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Ford County, Illinois facts for kids

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Ford County
Ford County Courthouse in Paxton
Ford County Courthouse in Paxton
Map of Illinois highlighting Ford County
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Illinois
Founded February 17, 1859
Named for Thomas Ford
Seat Paxton
Largest city Paxton
Area
 • Total 486 sq mi (1,260 km2)
 • Land 486 sq mi (1,260 km2)
 • Water 0.6 sq mi (2 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 13,534
 • Estimate 
(2023)
13,250 Decrease
 • Density 27.848/sq mi (10.752/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts 2nd, 16th

Ford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 13,534. Its county seat is Paxton. Ford County was part of the ChampaignUrbana, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area until 2018, when the Office of Management and Budget removed the county from the area.

History

Ford County was formed February 17, 1859, making it Illinois's "newest" county. It was created at the behest of some residents of Vermilion County, who complained to the General Assembly that they lived too far from the county seat. Ford County was named after Thomas Ford, the Governor of Illinois from 1842 to 1846.

Geography

According to the US 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.

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Paxton, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
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
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

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.

Adjacent counties

Transit

  • SHOW Bus

Major highways

  • I-57.svg Interstate 57
  • US 24.svg US Route 24
  • US 45.svg US Route 45
  • Illinois 9.svg Illinois Route 9
  • Illinois 47.svg Illinois Route 47
  • Illinois 54.svg Illinois Route 54
  • Illinois 115.svg Illinois Route 115
  • Illinois 116.svg Illinois Route 116

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 1,979
1870 9,103 360.0%
1880 15,099 65.9%
1890 17,035 12.8%
1900 18,359 7.8%
1910 17,096 −6.9%
1920 16,466 −3.7%
1930 15,489 −5.9%
1940 15,007 −3.1%
1950 15,901 6.0%
1960 16,606 4.4%
1970 16,382 −1.3%
1980 15,265 −6.8%
1990 14,275 −6.5%
2000 14,241 −0.2%
2010 14,081 −1.1%
2020 13,534 −3.9%
2023 (est.) 13,250 −5.9%
US Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010
USA Ford County, Illinois age pyramid
2000 census age pyramid for Ford County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 14,081 people, 5,676 households, and 3,798 families living in the county. 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). 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. In terms of ancestry, 35.7% were German, 15.5% were Irish, 13.6% were American, and 10.4% were English.

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.

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.

Communities

Map of Ford County Illinois
Map of Ford County

Cities

Villages

Unincorporated communities

Extinct settlements

  • Ten Mile Grove

Townships

  • Brenton
  • Button
  • Dix
  • Drummer
  • Lyman
  • Mona
  • Patton
  • Peach Orchard
  • Pella
  • Rogers
  • Sullivant
  • Wall

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Ford (Illinois) para niños

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