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Peoria County, Illinois

Coordinates: 40°47′N 89°46′W / 40.79°N 89.76°W / 40.79; -89.76
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Peoria County
County
Peoria County Courthouse
Peoria County Courthouse
Flag of Peoria County
Flag
Official seal of Peoria County
Seal
Map of Illinois highlighting Peoria 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°47′N 89°46′W / 40.79°N 89.76°W / 40.79; -89.76
Country United States
State Illinois
Founded1825
Named forPeoria tribe
SeatPeoria
Largest cityPeoria
Area
 • Total
631 sq mi (1,630 km2)
 • Land619 sq mi (1,600 km2)
 • Water11 sq mi (30 km2)  1.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
181,830
 • Density290/sq mi (110/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
61451, 61517, 61523, 61525, 61526, 61528, 61529, 61531, 61533, 61536, 61539, 61547, 61552, 61559, 61562, 61569, 61601, 61602, 61603, 61604, 61605, 61606, 61607, 61612, 61613, 61614, 61615, 61616, 61625, 61629, 61630, 61633, 61634, 61636, 61637, 61638, 61639, 61641, 61643, 61650, 61651, 61652, 61653, 61654, 61655, 61656
Congressional districts16th, 17th
Websitewww.peoriacounty.gov

Peoria County is located in the U.S. state of Illinois. The 2020 United States Census listed its population at 181,830.[1] Its county seat is Peoria.[2] Peoria County is part of the Peoria metropolitan area.

History

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Peoria County was formed in 1825 out of Fulton County. It was named for the Peoria, an Illiniwek people who lived there. It included most of the western valley of the Illinois River up to the Chicago river portage.

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  • Peoria County at creation, with unorganized territory attached to it.[3]
    Peoria County at creation, with unorganized territory attached to it.[3]
  • Peoria County 1826–1827. The newly created Mercer and Warren Counties were temporarily attached to Peoria.[3]
    Peoria County 1826–1827. The newly created Mercer and Warren Counties were temporarily attached to Peoria.[3]
  • Peoria County 1827–1830. The creation of Tazewell County left Peoria with only a small tract of unorganized territory east of the Illinois River, whose border was not defined.
    Peoria County 1827–1830. The creation of Tazewell County left Peoria with only a small tract of unorganized territory east of the Illinois River, whose border was not defined.
  • In 1830, Warren County organized a government.
    In 1830, Warren County organized a government.
  • In 1831, Peoria County's present borders were established and Mercer County was attached to Warren.
    In 1831, Peoria County's present borders were established and Mercer County was attached to Warren.

Geography

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According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 631 square miles (1,630 km2), of which 619 square miles (1,600 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (1.8%) is water.[4] The county is drained by Spoon River, Kickapoo Creek, Elbow Creek, and Copperas Creek.[5]

Climate and weather

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Peoria, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
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3
 
 
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2.4
 
 
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[6]
Metric conversion
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38
 
 
−1
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42
 
 
3
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28
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80
 
 
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70
 
 
18
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76
 
 
9
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61
 
 
2
−7
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Peoria have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −27 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1884 and a record high of 113 °F (45 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.50 inches (38 mm) in January to 4.17 inches (106 mm) in May.[6]

Adjacent counties

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Transportation

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Transit

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Major highways

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Defunct highways

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Airports

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18406,153—
185017,547185.2%
186036,601108.6%
187047,54029.9%
188055,35516.4%
189070,37827.1%
190088,60825.9%
1910100,25513.1%
1920111,71011.4%
1930141,34426.5%
1940153,3748.5%
1950174,34713.7%
1960189,0448.4%
1970195,3183.3%
1980200,4662.6%
1990182,827−8.8%
2000183,4330.3%
2010186,4941.7%
2020181,830−2.5%
2023 (est.)177,513[8]−2.4%
US Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12] 2010–2019[1]

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 181,830 people, including 73,253 households. The population density was 301.2 inhabitants per square mile (116.3/km2). There were 83,034 housing units at an average density of 134.1 per square mile (51.8/km2).[4]

