Ford County, Illinois

Ford County, Illinois

Ford County Courthouse in Paxton
Map of Illinois highlighting Ford County
Location in the U.S. state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location in the U.S.
Founded 1859
Named for Thomas Ford
Seat Paxton
Largest city Paxton
Area
 • Total 486 sq mi (1,259 km2)
 • Land 486 sq mi (1,259 km2)
 • Water 0.6 sq mi (2 km2), 0.1%
Population
 • (2010) 14,081
 • Density 29/sq mi (11/km²)
Congressional districts 15th, 16th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.fordcountycourthouse.com

Ford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 14,081.[1] Its county seat is Paxton.[2]

Ford County is part of the Champaign–Urbana, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Ford County was formed February 17, 1859. It was the last of Illinois' 102 counties to be formed, and was created at the behest of some residents of Vermilion County, who complained to the General Assembly that they were located too far from the Iroquois County county seat. Ford County was named in honor of Thomas Ford, who served as Governor of Illinois from 1842 to 1846. It was the last county to be formed in Illinois.[3]

President Gerald Ford visited Ford County on October 24, 1974, on the occasion of the retirement of Congressman Leslie C. Arends of Melvin who served in congress for 40 years, including over 30 years as Republican Minority Whip.[4]

The Libertarian Party has performed well enough in recent elections to gain "established party" status, making it easier for Libertarian candidates to appear on the ballot. This is the only county in Illinois where this is the case.[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 486 square miles (1,260 km2), of which 486 square miles (1,260 km2) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) (0.1%) is water.[6]

Climate and weather

Paxton, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
1.7
 
 
30
14
 
 
1.4
 
 
35
19
 
 
3.2
 
 
48
29
 
 
3.4
 
 
61
39
 
 
4.4
 
 
72
50
 
 
3.5
 
 
82
59
 
 
3.8
 
 
85
62
 
 
3.3
 
 
83
60
 
 
3.2
 
 
77
53
 
 
3.3
 
 
65
41
 
 
3
 
 
49
31
 
 
3
 
 
35
20
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[7]

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Paxton have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 102 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.40 inches (36 mm) in February to 4.38 inches (111 mm) in May.[7]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

2000 census age pyramid for Ford County
Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18601,979—
18709,103360.0%
188015,09965.9%
189017,03512.8%
190018,3597.8%
191017,096−6.9%
192016,466−3.7%
193015,489−5.9%
194015,007−3.1%
195015,9016.0%
196016,6064.4%
197016,382−1.3%
198015,265−6.8%
199014,275−6.5%
200014,241−0.2%
201014,081−1.1%
Est. 201513,736[8]−2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2013[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 14,081 people, 5,676 households, and 3,798 families residing in the county.[13] The population density was 29.0 inhabitants per square mile (11.2/km2). There were 6,282 housing units at an average density of 12.9 per square mile (5.0/km2).[6] The racial makeup of the county was 97.1% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.1% of the population.[13] In terms of ancestry, 35.7% were German, 15.5% were Irish, 13.6% were American, and 10.4% were English.[14]

Of the 5,676 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.1% were non-families, and 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 42.4 years.[13]

The median income for a household in the county was $48,667 and the median income for a family was $62,819. Males had a median income of $43,849 versus $30,136 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,401. About 5.4% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.[15]

Communities

Map of Ford County

Cities

Villages

Unincorporated community

Townships

Ford County is divided into twelve townships:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 128.
  4. ↑ Welcome to Paxton, accessed February 15, 2011.
  5. ↑ Archived news story from 1999
  6. 1 2 "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
  7. 1 2 "Monthly Averages for Paxton, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  8. ↑ "County Totals Dataset: Population, Population Change and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
  14. ↑ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
  15. ↑ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
 Kankakee County
Livingston County Iroquois County
   Ford County, Illinois  
McLean County Champaign County Vermilion County

Coordinates: 40°35′N 88°13′W / 40.59°N 88.22°W / 40.59; -88.22

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