Sangamon County, Illinois

Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the center of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 196,343. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield, the state capital.
Sangamon County is included in the Springfield, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Sangamon County was formed in 1821 out of Madison and Bond counties. The county was named for the Sangamon River, which runs through it. The origin of the name of the river is unknown; among several explanations is the theory that it comes from the Pottawatomie word Sain-guee-mon (pronounced "sang gä mun"), meaning "where there is plenty to eat." Published histories of neighboring Menard County (formed from Sangamon County) suggest that the name was first given to the river by the French explorers of the late 17th century as they passed through the region. The river was named to honor "St. Gamo", or Saint Gamo, an 8th-century French Benedictine monk. The French pronunciation "San-Gamo" is the legacy.
Prior to being elected President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln represented Sangamon County in the Illinois Legislature. Lincoln, along with several other legislators, was instrumental in securing Springfield, the Sangamon County seat, as the state's capital. Sangamon County was also within the congressional district represented by Lincoln when he served in the US House of Representatives. Another legislator who represented Sangamon County was Colonel Edmund Dick Taylor, also known as "Father of the Greenback". The prominent financiers and industrialists Jacob Bunn and John Whitfield Bunn were based in Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, as well as in Chicago, during the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The careers of these men and the people with whom they collaborated helped to shape much of the history and development of Sangamon County, Illinois.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.0%) is water.
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Springfield have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in February 1905 and a record high of was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May.
Major highways
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 Business Loop
Interstate 72
U.S. Route 36
Illinois Route 4
Illinois Route 29
Illinois Route 54
Illinois Route 97
Illinois Route 104
Illinois Route 124
Illinois Route 123
Illinois Route 125
Transit
Sangamon Mass Transit District
Springfield station
List of intercity bus stops in Illinois
Adjacent counties
Menard County – north
Logan County – northeast
Macon County – east
Christian County – southeast
Montgomery County – south
Macoupin County – south
Morgan County – west
Cass County – northwest
National protected areas
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
State protected areas
Sangchris Lake State Recreation Area
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 197,465 people, 82,986 households, and 51,376 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 89,901 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 83.6% white, 11.8% black or African American, 1.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.4% were German, 14.8% were Irish, 12.1% were English, 9.5% were American, and 6.3% were Italian.
Of the 82,986 households, 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.1% were non-families, and 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 39.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $52,232 and the median income for a family was $66,917. Males had a median income of $48,324 versus $36,691 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,394. About 9.9% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Sangamon County is governed by a 29-member board. Each member of the board is elected from a separate district.
Other elected officials include:
Politics
Like much of Central Illinois, Sangamon County tilts Republican. It is rather conservative for a county with an urban state capital, but is not nearly as conservative as the surrounding counties. Only six Democrats have carried it since 1896. It is slowly moving towards the Democratic camp, having shifted 8.7 points to the left since 2000 (as of 2020).
Communities
Cities
Auburn
Leland Grove
Springfield (county seat and largest municipality)
Virden
Villages
Berlin
Buffalo
Cantrall
Chatham
Clear Lake
Curran
Dawson
Divernon
Grandview
Illiopolis
Jerome
Loami
Mechanicsburg
New Berlin
Pawnee
Pleasant Plains
Riverton
Rochester
Sherman
Southern View
Spaulding
Thayer
Williamsville
Unincorporated communities
Andrew
Archer
Barclay
Barr
Bates
Berry
Bissell
Bradfordton
Breckenridge
Buckhart
Buffalo Hart
Cimic
Clayville
Farmingdale
Glenarm
Island Grove
Lowder
New City
Riddle Hill
Salisbury
Toronto
Zenobia
Townships
Sangamon County is divided into these townships:
Auburn
Ball
Buffalo Hart
Capital
Cartwright
Chatham
Clear Lake
Cooper
Cotton Hill
Curran
Divernon
Fancy Creek
Gardner
Illiopolis
Island Grove
Lanesville
Loami
Maxwell
Mechanicsburg
New Berlin
Pawnee
Rochester
Salisbury (former, now defunct)
Springfield
Talkington
Williams
Woodside
Education
Here is a listing of school districts (all are full K–12) with any territory in this county, no matter how small, even if the administrative headquarters and/or schools are in other counties:
A-C Central Community Unit School District 262
Community Unit School District 16
Athens Community Unit School District 213
Auburn Community Unit School District 10
Ball-Chatham Community Unit School District 5
Edinburg Community Unit School District 4
Mount Pulaski Community Unit District 23
North Mac Community Unit School District 34
Pawnee Community Unit School District 11
Porta Community Unit School District 202
Pleasant Plains Community Unit School District 8
Riverton Community Unit School District 14
Rochester Community Unit School District 3A
Sangamon Valley Community Unit School District 9
Springfield School District 186
Tri-City Community Unit School District 1
Waverly Community Unit School District 6
Williamsville Community Unit School District 15
Forts
Camp Butler
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Sangamon County, Illinois
References
External links
County of Sangamon
Illinois counties
Illinois placenames of Native American origin
1821 establishments in Illinois
Populated places established in 1821
Springfield metropolitan area, Illinois