Livingston County
County
Livingston County Courthouse
Livingston County Courthouse
Map of Illinois highlighting Livingston County
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°53′N 88°34′W / 40.89°N 88.56°W / 40.89; -88.56
Country United States
State Illinois
Founded1837
Named forEdward Livingston
SeatPontiac
Largest cityPontiac
Area
 • Total1,046 sq mi (2,710 km2)
 • Land1,044 sq mi (2,700 km2)
 • Water1.6 sq mi (4 km2)  0.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total35,815
 • Estimate 
(2021)
35,664
 • Density34/sq mi (13/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts2nd, 16th
Websitewww.livingstoncounty-il.org/wordpress/

Livingston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 35,815.[1] Its county seat is Pontiac.[2] Livingston County comprises the Pontiac, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is combined with the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan statistical area as the Bloomington-Pontiac, IL Combined Statistical Area in upper portion of Central Illinois.

History

Livingston was established on February 27, 1837. It was formed from parts of McLean, LaSalle, and Iroquois counties, and named after Edward Livingston,[3] a prominent politician who was mayor of New York City and represented New York in the United States House of Representatives and Louisiana in both houses of Congress. He later served as Andrew Jackson's Secretary of State and as Minister to France. Although he had no connections to Illinois, the General Assembly found him accomplished enough to name a county after him.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,046 square miles (2,710 km2), of which 1,044 square miles (2,700 km2) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) (0.2%) is water.[4] It is the fourth-largest county in Illinois by land area.

Climate and weather

Pontiac, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
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1.6
 
 
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1.4
 
 
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Source:The Weather Channel[5]
Metric conversion
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41
 
 
−1
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2
−8
 
 
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28
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25
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68
 
 
18
6
 
 
77
 
 
9
−1
 
 
64
 
 
2
−7
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Pontiac have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10.0 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29.4 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31.1 °C) was recorded in January 1927 and a record high of 108 °F (42.2 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.44 inches (36.6 mm) in February to 4.11 inches (104.4 mm) in June.[5]

Transit

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1840759—
18501,552104.5%
186011,637649.8%
187031,471170.4%
188038,45022.2%
189038,4550.0%
190042,0359.3%
191040,465−3.7%
192039,070−3.4%
193039,0920.1%
194038,838−0.6%
195037,809−2.6%
196040,3416.7%
197040,6900.9%
198041,3811.7%
199039,301−5.0%
200039,6781.0%
201038,950−1.8%
202035,815−8.0%
2021 (est.)35,664[6]−0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2013[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 38,950 people, 14,613 households, and 9,741 families residing in the county.[11] The population density was 37.3 inhabitants per square mile (14.4/km2). There were 15,895 housing units at an average density of 15.2 per square mile (5.9/km2).[4] The racial makeup of the county was 91.8% white, 4.9% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.9% of the population.[11] In terms of ancestry, 36.6% were German, 17.2% were Irish, 11.2% were American, 10.7% were English, and 5.1% were Italian.[12]

Of the 14,613 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.3% were non-families, and 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 40.8 years.[11]

The median income for a household in the county was $50,500 and the median income for a family was $60,933. Males had a median income of $44,639 versus $32,234 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,259. About 9.1% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.[13]

Communities

Cities

Town

Villages

Townships

Livingston County is divided into thirty townships:

Unincorporated communities

Government and infrastructure

The Illinois Department of Corrections operates two prisons in the county.

Pontiac Correctional Center is located in Pontiac.[14] Pontiac houses the male death row. Prior to the January 11, 2003 commutation of death row sentences, male death row inmates were housed in Pontiac, Menard, and Tamms correctional centers.[15] Dwight Correctional Center is within Nevada Township in an unincorporated area in the county.[16][17]

The Dwight Correctional Center is currently unoccupied and was closed in 2013.

Politics

Although it was solidly Democratic before 1856, Livingston has since always been a powerfully Republican county. The solitary Democrat to win a majority of the county's vote since the Civil War has been Franklin D. Roosevelt in his 1932 landslide triumph over Herbert Hoover. Apart from that and the 1912 election when Woodrow Wilson won against a mortally divided Republican Party, Livingston has always voted Republican since that party was founded in 1856. Since 1940, only Lyndon Johnson in his 1964 landslide victory over the conservative Barry Goldwater has won more than forty percent of the county's vote.

United States presidential election results for Livingston County, Illinois[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 12,208 70.92% 4,615 26.81% 391 2.27%
2016 10,208 66.54% 4,023 26.22% 1,111 7.24%
2012 9,753 64.69% 5,020 33.30% 304 2.02%
2008 9,191 58.66% 6,189 39.50% 289 1.84%
2004 10,316 64.32% 5,632 35.11% 91 0.57%
2000 9,187 59.57% 5,829 37.80% 405 2.63%
1996 7,653 51.75% 5,641 38.15% 1,494 10.10%
1992 8,004 46.81% 6,007 35.13% 3,087 18.05%
1988 10,324 67.02% 5,009 32.52% 72 0.47%
1984 12,291 72.65% 4,567 26.99% 61 0.36%
1980 11,544 68.62% 4,111 24.44% 1,168 6.94%
1976 10,097 64.56% 5,174 33.08% 369 2.36%
1972 13,217 72.07% 5,110 27.86% 12 0.07%
1968 11,963 65.88% 5,234 28.82% 963 5.30%
1964 10,239 54.71% 8,476 45.29% 0 0.00%
1960 13,139 66.42% 6,642 33.57% 2 0.01%
1956 13,939 72.82% 5,197 27.15% 7 0.04%
1952 14,095 71.45% 5,612 28.45% 20 0.10%
1948 11,184 66.27% 5,618 33.29% 74 0.44%
1944 12,436 66.44% 6,231 33.29% 52 0.28%
1940 13,909 64.14% 7,722 35.61% 55 0.25%
1936 10,801 53.12% 9,190 45.20% 343 1.69%
1932 8,403 45.20% 10,024 53.92% 162 0.87%
1928 11,161 65.68% 5,737 33.76% 94 0.55%
1924 9,695 64.53% 2,911 19.37% 2,419 16.10%
1920 10,382 74.83% 3,101 22.35% 391 2.82%
1916 9,801 58.64% 6,462 38.66% 451 2.70%
1912 2,444 26.40% 3,334 36.01% 3,480 37.59%
1908 5,358 55.84% 3,778 39.37% 460 4.79%
1904 6,018 63.58% 2,785 29.42% 662 6.99%
1900 5,805 56.87% 4,024 39.42% 378 3.70%
1896 5,436 55.97% 4,068 41.89% 208 2.14%
1892 3,980 46.58% 3,960 46.34% 605 7.08%

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "US 2020 Census". United States Census Bureau.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 188.
  4. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Pontiac, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  6. ^ "QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  11. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  12. ^ "DP02 Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  13. ^ "DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  14. ^ "Pontiac Correctional Center." Illinois Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 1, 2010.
  15. ^ "DOC Report Online Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine." Illinois Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 1, 2010.
  16. ^ "Dwight village, Illinois[permanent dead link]." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on September 1, 2010.
  17. ^ "Dwight Correctional Center." Illinois Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 1, 2001.
  18. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
  19. ^ Willard, Frances Elizabeth; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice (1893). "HOEL, Mrs. Libbie Beach". A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred-seventy Biographical Sketches Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women in All Walks of Life. Charles Wells Moulton. p. 383. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  20. ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 199-1950,' Biographical Sketch of Calistus Bruer, pg. 164-165
  21. ^ 'Official Directory of the Forty-Second General Assembly of Illinois-1901,' Talbot & Hamman, Springfield, Illinois: 1865, Biographical Sketch of M. C. Eignus, pg. 65
  22. ^ Rhoads, Mark (October 7, 2006). "Illinois Hall of Fame: Gary Sinese". Illinois Review. Dennis LaComb. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  23. ^ 'William C. Harris-obituary,' Chicago Tribune, January 2, 2005
  24. ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1975-1976,' Biographical Sketch of William C. Harris, pg. 146
  25. ^ "Townsend, Dr. Francis". Virginia Commonwealth University. January 21, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  26. ^ Kromphardt, Barb (April 26, 2011). "The Wonderful World of Young". Shaw Media (United States): Bureau County Republican. Princeton, Illinois. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2017.

Further reading

40°53′N 88°34′W / 40.89°N 88.56°W / 40.89; -88.56

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