The racial makeup of the county was 73.5% white alone, 18.8% black or African American alone, 4.1% Asian alone, 0.4% American Indian alone, .1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, 3.1% listed two or more races, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 69.4% were white and not of Hispanic or Latino origin.[13] In terms of ancestry, per the 2010 US Census, 28.3% were German, 14.8% were Irish, 10.4% were English, and 5.5% were American.[14]

Of the 75,793 households, 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.7% were non-families, and 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 36.8 years.[15]

The median income for a household in the county was $49,747 and the median income for a family was $63,163. Males had a median income of $51,246 versus $32,881 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,157. About 10.3% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.[16]

Points of interest

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See also: Peoria, Illinois § Points of interest

Communities

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Cities

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Villages

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Townships

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The cities of Peoria and West Peoria are considered independent from all of the townships within this county.

School districts

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Further information: List of school districts in Illinois § Peoria County

Notable residents

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See also: List of people from Peoria, Illinois

People from Peoria County other than in the city of Peoria:

Government

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Peoria County is governed by an 18-member County Board which meets on the second Thursday of each month. Each member represents a district with roughly 10,000 residents.[20]

District Board Member Residence In office since Party
1 Sharon K. Williams Peoria 2012 Democratic
2 Camille Coates Peoria 2022 Democratic
3 Betty Duncan Peoria 2020 Democratic
4 Brandy Bryant Peoria 2019 Democratic
5 James C. Dillon (Chair) West Peoria 2006 Democratic
6 Dr. Eden Blair Peoria 2019 Democratic
7 Phillip Salzer Peoria unkown Democratic
8 Nathan Hoerr Peoria 2022 Republican
9 Danny Phelan Peoria Heights 2022 Democratic
10 Rob Reneau Peoria 2018 Democratic
11 Linda E. Daley Peoria 2019 Republican
12 Daniel Kelch Edwards 2022 Republican
13 Terry Ruthland Chillicothe 2022 Republican
14 Brian Elsasser Princeville 1998 Republican
15 Steven B. Rieker Peoria 2016 Republican
16 Matt Windish Brimfield 2018 Republican
17 Jennifer Groves Allison Peoria 2019 Democratic
18 Paul Rosenbohm Peoria 2010 Republican

The County also elects an Auditor, Circuit Clerk, Coroner, County Clerk, Sheriff, State's Attorney, Regional Superintendent (Education), and Treasurer to four-year terms.

Office Current Holder In office since Party
Auditor Jessica Thomas 2018 Democratic
Circuit Clerk Bobby Spears 2002 Democratic
Coroner Jamie Harwood 2016 Democratic
County Clerk Rachael Parker 2019 Democratic
Sheriff Chris Watkins 2022 Republican
State's Attorney Jodi Hoos 2019 Democratic
Regional Superintendent Elizabeth Crider 2014 Democratic
Treasurer Nicole Bjerke 2017 Republican

