Randolph County, Illinois

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 30,163.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Chester.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref>

Owing to its role in the state's history, the county motto is "Where Illinois Began." It contains the historically important village of Kaskaskia, Illinois's first capital.

The county is part of Southern Illinois in the southern portion of the state known locally as "Little Egypt", and includes fertile river flats, part of the American Bottom; it is near the Greater St. Louis area.

History

Randolph County was organized in 1795 out of a part of St. Clair County. It was named in honor of Edmund Randolph, Governor of Virginia. George Rogers Clark of the army of Virginia captured the area from the British on July 4, 1778, near the end of the Revolutionary War. The area then became the seat, for several years, of Illinois County, Virginia, although the Congress of the Confederation legislated the existence of the Northwest Territory on July 13, 1787. Edmund Randolph was Governor of Virginia at the time Virginia ceded the Northwest Territory to the United States. In 1809, when Illinois became a separate territory, Territorial Secretary Nathaniel Pope, in his capacity as acting governor, issued a proclamation establishing Randolph as one of the Illinois' two original counties. The county's boundaries were last changed in 1827, when land was taken to form Perry County.

The Mississippi River has played a prominent role in the county's history, altering its boundaries in 1881 when it severed the isthmus that connected Kaskaskia to the Illinois mainland, destroying the original village of Kaskaskia and forcing its historic cemetery to be relocated across the river to Fort Kaskaskia. Crains Island,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> southeast of Chester, is another enclave of Illinois west of the Mississippi that was created by a change in the river's course.

Randolph County as it was re-established in 1809. This diagonal border line had been drawn by the Indiana Territorial government in 1803.<ref>White, Jesse. Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties. State of Illinois, March 2010. [1]</ref>

Randolph County as it was re-established in 1809. This diagonal border line had been drawn by the Indiana Territorial government in 1803.<ref>White, Jesse. Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties. State of Illinois, March 2010. [1]</ref>
Randolph County between 1812 and 1813

Randolph County between 1812 and 1813
Randolph County between 1813 and 1816

Randolph County between 1813 and 1816
Randolph County between 1816 and 1827

Randolph County between 1816 and 1827
Randolph County in 1827, reduced to its current borders

Randolph County in 1827, reduced to its current borders

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 (3.6%) is water.<ref name="census-density"/>

The Kaskaskia River flows into the Mississippi River in Randolph County. At this point the Mississippi, which usually defines the border between Illinois and Missouri, is entirely in Illinois. The Mississippi changed its course in the late-nineteenth century, leaving Kaskaskia, the former state capital, on the west side of the river. The boundary of the State, however, follows the old course of the river, leaving Illinois with an exclave on the western shore of the Mississippi River. A smaller enclave, Crains Island, is a few miles further down the river.

Climate and weather

Template:Climate chart In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Chester 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 January 1985 and a record high of Template:Convert was recorded in July 2012. Average monthly precipitation ranged from Template:Convert in January to Template:Convert in May.<ref name="weather"/>

Major highways

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Adjacent counties

Monroe County (northwest)
St. Clair County (north)
Washington County (northeast)
Perry County (east)
Jackson County (southeast)
Perry County, Missouri (south)
Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri (southwest)

Randolph County is among the few counties in the United States to border two counties with the same name (Perry County in Missouri and Illinois).

Demographics

Template:US Census population

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 33,476 people, 12,314 households, and 8,188 families residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 13,707 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 87.6% white, 9.7% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.6% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 40.3% were German, 11.3% were Irish, 9.4% were English, and 5.7% were American.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 12,314 households, 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.5% were non-families, and 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 41.0 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $45,020 and the median income for a family was $55,113. Males had a median income of $43,359 versus $28,376 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,950. About 7.0% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Government and infrastructure

The Illinois Department of Corrections Menard Correctional Center is located in Chester.<ref>"Menard Correctional Center." Illinois Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 1, 2010.</ref><ref>"Chester city, Illinois Template:Webarchive." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on September 1, 2010.</ref> Prior to the January 11, 2003, commutation of death row sentences, male death row inmates were housed in Menard, Tamms, and Pontiac correctional centers. After that date, only Pontiac continued to host the male death row.<ref>"DOC Report Online." Illinois Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 1, 2010.</ref>

Politics

Media

There are two AM radio stations licensed in the county — WHCO 1230AM in Sparta and KSGM 980AM in Chester.

Weekly newspapers in the county are The Randolph County Herald Tribune located in Chester, The County Journal, which is based in Percy and also covers Perry and Jackson Counties, the North County News in Red Bud, and the Sparta News-Plaindealer.

The area is also served by the on-line newspaper based in Chester which is SunTimesNews.com

Communities

Cities

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Geographic Location

Template:Randolph County, Illinois Template:Southern-Illinois Template:Illinois Template:Authority control Template:Coord