Named for Marquis de Lafayette Congressional district 15th Area 1,878 km² Population 22,060 (2013) | Largest city Vandalia Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5 Founded 1821 County seat Vandalia | |
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Website www.fayettecountyillinois.org Cities Vandalia, Brownstown, St. Elmo, Ramsey Rivers Kaskaskia River, Cedar Creek, Flat Creek, Avery Branch Points of interest Ramsey Lake State Recreatio, Vandalia State House St, Vandalia Park District, Kaskaskia Dragon, Little Brick House | ||
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,140. Its county seat is Vandalia. Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area is located in the northwest part of this county.
Contents
- Map of Fayette County IL USA
- History
- Geography
- Climate and weather
- Adjacent counties
- Major highways
- Demographics
- Cities
- Villages
- Townships
- References
Map of Fayette County, IL, USA
History
Fayette County was formed in 1821 out of Bond, Clark, and Crawford counties. It was named in honor of the Marquis de LaFayette, French hero of the American Revolutionary War.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 725 square miles (1,880 km2), of which 716 square miles (1,850 km2) is land and 8.9 square miles (23 km2) (1.2%) is water.
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Vandalia have ranged from a low of 18 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −21 °F (−29 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in July 1980. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.41 inches (61 mm) in February to 4.11 inches (104 mm) in May.
Adjacent counties
Major highways
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 22,140 people, 8,311 households, and 5,648 families residing in the county. The population density was 30.9 inhabitants per square mile (11.9/km2). There were 9,302 housing units at an average density of 13.0 per square mile (5.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.7% white, 4.4% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.5% were German, 10.5% were English, 9.4% were American, and 9.3% were Irish.
Of the 8,311 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.0% were non-families, and 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 39.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,269 and the median income for a family was $51,216. Males had a median income of $38,257 versus $27,188 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,663. About 10.8% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.
Cities
Villages
Townships
Fayette County is divided into twenty townships: