Editing Henry County, Illinois

{{Short description|County in Illinois, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Henry, Illinois|McHenry County, Illinois}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
| county           = Henry County
| state            = Illinois
| seal             =
| founded          = January 13, 1825
| seat wl          = Cambridge
| largest city wl  = Kewanee
| area_total_sq_mi = 826
| area_land_sq_mi  = 823
| area_water_sq_mi = 2.7
| area percentage  = 0.3
| population_as_of = 2020
| population_total = 49284
| pop_est_as_of    = 2023
| population_est   = 48448 {{decrease}}
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| time zone        = Central
| web              = www.henrycty.com
| named for        = [[Patrick Henry]]
| ex image         = Henry County Courthouse (Cambridge, Illinois).jpg
| ex image cap     = [[Henry County Courthouse (Illinois)|Henry County Courthouse]]
| district         = 16th
| district2        = 17th }}

'''Henry County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Illinois]]. The [[2020 United States census]], listed its population at 49,284.<ref>{{cite web|title=Henry County, Illinois|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Henry_County,_Illinois?g=050XX00US17073|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=June 9, 2023}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Cambridge, Illinois|Cambridge]].<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> Henry County is included in the [[Davenport, Iowa|Davenport]]-[[Moline, Illinois|Moline]]-[[Rock Island, Illinois|Rock Island]], [[Iowa|IA]]-IL [[Quad Cities|Metropolitan Statistical Area]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/bulletins/fy2006/b06-01.pdf|title=Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses|access-date=July 21, 2006|author=United States Office of Management and Budget|author-link=United States Office of Management and Budget|pages=5, 36|format=PDF|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514003222/http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/bulletins/fy2006/b06-01.pdf|archive-date=May 14, 2006}}</ref>

==History==
Henry County was formed on January 13, 1825, out of [[Fulton County, Illinois]]. It is named for [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] figure [[Patrick Henry]].<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/n154 155]}}</ref> The county was settled by people from [[New England]] and western [[New York (state)|New York]], descendants of English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. The New England settlers founded the five towns of Andover, Wethersfield, [[Geneseo, Il|Geneseo]], Morristown and La Grange.<ref>The expansion of New England: the spread of New England settlement and institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620-1865, pp. 215-216</ref>

The settlement of Cambridge came about in 1843, when the owner of the land in that area (Rev. Ithamar Pillsbury) dedicated a section of his properties to a town council; lots were sold to incoming settlers, and construction of the town proper began on June 9, 1843. The incoming "Yankee" settlers made Henry County culturally similar to early [[New England]] culture.<ref>History Henry County, Illinois H.F. Kett & Company (1877) pp. 177-178</ref><ref>The expansion of New England: the spread of New England settlement and institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620-1865 by Louis Kimball Matthews, pp. 215-216</ref>

<gallery>
File:Henry County Illinois 1825.png|Henry County from the time of its creation to 1827
File:Henry County Illinois 1827.png|The county between 1827 and 1831
File:Henry County Illinois 1831.png|Henry between 1831 and 1836
File:Henry County Illinois 1836.png|Henry in 1836, after Whiteside County was created
</gallery>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|US Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|826|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|823|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|2.7|sqmi}} (0.3%) is water.<ref name=CD/> It is the 29th largest of Illinois' 102 counties. The area is fairly flat, with [[elevation]]s ranging from 650 feet above [[sea level]] in the northwest to 850 in the southeast. About {{convert|456596|acre|sqkm}} or 86.7% of the county's land area, is used for agriculture.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050130223455/http://henrycty.com/hcedp/pdf/hc2003fs.pdf Henry County website]</ref>

===Climate and weather===
{{climate chart
|[[Cambridge, Illinois]]
|13|29|1.52
|19|35|1.58
|30|47|2.69
|40|61|3.74
|52|73|4.21
|61|82|4.20
|66|86|3.90
|63|83|4.32
|55|76|3.29
|43|63|3.01
|31|47|2.82
|19|33|2.15
|float=right
|units=imperial
|clear=both
|source=The Weather Channel<ref name=WX>{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0174|title=Monthly Averages for Cambridge IL|access-date=January 27, 2011|publisher=The Weather Channel|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023152342/http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0174|archive-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref>}}
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Cambridge have ranged from a low of {{convert|13|°F}} in January to a high of {{convert|86|°F}} in July, although a record low of {{convert|-24|°F}} was recorded in February 1996 and a record high of {{convert|103|°F}} was recorded in July 1983.  Average monthly precipitation ranged from {{convert|1.52|in}} in January to {{convert|4.32|in}} in August.<ref name=WX/>

===Major highways===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Image:I-74.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 74]]
* [[Image:I-80.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 80]]
* [[Image:I-280.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 280 (Illinois–Iowa)|Interstate 280]]
* [[Image:US 6.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 6]]
* [[Image:US 34.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 34]]
* [[Image:US 150.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 150]]
* [[Image:Illinois 17.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 17]]
* [[Image:Illinois 78.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 78]]
* [[Image:Illinois 81.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 81]]
* [[Image:Illinois 82.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 82]]
* [[Image:Illinois 84.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 84]]
* [[Image:Illinois 91.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 91]]
* [[Image:Illinois 92.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 92]]
{{div col end}}

