Saline County, Illinois

Saline County is a county in Southern Illinois. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 23,768.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> The largest city and county seat is Harrisburg.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> This area of Southern Illinois is known locally as "Little Egypt".

Three major towns in Saline County are connected by U.S. Route 45, and formerly by the now-abandoned Cairo and Vincennes/Big Four/New York Central Line, from north to south: Eldorado, Harrisburg, and Carrier Mills.

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 (1.8%) is water.<ref name="census-density"/>

The Saline County area is mostly rolling hills throughout gradually rising to the Hills of the Shawnee National Forest. The Saline River flows through the central point of the county in three forks: North, Middle, and South. To the north of Eldorado there are flat lowlands.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Climate and weather

Template:Climate chart In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Harrisburg 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 February 1951 and a record high of Template:Convert was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from Template:Convert in September to Template:Convert in May.<ref name="weather"/>

Adjacent counties

• Hamilton County (north)
• White County (northeast)
• Gallatin County (east)
• Hardin County (southeast)
• Pope County (south)
• Johnson County (southwest)
• Williamson County (west)
• Franklin County (northwest)

National protected area

• Shawnee National Forest (part)

State protected areas

• Sahara Woods State Fish and Wildlife Area
• Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area

Transportation

Transit

• Rides Mass Transit District

Major highways

• File:US 45.svg U.S. Highway 45
• File:Illinois 13.svg Illinois Route 13
• File:Illinois 34.svg Illinois Route 34
• File:Illinois 142.svg Illinois Route 142
• File:Illinois 145.svg Illinois Route 145

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 24,913 people, 10,379 households, and 6,631 families residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 11,697 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 93.0% white, 4.0% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 17.8% were Irish, 16.6% were German, 12.9% were American, and 11.1% were English.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 10,379 households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.1% were non-families, and 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 41.7 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $35,644 and the median income for a family was $46,314. Males had a median income of $41,108 versus $28,464 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,903. About 13.4% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Communities

Cities

• Eldorado
• Harrisburg

Villages

• Carrier Mills (Morrilsville)
• Galatia
• Muddy
• Raleigh
• Stonefort (partly in Williamson County)

Unincorporated communities

• Buena Vista
• Cottage Grove
• Delta
• Derby
• Eagle
• Harco
• Lakeview (Pond Settlement)
• Ledford
• Liberty
• Mitchellsville
• New Hope
• Pankeyville
• Rudement
• Somerset
• Texas City
• Wasson
• West End

Townships

Saline County is divided into thirteen townships:

• Brushy
• Carrier Mills
• Cottage
• East Eldorado
• Galatia
• Harrisburg
• Independence
• Long Branch
• Mountain
• Raleigh
• Rector
• Stone Fort
• Tate

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Saline County
• Ku Klux Klan in Southern Illinois

External links

• Saline County Chamber of Commerce
• Saline County Official Website (Under Development)
• "Tails and Trails of Illinois", Stu Fliege, University of Illinois Press,2002.
• "https://web.archive.org/web/20120206132243/http://www.iltrails.org/saline/towns_cities.html, © 2000-2001 by Debbie Woolard, Illinois Trails History and Genealogy.
• Gillum Ferguson. 2007. The Perilous Infancy of Saline County, Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 10, p. 49.