Washington County, Illinois

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Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 13,761.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Nashville.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known locally as "Little Egypt".

History

Washington County was formed on January 2, 1818, out of St. Clair County. It was named for George Washington. Despite its relative proximity to the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, the county is not considered part of the St. Louis metropolitan area, also known as the Metro-East. In 1813, the Lively Massacre occurred near Little Crooked Creek. In 1959, the state established the Washington County State Recreation Area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Washington County was initially settled by immigrants from Kentucky who moved northward out of that state in the early 1800s. In the late 1800s there were (relatively) large numbers of immigrants who settled in Washington County, and by the early 1900s there were large numbers of first-generation immigrants still living in Washington County. They primarily came from the four countries of Germany, Poland, Ireland and England.<ref>History of Washington County, Illinois: With Illustrations Descriptive of Its Scenery, and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers by McDonough</ref>

Washington County from its 1818 creation to 1824

Washington County from its 1818 creation to 1824
Washington County in 1824, reduced to its current borders by the creation of Clinton County

Washington County in 1824, reduced to its current borders by the creation of Clinton County

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.2%) is water.<ref name="census-density"/> There are many lakes, rivers, streams, and creeks in this area, including the Kaskaskia River, which is the county's northern border.

Climate and weather

Template:Climate chart In recent years, average temperatures in Nashville have ranged from a low of Template:Convert in January to a high of Template:Convert in July, although a record low of Template:Convert was recorded in December 1989 and a record high of Template:Convert was recorded in July 1980. Average monthly precipitation ranged from Template:Convert in January to Template:Convert in May.<ref name="weather">Template:Cite web</ref> On November 17, 2013, an EF4 tornado swept through the area, destroying homes and causing two fatalities.

Demographics

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As of the 2010 United States census, there were 14,716 people, 5,926 households, and 4,112 families residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 6,534 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 97.7% white, 0.7% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 53.6% were German, 14.0% were Polish, 13.1% were Irish, 7.7% were English, and 6.1% were American.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 5,926 households, 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.6% were non-families, and 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 42.3 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $51,440 and the median income for a family was $64,171. Males had a median income of $44,272 versus $30,683 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,846. About 5.5% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

The county is served by six school districts:<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Dead link</ref>

Oakdale CCSD 1
West Washington County CUD 10
Irvington CCSD 11
Ashley CCSD 15
Nashville CCSD 49
Nashville Community High School District 99

Communities

Cities

Villages

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Unincorporated communities

Townships

Washington County is divided into these townships: Template:Div col

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Politics

Media

WNSV in Nashville is the only radio station in the county.

The two weekly newspapers in the county are The Nashville News, located in Nashville, and The Okawville Times, which is based in Okawville.

References

Specific

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General

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External links

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