Of the 5,570&nbsp;households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 41.6 years.<ref name=DP/>

The median income for a household in the county was $41,450 and the median income for a family was $52,049. Males had a median income of $38,185 versus $27,231 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,107. About 11.8% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17061|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/20200213024600/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17061|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Communities==
===Cities===
{{div col}}
* [[Carrollton, Illinois|Carrollton]]
* [[Greenfield, Illinois|Greenfield]]
* [[Roodhouse, Illinois|Roodhouse]]
* [[White Hall, Illinois|White Hall]]
{{div col end}}

===Villages===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Eldred, Illinois|Eldred]]
* [[Hillview, Illinois|Hillview]]
* [[Kane, Illinois|Kane]]
* [[Rockbridge, Illinois|Rockbridge]]
* [[Wilmington, Greene County, Illinois|Wilmington]]
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* Athensville
* [[Barrow, Illinois|Barrow]]
* [[Belltown, Illinois|Belltown]]
* Boyle
* [[Drake, Illinois|Drake]]
* Fayette
* Woody
* [[Wrights, Illinois|Wrights]]
{{div col end}}

===Townships===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Athensville Township, Greene County, Illinois|Athensville]]
* [[Bluffdale Township, Greene County, Illinois|Bluffdale]]
* [[Carrollton Township, Greene County, Illinois|Carrollton]]
* [[Kane Township, Greene County, Illinois|Kane]]
* [[Linder Township, Greene County, Illinois|Linder]]
* [[Patterson Township, Greene County, Illinois|Patterson]]
* [[Rockbridge Township, Greene County, Illinois|Rockbridge]]
* [[Roodhouse Township, Greene County, Illinois|Roodhouse]]
* [[Rubicon Township, Greene County, Illinois|Rubicon]]
* [[Walkerville Township, Greene County, Illinois|Walkerville]]
* [[White Hall Township, Greene County, Illinois|White Hall]]
* [[Woodville Township, Greene County, Illinois|Woodville]]
* [[Wrights Township, Greene County, Illinois|Wrights]]
{{div col end}}

===Population ranking===
The population ranking of the following table is based on the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] of Greene County.

'''†''' ''county seat''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Rank
!Place
!Municipal type
!Population (2020 Census)

|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 1
|'''†''' '''[[Carrollton, Illinois|Carrollton]]''' 
| City
| 2,485
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 2
|'''[[White Hall, Illinois|White Hall]]'''
| City
| 2,295
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 3
|'''[[Roodhouse, Illinois|Roodhouse]]''' 
| City
| 1,578
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 4
|'''[[Greenfield, Illinois|Greenfield]]''' 
| City
| 1,059
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 5
|'''[[Kane, Illinois|Kane]]''' 
| Village
| 296
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 6
|'''[[Rockbridge, Illinois|Rockbridge]]''' 
| Village
| 175
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 7
|'''[[Eldred, Illinois|Eldred]]''' 
| Village
| 149
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 8
|'''[[Hillview, Illinois|Hillview]]''' 
| Village
| 94
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 9
|'''[[Wilmington, Greene County, Illinois|Wilmington (Patterson)]]''' 
| Village
| 91
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
|}

==Politics==
Greene County was reliably Democratic from the beginning through 1948; only one Republican Party nominee carried the county vote during that period. Since then it has usually voted for the Republican presidential nominee (14 of 18 elections).

As one of the most northerly [[Southern United States|“southern”]] counties in Illinois, Greene County was rock-ribbed Democratic for the seventy years after [[American Civil War|the Civil War]], which it opposed as a “[[Yankee]]” war. Not until considerable anti-Catholic sentiment against [[Al Smith]] turned many voters to [[Herbert Hoover]] did the county support a Republican presidential nominee. However, with the coming of [[World War II]], opposition to American involvement led to gains for [[Wendell Willkie]] and [[Thomas E. Dewey]], although apart from the 1960 election – also influenced by Catholicism – Greene was a [[bellwether]] county throughout the period from 1928 to 2004.

[[Hillary Clinton]]’s 2016 tally of 21.68 percent of the county’s vote is 14.3 percent worse than any Democratic presidential candidate before 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vote Total Search Election Results|url=https://www.elections.il.gov/electionoperations/votetotalsearch.aspx|access-date=November 17, 2020|website=www.elections.il.gov|archive-date=November 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118144557/https://www.elections.il.gov/electionoperations/votetotalsearch.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>
As of February 2025, the county is one of 7 that voted to join the state of Indiana.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wsj.com/opinion/illinois-counties-secession-vote-indiana-j-b-pritzker-todd-huston-5a93d624 | title=Opinion &#124; Secession from Illinois is in the Air }}</ref>

===Election results===
{{PresHead|place=Greene County, Illinois|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|4,719|1,220|136|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|4,770|1,349|118|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|4,145|1,205|235|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|3,451|2,023|163|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|3,053|2,619|154|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|3,559|2,457|52|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|3,129|2,490|148|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|2,245|2,734|955|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|2,391|3,164|1,477|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|3,136|3,020|47|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|4,057|2,563|35|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|4,224|2,607|289|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|3,706|4,057|64|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|4,673|2,824|24|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|3,944|3,094|670|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,128|4,781|0|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|4,487|3,847|10|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|4,718|3,909|19|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|5,019|4,106|7|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|3,639|4,035|53|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|4,261|4,268|45|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|4,840|6,015|70|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|3,916|6,510|118|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|2,857|6,347|131|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|4,299|4,076|46|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|3,527|4,648|703|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|3,685|3,776|222|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|3,400|6,150|0|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|831|2,801|1,244|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|2,004|3,159|226|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|1,959|2,649|272|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|2,131|3,785|81|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|2,365|3,983|65|Illinois}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Democratic|1,967|3,146|481|Illinois}}

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

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

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Stillwell |first=Leander |year=1917 |title=The Story of a Common Soldier of Army Life in the Civil War |url=https://archive.org/details/storyofcommonsol00stil_0 |edition=1st |location=Erie, Kansas |publisher=Press of the Erie Record |pages=11–17 |chapter=Chapter I. The Beginning of the War.&mdash;Life at Camp Carrollton, January and February, 1862 |lccn=17029817 |oclc=1085327623 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Greene County, Illinois
|North     = [[Scott County, Illinois|Scott County]] and [[Morgan County, Illinois|Morgan County]]
|East      = [[Macoupin County, Illinois|Macoupin County]]
|South     = [[Jersey County, Illinois|Jersey County]]
|Southwest = [[Calhoun County, Illinois|Calhoun County]]
|Northwest = [[Pike County, Illinois|Pike County]]
}}
{{Greene County, Illinois}}
{{Illinois}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|39.35|-90.39|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-IL_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Greene County, Illinois| ]]
[[Category:Illinois counties]]
[[Category:1821 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1821]]