Editing Knox County, Illinois

{{Short description|County in Illinois, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county          = Knox County
 | state              = Illinois
 | seal                 = 
 | founded              = 1825
 | seat wl           = Galesburg
 | largest city wl   = Galesburg
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 720
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 716
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 3.4
 | area percentage      = 0.5
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 49967
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 48411 {{loss}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | web                  = https://co.knox.il.us/
 | ex image             = Knox County Courthouse (Illinois) 1981.jpg
 | ex image cap         = [[Knox County Courthouse (Galesburg, Illinois)|Knox County Courthouse]]
 | district             = 17th
 | time zone           = Central
 | named for    = [[Henry Knox]]
 | leader_title         = Board Chairman
 | leader_name          = Jared Hawkinson }}

'''Knox 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 49,967.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17095.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 6, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606171825/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17095.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Galesburg, Illinois|Galesburg]].<ref name="GR6">{{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> Knox County comprises the Galesburg, IL [[Galesburg micropolitan area|Micropolitan Statistical Area]].

==History==
Knox County was named in honor of [[Henry Knox]], the first [[United States Secretary of War|US Secretary of War]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|Government Printing Office]] | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n176 177]}}</ref>

The first "Knox County" in what today is Illinois was unrelated to the modern incarnation. In 1790, the land of the Indiana Territory that was to become Illinois was divided into two counties: [[St. Clair County, Illinois|St. Clair]] and Knox. The latter included land in what was to become [[Indiana]]. When [[Knox County, Indiana|Knox County]], [[Indiana]], was formed from this portion of the county in 1809, the Illinois portions were subdivided into counties that were given other names.

The modern Knox County, Illinois, was organized in 1825, from [[Fulton County, Illinois|Fulton County]], itself a portion of the original St. Clair County.

Like its neighbor to the south, Fulton County, for its Spoon River Drive, Knox County is also known for a similar scenic drive fall festival the first two weekends in October, the Knox County Drive.

<gallery>
File:Knox County Illinois 1825.png|Knox County between its creation in 1825 and 1831
File:Knox County Illinois 1831.png|Knox County between 1831 and 1839
File:Knox County Illinois 1839.png|Knox County in 1839, when it was reduced slightly to its current size
</gallery>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|720|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|716|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|3.4|sqmi}} (0.5%) is water.<ref name="census-density"/>

===Climate and weather===
{{climate chart
|[[Galesburg, Illinois]]
|13|29|1.41
|19|35|1.55
|29|48|2.84
|40|61|3.81
|51|73|3.97
|61|81|4.18
|65|85|4.37
|63|82|4.07
|55|75|3.50
|43|63|2.52
|31|47|2.72
|19|33|2.28
|float=right
|units=imperial
|clear=both
|source=The Weather Channel<ref name="weather">{{cite web
  |url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0439
  |title=Monthly Averages for Galesburg, Illinois
  |access-date=January 27, 2011
  |publisher=The Weather Channel
}}</ref>}}
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Galesburg have ranged from a low of {{convert|13|°F}} in January to a high of {{convert|85|°F}} in July, although a record low of {{convert|-25|°F}} was recorded in January 1982 and a record high of {{convert|102|°F}} was recorded in July 1983. Average monthly precipitation ranged from {{convert|1.41|in}} in January to {{convert|4.37|in}} in July.<ref name="weather"/>

===Public Transit===
* [[Galesburg station]]
* [[Burlington Trailways]]
* [[Galesburg Transit]]
* [[List of intercity bus stops in Illinois]]

===Major highways===
{{div col}}
* [[Image:I-74.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 74]]
* [[Image:US 34.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 34]]
* [[Image:US 150.svg|24px]] [[U.S. Highway 150]]
* [[Image:Illinois 8.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 8]]
* [[Image:Illinois 17.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 17]]
* [[Image:Illinois 41.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 41]]
* [[Image:Illinois 78.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 78]]
* [[Image:Illinois 97.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 97]]
* [[Image:Illinois 116.svg|24px]] [[Illinois Route 116]]
* [[Image:Illinois 164.svg|24px]] [[Illinois Route 164]]
* [[Image:Illinois 167.svg|24px]] [[Illinois Route 167]]
* [[Image:Illinois 180.svg|24px]] [[Illinois Route 180]]
{{div col end}}

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Mercer County, Illinois|Mercer County]] - northwest
* [[Henry County, Illinois|Henry County]] - north
* [[Stark County, Illinois|Stark County]] - east
* [[Peoria County, Illinois|Peoria County]] - southeast
* [[Fulton County, Illinois|Fulton County]] - south
* [[Warren County, Illinois|Warren County]] - west

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1830= 274
|1840= 7060
|1850= 13279
|1860= 28663
|1870= 39522
|1880= 38344
|1890= 38752
|1900= 43612
|1910= 46159
|1920= 46727
|1930= 51336
|1940= 52250
|1950= 54366
|1960= 61280
|1970= 61280
|1980= 61607
|1990= 56393
|2000= 55836
|2010= 52919
|2020= 49967
|estyear=2023
|estimate=48411
|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=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 6, 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 6, 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 6, 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=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 6, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2013<ref name="QF"/>
}}
{{Stack|[[Image:USA Knox County, Illinois age pyramid.svg|thumb|left|2000 census age pyramid for Knox County]]}}

As of the [[2010 United States census]], there were 52,919&nbsp;people, 21,535&nbsp;households, and 13,324&nbsp;families residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17095
  |title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data
  |access-date=July 12, 2015
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213015002/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17095
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref> The population density was {{convert|73.9|PD/sqmi}}. There were 24,077 housing units at an average density of {{convert|33.6|/sqmi}}.<ref name="census-density">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17095
  |access-date=July 12, 2015
  |title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212202328/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17095
  |archive-date=February 12, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 87.5% white, 7.2% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.9% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.8% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 23.1% were [[Germans|German]], 14.9% were [[Irish people|Irish]], 11.7% were [[English people|English]], 11.6% were [[Swedes|Swedish]], and 8.0% were [[Americans|American]].<ref name="census-dp2">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17095
  |title=DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
  |access-date=July 12, 2015
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213035127/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17095
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

Of the 21,535&nbsp;households, 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.1% were non-families, and 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age was 42.0 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $39,545 and the median income for a family was $51,740. Males had a median income of $42,067 versus $25,380 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,908. About 10.9% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17095
  |title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
  |access-date=July 12, 2015
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213022639/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17095
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

==Communities==
===Cities===
* [[Abingdon, Illinois|Abingdon]]
* [[Galesburg, Illinois|Galesburg]]
* [[Knoxville, Illinois|Knoxville]]
* [[Oneida, Illinois|Oneida]]

===Villages===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Altona, Illinois|Altona]]
* [[East Galesburg, Illinois|East Galesburg]]
* [[Henderson, Illinois|Henderson]]
* [[London Mills, Illinois|London Mills]] (mostly in [[Fulton County, Illinois|Fulton County]])
* [[Maquon, Illinois|Maquon]]
* [[Rio, Illinois|Rio]]
* [[St. Augustine, Illinois|St. Augustine]]
* [[Victoria, Illinois|Victoria]]
* [[Wataga, Illinois|Wataga]]
* [[Williamsfield, Illinois|Williamsfield]]
* [[Yates City, Illinois|Yates City]]
{{div col end}}

===Census-designated places===
* [[Gilson, Illinois|Gilson]]
* [[Oak Run, Illinois|Oak Run]]

===Other unincorporated communities===
{{div col}}
* [[Appleton, Illinois|Appleton]]
* [[Centerville, Knox County, Illinois|Centerville]]
* [[Columbia Heights, Illinois|Columbia Heights]]
* [[Dahinda, Illinois|Dahinda]]
* [[Delong, Illinois|Delong]]
* [[Douglas, Knox County, Illinois|Douglas]]
* [[Elba Center, Illinois|Elba Center]]
* [[Henderson Grove, Illinois|Henderson Grove]]
* [[Hermon, Illinois|Hermon]]
* [[Ontario, Illinois|Ontario]]
* [[Rapatee, Illinois|Rapatee]]
* [[Saluda, Illinois|Saluda]]
* [[Soperville, Illinois|Soperville]]
* [[Trenton Corners, Illinois|Trenton Corners]]
* [[Truro, Illinois|Truro]]
* [[Uniontown, Illinois|Uniontown]]
{{div col end}}

===Townships===
Knox County is divided into twenty-one [[Civil township|townships]]:

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Cedar Township, Knox County, Illinois|Cedar]]
* [[Chestnut Township, Knox County, Illinois|Chestnut]]
* [[Copley Township, Knox County, Illinois|Copley]]
* [[Elba Township, Knox County, Illinois|Elba]]
* [[Galesburg Township, Knox County, Illinois|Galesburg]]
* [[Galesburg City Township, Knox County, Illinois|Galesburg City]]
* [[Haw Creek Township, Knox County, Illinois|Haw Creek]]
* [[Henderson Township, Knox County, Illinois|Henderson]]
* [[Indian Point Township, Knox County, Illinois|Indian Point]]
* [[Knox Township, Knox County, Illinois|Knox]]
* [[Lynn Township, Knox County, Illinois|Lynn]]
* [[Maquon Township, Knox County, Illinois|Maquon]]
* [[Ontario Township, Knox County, Illinois|Ontario]]
* [[Orange Township, Knox County, Illinois|Orange]]
* [[Persifer Township, Knox County, Illinois|Persifer]]
* [[Rio Township, Knox County, Illinois|Rio]]
* [[Salem Township, Knox County, Illinois|Salem]]
* [[Sparta Township, Knox County, Illinois|Sparta]]
* [[Truro Township, Knox County, Illinois|Truro]]
* [[Victoria Township, Knox County, Illinois|Victoria]]
* [[Walnut Grove Township, Knox County, Illinois|Walnut Grove]]
{{div col end}}