Politics

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United States presidential election results for Peoria County, Illinois[21]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 36,693 46.90% 40,280 51.49% 1,260 1.61%
2020 38,252 45.55% 43,578 51.90% 2,143 2.55%
2016 35,633 45.05% 38,060 48.12% 5,409 6.84%
2012 36,774 46.90% 40,209 51.28% 1,428 1.82%
2008 34,579 42.32% 45,906 56.19% 1,219 1.49%
2004 41,051 49.60% 41,121 49.68% 599 0.72%
2000 36,398 47.39% 38,604 50.26% 1,810 2.36%
1996 30,990 41.82% 37,383 50.45% 5,729 7.73%
1992 30,718 37.77% 38,099 46.85% 12,511 15.38%
1988 37,605 51.35% 35,253 48.14% 372 0.51%
1984 45,607 55.02% 36,830 44.43% 462 0.56%
1980 47,815 57.26% 28,276 33.86% 7,419 8.88%
1976 46,526 56.65% 34,606 42.14% 991 1.21%
1972 50,324 64.49% 27,264 34.94% 444 0.57%
1968 37,021 49.96% 30,937 41.75% 6,147 8.29%
1964 33,327 41.30% 47,360 58.70% 0 0.00%
1960 45,529 53.77% 39,061 46.13% 86 0.10%
1956 50,888 62.72% 30,145 37.15% 108 0.13%
1952 49,245 59.09% 33,955 40.74% 139 0.17%
1948 35,018 52.78% 31,026 46.76% 308 0.46%
1944 34,171 50.81% 32,837 48.83% 243 0.36%
1940 34,911 45.21% 42,009 54.40% 301 0.39%
1936 25,425 33.96% 48,063 64.20% 1,377 1.84%
1932 25,166 39.50% 37,605 59.02% 945 1.48%
1928 31,024 56.50% 23,150 42.16% 739 1.35%
1924 25,243 58.55% 6,343 14.71% 11,526 26.74%
1920 24,541 66.00% 9,453 25.42% 3,188 8.57%
1916 18,615 48.38% 18,718 48.65% 1,145 2.98%
1912 9,229 41.91% 8,364 37.98% 4,427 20.10%
1908 10,828 52.47% 8,898 43.12% 909 4.41%
1904 11,868 62.02% 5,697 29.77% 1,570 8.20%
1900 10,700 51.82% 9,433 45.69% 514 2.49%
1896 10,486 52.70% 9,068 45.57% 344 1.73%
1892 7,266 45.63% 8,053 50.57% 605 3.80%

Peoria County, along with Champaign County, is a reliable state bellwether, having voted for Illinois' statewide winner in every presidential election since 1964. Prior to 1992, Peoria County, like most of central Illinois, was powerfully Republican. Usually, it only voted for Democratic Party presidential candidates when they won nationally by a landslide. It began trending away from the GOP in the mid-1980s, as evidenced when Ronald Reagan only carried it with 55 percent of the vote in 1984 even as he was winning reelection in a landslide nationally.

From 1992 onward, the county has backed the Democratic candidate in every presidential election, though never by a margin greater than 10 percent aside from 2008 when Illinoisan Barack Obama won it by nearly 14 points. This relative closeness in results was most evident in 2004 when the county backed John Kerry over George W. Bush by only 70 votes.

In Congress, Peoria County is represented by Democrat Eric Sorensen of Illinois's 17th congressional district and Republican Darin LaHood of the Illinois's 18th congressional district.

In the Illinois Senate, Peoria County is represented by Republican Win Stoller of the 37th Legislative District and Democrat Dave Koehler of the 46th Legislative District. In the Illinois House of Representatives, Peoria County is represented by Republican Ryan Spain of the 73rd Representative District, Republican Travis Weaver of the 91st Representative District and Democrat Jehan Gordon-Booth of the 92nd Representative District.

Education

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K-12 school districts include:[22]

Secondary school districts include:[22]

Elementary school districts include:[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "QuickFacts Peoria County, Illinois". United States Census. US Census Bureau.
  2. ^ "Peoria County, Illinois".
  3. ^ a b White, Jesse. Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties. State of Illinois, March 2010. [1]
  4. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  5. ^ Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Peoria, a N. central county of Illinois" . The American Cyclopædia.
  6. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Peoria IL". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  7. ^ "Peoria County Public and Private Airports". www.tollfreeairline.com. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  8. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  9. ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  11. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  13. ^ "QuickFacts Peoria County, Illinois". US Census Bureau.
  14. ^ "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  15. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  16. ^ "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  17. ^ Grandview Drive Google Maps (accessed 27 December 2018)
  18. ^ Forest Park Nature Center Google Maps (accessed 27 December 2018)
  19. ^ Peoria Heights Tower Park Google Maps (accessed 27 December 2018)
  20. ^ "County Board | Peoria County, IL". www.peoriacounty.org. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  21. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  22. ^ a b c "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Peoria County, IL" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 30, 2024. - Text list
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