Effingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 34,264. Its county seat is Effingham, Illinois⁶.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,243 km² (480 mi²). 1,240 km² (479 mi²) of it is land and 3 km² (1 mi²) of it (0.25%) is water.

Adjacent Counties

*Cumberland County - northeast
*Jasper County - east
*Clay County - southeast
*Fayette County - west
*Shelby County - northwest

History

Effingham County was formed in 1831 out of Fayette and Crawford Counties. It is named after Edward Effingham, who resigned his commission as general in the British army in 1775, refusing to serve in the war against the Colonies. The name is Anglo-Saxon for "Effa's house". New information suggests that the county was named after a surveyor who surveyed the area whose last name was Effingham. There is no written proof that the county was named after Lord Effingham.

Giant Cross:
Just west of Effingham, Illinois on Interstate 70 there is a 198 ft. White Cross.
The Cross is a beacon of hope to the 50,000 travelers estimated to pass the site each day. It also threatens to cause a major accident as people slow down or stop to look at it in the midst of a complex junction of two Interstate Highways.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 34,264 people, 13,001 households, and 9,178 families residing in the county. The population density was 28/km² (72/mi²). There were 13,959 housing units at an average density of 11/km² (29/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.66% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 13,001 households out of which 36.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.60% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,379, and the median income for a family was $46,895. Males had a median income of $31,442 versus $21,121 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,301. About 6.00% of families and 8.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.10% of those under age 18 and 7.10% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

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*Altamont
*Beecher City
*Dieterich
*Edgewood
*Effingham
*Mason
*Shumway
*Teutopolis
*Watson

External links

*Effingham County History & Genealogy

External references

*History of Southern Illinois, George Washington Smith, 1912.

Category:Illinois counties

Effingham County, Illinois