==Politics==
Knox County's political history is typical of [[Yankee]]-settled Northern Illinois. It leaned [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] during its early elections – although giving a plurality to [[Franklin Pierce]] in 1852 – and become powerfully Republican following that party's formation. Although Knox did support [[Progressive Party (United States, 1912)|Progressive]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]] against conservative incumbent President [[William Howard Taft]] in 1912, it was [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]’s 1932 landslide before Knox County again gave the Democratic Party so much as a plurality, and it did not give a Democratic absolute majority until [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] gained such against the anti-Yankee, Southern-leaning [[Barry Goldwater]] in 1964.

Since then, Knox County gradually trended Democratic for the following four decades, so that [[Michael Dukakis]] in his losing 1988 campaign was able to carry the county by the same margin as Johnson had done in 1964. During the 1990s and 2000s, Knox was a solidly Democratic county, voting Democratic by at least nine percentage points in every election from 1992 to 2012. The 2016 election, in the shadow of high unemployment in the “[[Rust Belt]]” saw a swing of over twenty percentage points to [[Donald Trump]], who became the first Republican victor in the county since [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1984.

{{PresHead|place=Knox County, Illinois|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|11,917|9,838|540|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|12,009|10,703|496|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|10,737|10,083|1,683|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|9,408|13,451|497|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|9,419|14,191|488|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|11,111|13,403|194|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|9,912|12,572|690|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|7,822|12,487|2,239|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|8,331|12,524|4,441|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|10,842|12,752|106|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|14,974|12,027|121|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|14,907|8,749|2,542|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|14,123|11,525|319|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|17,315|9,333|118|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|14,216|9,707|2,473|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|12,850|15,000|0|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|17,938|11,889|23|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|18,656|9,558|37|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|18,569|10,354|17|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|15,016|9,772|164|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|15,964|10,070|126|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|17,459|12,597|168|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|14,712|13,697|715|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|12,244|12,282|392|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|16,151|5,993|186|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|12,968|2,617|4,095|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|12,559|2,852|1,594|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|10,918|6,785|860|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|1,750|2,758|5,959|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|7,084|3,277|737|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|7,566|1,849|832|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|7,810|3,299|440|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|7,681|3,480|236|Illinois}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Republican|5,800|3,073|715|Illinois}}

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

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

==Further reading==
* Charles C. Chapman and Co., [https://archive.org/details/historyofknoxcou00chas ''History of Knox County, Illinois: Together with Sketches of the Cities, Villages and Townships; Record of its Volunteers in the Late War; Educational, Religious, Civil and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographical Sketches of the Subscribers; History of Illinois, Abstracts of the State Laws, Etc., Etc., Etc.''] Chicago: Blakely, Brown and Marsh, Printers, 1878.
* Fred R. Jelliff, [https://archive.org/details/annalsofknoxcoun00knox ''Annals of Knox County: Commemorating Centennial of Admission of Illinois as State of the Union in 1818.''] Galesburg, IL: Republican Register Printing, 1918.
* [https://archive.org/details/portraitbiograph00biograp ''Portrait and Biographical Album of Knox County, Illinois, Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, Together with Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Illinois, and of the Presidents of the United States: Also Containing a History of the County from Its Earliest Settlement Up to the Present Time.''] Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company, 1886.

==External links==
* [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/il/county/knox/ "Foxie's Knox Co., IL AHGP"]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Knox County, Illinois
|North     = [[Henry County, Illinois|Henry County]]
|Northeast =
|East      = [[Stark County, Illinois|Stark County]]
|Southeast = [[Peoria County, Illinois|Peoria County]]
|South     = [[Fulton County, Illinois|Fulton County]]
|Southwest =
|West      = [[Warren County, Illinois|Warren County]]
|Northwest = [[Mercer County, Illinois|Mercer County]]
}}

{{Knox County, Illinois}}
{{Illinois}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|40.93|-90.21|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-IL_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Knox County, Illinois| ]]
[[Category:Illinois counties]]
[[Category:1825 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1825]]
[[Category:Galesburg, Illinois micropolitan area]]