Crawford County, Illinois

Crawford County, Illinois
Crawford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,679. Its county seat is Robinson.
History
Crawford County was formed in the Illinois Territory on December 31, 1816, out of Edwards County. At the time of its formation, it encompassed about one third of the territory, but it was reduced to its present borders by 1831 as it spawned new counties. It was named in honor of William H. Crawford, from Georgia, who was serving as Secretary of War and Secretary of the Treasury at the time. Crawford County was home to several battles between the settlers and Indians, and also the location of the only woman ever hanged in Illinois.
In 1818, the town of Palestine was designated as the county seat. After elections in 1843, a new site was chosen, which would become the town of Robinson.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water. Some of the county's eastern border is defined by the Wabash River.
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Robinson have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in December 1989 and a record high of was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May.
Adjacent counties
Clark County - north
Sullivan County, Indiana - east
Knox County, Indiana - southeast
Lawrence County - south
Richland County - southwest
Jasper County - west
Transit
Rides Mass Transit District
Major highways
Illinois Route 1
Illinois Route 33
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 19,817 people, 7,763 households, and 5,154 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 8,661 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 92.8% white, 4.7% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.8% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.0% were German, 14.4% were American, 12.4% were Irish, and 9.9% were English.
Of the 7,763 households, 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.6% were non-families, and 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 41.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,434 and the median income for a family was $51,218. Males had a median income of $40,050 versus $30,870 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,545. About 11.1% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
Robinson (seat)
Villages
Flat Rock
Hutsonville
Oblong
Palestine
Stoy
Census-designated places
Annapolis
West York
Townships
Crawford County is divided into ten townships:
Honey Creek
Hutsonville
Lamotte
Licking
Martin
Montgomery
Oblong
Prairie
Robinson
Southwest
Unincorporated Communities
Bellair
Dogwood
Duncanville
Gordon
Green Brier
Hardinville
Heathsville
Kibbie
Landes
Morea
New Hebron
Oil Center
Oil Grove
Pierceburg
Port Jackson
Porterville
Richwoods
Riddleville
Trimble
Villas
Politics
Although Crawford County was solidly Democratic before the Populist-backed candidacy of William Jennings Bryan in 1896, it has since become strongly Republican. The last Democrat to gain a majority in the county was Lyndon Johnson in his 1964 landslide, although Bill Clinton won a plurality in 1992. Like all the rural Upland South, Crawford County has shown dramatic swings against the Democratic Party in recent elections, with Hillary Clinton’s 22.8 percent in 2016 the worst performance ever by a Democrat.
See also
Fort Lamotte
National Register of Historic Places listings in Crawford County, Illinois
Sources
Perrin, William Henry, ed.. History of Crawford and Clark Counties, Illinois Chicago, Illinois. O. L. Baskin & Co. (1883).
References
Specific
General
United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles
United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS)
United States National Atlas
External links
Crawford County, Illinois History and Genealogy
Illinois counties
1816 establishments in Illinois Territory
Populated places established in 1816
Pre-statehood history of Illinois