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Rock Island County, Illinois|Rock Island County]] - northwest
* [[Whiteside County, Illinois|Whiteside County]] - northeast
* [[Bureau County, Illinois|Bureau County]] - east
* [[Stark County, Illinois|Stark County]] - southeast
* [[Knox County, Illinois|Knox County]] - south
* [[Mercer County, Illinois|Mercer County]] - west
{{div col end}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1830= 41
|1840= 1260
|1850= 3807
|1860= 20660
|1870= 35506
|1880= 36597
|1890= 33338
|1900= 40049
|1910= 41736
|1920= 45162
|1930= 43851
|1940= 43798
|1950= 46492
|1960= 49317
|1970= 53217
|1980= 57968
|1990= 51159
|2000= 51020
|2010= 50486
|2020= 49284
|estyear=2023
|estimate=48448
|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/17/17073.html|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606133215/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17073.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref>
}}
{{Stack|[[Image:USA Henry County, Illinois age pyramid.svg|thumb|left|2000 census age pyramid for Henry County]]}}

As of the [[2010 United States Census]], there were 50,486&nbsp;people, 20,373&nbsp;households, and 14,149&nbsp;families residing in the county.<ref name=DP1>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17073|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/20200213015506/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17073|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> The population density was {{convert|61.3|PD/sqmi}}. There were 22,161 housing units at an average density of {{convert|26.9|/sqmi}}.<ref name=CD>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17073|access-date=July 11, 2015|title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County|publisher=US Census Bureau|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212203049/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17073|archive-date=February 12, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 94.8% white, 1.6% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.6% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.8% of the population.<ref name=DP1/> In terms of ancestry, 30.0% were [[Germans|German]], 14.6% were [[Irish people|Irish]], 12.3% were [[Swedes|Swedish]], 11.5% were [[English people|English]], and 7.2% were [[Americans|American]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17073|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/20200213032443/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17073|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Of the 20,373&nbsp;households, 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.6% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 41.8 years.<ref name=DP1/>

The median income for a household in the county was $49,164 and the median income for a family was $61,467. Males had a median income of $44,589 versus $30,992 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,915. About 6.8% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17073|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/20200213021009/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17073|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Communities==
===Cities===
{{div col}}
* [[Colona, Illinois|Colona]]
* [[Galva, Illinois|Galva]]
* [[Geneseo, Illinois|Geneseo]]
* [[Kewanee, Illinois|Kewanee]]
{{div col end}}

===Towns===
* [[Annawan, Illinois|Annawan]]
* [[Atkinson, Illinois|Atkinson]]

===Villages===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Alpha, Illinois|Alpha]]
* [[Andover, Illinois|Andover]]
* [[Bishop Hill, Illinois|Bishop Hill]]
* [[Cambridge, Illinois|Cambridge]]
* [[Cleveland, Illinois|Cleveland]]
* [[Coal Valley, Illinois|Coal Valley]] (partial)
* [[Hooppole, Illinois|Hooppole]]
* [[Orion, Illinois|Orion]]
* [[Woodhull, Illinois|Woodhull]]
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Yorktown Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Aliceville]]
* [[Colona Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Briar Bluff]]
* [[Western Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Brook Lawn]]
* [[Dayton, Henry County, Illinois|Dayton]]
* [[Burns Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|German Corner]]
* [[Green River, Illinois|Green River]]
* [[Green Rock, Illinois|Green Rock]]
* [[Hanna Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Hickory Hills]]
* [[Colona Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Level Acres]]
* [[Lynn Center, Illinois|Lynn Center]]
* [[Osco Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Morristown]]
* [[Nekoma, Illinois|Nekoma]]
* [[Opheim, Illinois|Opheim]]
* [[Osco, Illinois|Osco]]
* [[Phenix Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Shady Beach]]
* [[Western Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Sunny Hill]]
* [[Western Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Sunny Hill Estates]]
* [[Colona Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Timber Ridge]]
* [[Cambridge Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Ulah]]
* [[Western Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Warner]]
* [[Hanna Township, Henry County, Illinois#Unincorporated towns|Woodcrest]]
{{div col end}}

===Former communities===
* [[Alba Township, Henry County, Illinois#Extinct towns|Kedron]]
* [[Oxford Township, Henry County, Illinois#Extinct towns|Oxford]]
* [[Wethersfield Township, Henry County, Illinois#Extinct towns|Saxon]]

===Townships===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Alba Township, Henry County, Illinois|Alba]]
* [[Andover Township, Henry County, Illinois|Andover]]
* [[Annawan Township, Henry County, Illinois|Annawan]]
* [[Atkinson Township, Henry County, Illinois|Atkinson]]
* [[Burns Township, Henry County, Illinois|Burns]]
* [[Cambridge Township, Henry County, Illinois|Cambridge]]
* [[Clover Township, Henry County, Illinois|Clover]]
* [[Colona Township, Henry County, Illinois|Colona]]
* [[Cornwall Township, Henry County, Illinois|Cornwall]]
* [[Edford Township, Henry County, Illinois|Edford]]
* [[Galva Township, Henry County, Illinois|Galva]]
* [[Geneseo Township, Henry County, Illinois|Geneseo]]
* [[Hanna Township, Henry County, Illinois|Hanna]]
* [[Kewanee Township, Henry County, Illinois|Kewanee]]
* [[Loraine Township, Henry County, Illinois|Loraine]]
* [[Lynn Township, Henry County, Illinois|Lynn]]
* [[Munson Township, Henry County, Illinois|Munson]]
* [[Osco Township, Henry County, Illinois|Osco]]
* [[Oxford Township, Henry County, Illinois|Oxford]]
* [[Phenix Township, Henry County, Illinois|Phenix]]
* [[Weller Township, Henry County, Illinois|Weller]]
* [[Western Township, Henry County, Illinois|Western]]
* [[Wethersfield Township, Henry County, Illinois|Wethersfield]]
* [[Yorktown Township, Henry County, Illinois|Yorktown]]
{{div col end}}

==Politics==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2021}}
Henry County's political history is fairly typical of many [[Yankee]]-settled rural counties in Illinois. After being largely Democratic in its first few elections, the county turned powerfully Republican for the 110 years following the formation of that party. The only time it did not vote Republican between 1856 and 1960 was in 1912 when the GOP was mortally divided and [[Progressive Party (United States, 1912)|Progressive]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]] won a majority of the county's ballots. In 1964, when the Republican Party nominated the Southern-oriented [[Barry Goldwater]], Henry County voted Democratic for the first time since 1852, but as was typical for Yankee counties it returned to the Republicans with the selection of the more moderate [[Richard Nixon]].

In the 1980s, the transition of the Republican Party into a party largely based around [[Southern United States|Southern]] Evangelicals severely alienated its historic Yankee base: Henry County turned to Democrat [[Michael Dukakis]] in 1988, and voted Democratic in every election between 1988 and 2012 except that of 2004 when [[George W. Bush]] carried the county by 5.1 percent. However, concern with unemployment and trade deals in the “[[Rust Belt]]” resulted in a powerful swing to Republican [[Donald Trump]] in 2016 – the worst Democratic result in the county since [[Jimmy Carter]] in 1980. In 2020, Trump built on his win in 2016, capturing 60% of the vote - the highest Republican percentage in 40 years.

{{PresHead|place=Henry County, Illinois|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=May 1, 2018|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|15,359|9,226|596|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|15,300|9,797|604|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|13,985|8,871|1,787|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|11,583|12,332|490|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|11,263|13,181|405|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|13,212|11,877|152|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|10,896|11,921|653|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|8,393|11,201|2,303|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|8,989|11,077|4,305|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|11,358|11,594|96|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|14,504|10,679|79|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|14,506|7,977|1,723|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|12,849|9,822|263|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|14,796|8,368|21|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|12,524|8,455|1,752|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|10,644|12,085|0|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|14,297|10,372|21|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|15,896|8,349|39|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|16,301|8,558|33|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|12,363|8,489|159|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|13,539|9,130|92|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|14,971|10,481|196|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|11,953|11,490|651|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1932|Republican|11,376|10,122|701|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|14,666|5,858|183|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|13,159|1,944|3,076|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|12,379|2,530|768|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|11,406|5,220|808|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|1,859|2,219|5,085|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|6,387|2,499|1,011|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|7,331|1,390|1,117|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|6,892|2,809|354|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|6,177|2,971|207|Illinois}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Republican|4,265|2,670|705|Illinois}}

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

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

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.henrycty.com/}}
* {{GNIS|424238|Henry County, Illinois}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20041110043656/http://www.visithenrycounty.com/index.php Henry County Tourism Bureau]}}
* [http://www.illinoisancestors.org/henry/index.htm Illinois Ancestors Henry County]
* [http://www.historichenrycounty.com/index.php Henry County Historical Society]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Henry County, Illinois
|Northeast = [[Whiteside County, Illinois|Whiteside County]]
|East      = [[Bureau County, Illinois|Bureau County]]
|Southeast = [[Stark County, Illinois|Stark County]]
|South     = [[Knox County, Illinois|Knox County]]
|West      = [[Mercer County, Illinois|Mercer County]]
|Northwest = [[Rock Island County, Illinois|Rock Island County]]
}}
{{Henry County, Illinois}}
{{Quad Cities}}
{{Illinois}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|41|21|11|N|90|07|53|W|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-IL_source:GNIS}}

[[Category:Henry County, Illinois| ]]
[[Category:1825 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Illinois counties]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1825]]
[[Category:Quad Cities]]