Named for Richard Henderson Congressional district 17th Founded 1841 Population 6,990 (2013) Unemployment rate 4.2% (Apr 2015) | Largest village Oquawka Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5 Area 1,023 km² County seat Oquawka | |
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Cities Oquawka, Stronghurst, Biggsville, Lomax, Gladstone, Raritan Rivers Henderson Creek, La Moine River, Ellison Creek | ||
Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 7,331. Its county seat is Oquawka.
Contents
- Map of Henderson County IL USA
- History
- Geography
- Climate and weather
- Major highways
- Adjacent counties
- Demographics
- Politics
- City
- Townships
- References
Map of Henderson County, IL, USA
Henderson County is part of the Burlington, IA–IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Henderson County was formed in 1841 out of Warren County. It was named for Henderson County, Kentucky, which was named for Richard Henderson, founder of the Transylvania Company, an early attempt to organize what later became Kentucky around 1775.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 395 square miles (1,020 km2), of which 379 square miles (980 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (4.1%) is water.
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Oquawka have ranged from a low of 15 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −26 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in February 1996 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in August 1983. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.31 inches (33 mm) in January to 4.48 inches (114 mm) in July.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 7,331 people, 3,149 households, and 2,127 families residing in the county. The population density was 19.3 inhabitants per square mile (7.5/km2). There were 3,827 housing units at an average density of 10.1 per square mile (3.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.2% white, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 24.4% were German, 14.5% were Irish, 11.9% were English, 5.9% were Swedish, and 5.0% were American.
Of the 3,149 households, 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.5% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.78. The median age was 47.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $43,450 and the median income for a family was $55,154. Males had a median income of $41,052 versus $27,426 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,492. About 7.8% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Henderson County is located in Illinois's 17th Congressional District and is currently represented by Democrat Cheri Bustos. For the Illinois House of Representatives, the county is located in the 94th district and is currently represented by Republican Randy Frese. The county is located in the 47th district of the Illinois Senate, and is currently represented by Democrat John Sullivan, but will be represented by Republican Jil Tracy beginning in January 2017.
Henderson County was reliably Democratic in presidential elections from 1988-2012. Donald Trump carried the county with over 61% of the vote in 2016; the highest percentage won by any Republican candidate in over 50 years.
City
Townships
Henderson County is divided into eleven townships: