Founded December 25, 1830 Largest city Bloomington Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5 Area 3,072 km² County seat Bloomington | Named for John McLean Congressional districts 13th, 18th Website www.mcleancountyil.gov Population 174,647 (2013) Unemployment rate 3.9% (Apr 2015) | |
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Destinations Bloomington, Normal, Lexington Colleges and Universities Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Heartland Community College, Paul Mitchell the School‑Normal Points of interest Miller Park Zoo, David Davis Mansion, Children's Discovery Museum, Comlara Park, Tipton Park | ||
McLean County is the largest county by land area in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 169,572. Its county seat is Bloomington.
Contents
- Map of McLean County IL USA
- Pronunciation
- History
- Geography
- Climate and weather
- Government
- Demographics
- Cities
- Town
- Census designated place
- Townships
- Ghost towns
- Notable persons
- References
Map of McLean County, IL, USA
McLean County is included in the Bloomington–Normal, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Pronunciation
Locally, the second syllable of McLean is pronounced with a 'long a' (ā, IPA /ei/) sound (i.e. "muh-KLAIN") (as with native son McLean Stevenson), not with a 'long e' (ē, IPA /i/) sound ("muh-KLEEN").
History
McLean County was formed late in 1830 out of Tazewell County. It was named for John McLean, United States Senator for Illinois, who died in 1830.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,186 square miles (3,070 km2), of which 1,183 square miles (3,060 km2) is land and 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2) (0.2%) is water. It is the largest county in Illinois by land area and third-largest by total area. McLean County is actually larger than the land area of Rhode Island (1045 sq mi).
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Bloomington 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 −23 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.71 inches (43 mm) in February to 4.52 inches (115 mm) in May.
Government
McLean County has a twenty-member board representing ten districts within the county. District 1, District 2, and District 3 encompass all of the county outside of Bloomington and Normal. Districts 4, 5, and 6 are within the town limits of Normal, and districts 7, 8, 9, and 10 are within Bloomington city limits.
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 169,572 people, 65,104 households, and 40,124 families residing in the county. The population density was 143.3 inhabitants per square mile (55.3/km2). There were 69,656 housing units at an average density of 58.9 per square mile (22.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.3% white, 7.3% black or African American, 4.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.5% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 31.2% were German, 15.4% were Irish, 11.4% were American, and 11.0% were English.
Of the 65,104 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.4% were non-families, and 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 32.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $57,642 and the median income for a family was $77,093. Males had a median income of $52,271 versus $39,685 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,167. About 6.2% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Cities
Town
Census-designated place
Townships
McLean County is divided into these townships: