Incorporated town
Encyclopedia
Canada
Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.United States
An incorporated town in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is an incorporated municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
, that is, one with a charter received from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
, similar to a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
. An incorporated town will have elected officials, as differentiated from an unincorporated community, which exists only by tradition and does not have elected officials at the town level. In some states, especially in midwestern and western states, civil township
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
s may sometimes be called towns, but are generally not incorporated municipalities, but are administrative subdivisions and derive their authority from statute rather than from a charter. In New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, the term "town" refers to municipalities more similar to townships in other states than to incorporated towns in most states (see Administrative divisions of New York
Administrative divisions of New York
The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local government services in the state of New York. The state has four types of multi-purpose municipal corporation that provide most local government services, namely: counties, cities, towns, and villages...
, Political subdivisions of Wisconsin
Political subdivisions of Wisconsin
The definitions of the political subdivisions of the U.S. state of Wisconsin differ from those in some other countries or even other U.S. states, leading to misunderstandings regarding the governmental nature of an area....
). In some other states, the term "town" is not used for municipalities.
California
Under CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's Government Code Sections 34500-34504, the terms "city" and "town" are explicitly interchangeable, i.e. there is no legal distinction between an incorporated city and an incorporated town. California has 22 incorporated municipalities that are styled "Town of (Name)" instead of "City of (Name)".
Illinois
In IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, an incorporated town is one of three types of municipalities. An incorporated town is a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
that was incorporated by a special act of the Illinois General Assembly
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Illinois has 59 legislative districts, with two...
, prior to the creation of the Illinois Municipal Code. Illinois' standard law on municipalities came into effect on July 1, 1872 and does not provide for the incorporation of municipal towns. Since the Municipal Code provides a standard way for citizens to incorporate a new city or village, incorporated towns are far less common than city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
and village
Village (United States)
In the United States, the meaning of "village" varies by geographic area and legal jurisdiction. In many areas, "village" is a term, sometimes informal, for a type of administrative division at the local government level...
municipalities in Illinois.
Although civil township
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
s and incorporated towns are sometimes both called towns, they are completely separate types of government in Illinois—unlike incorporated towns, townships are subdivisions of a county
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
and are not municipalities.
The oldest existing municipal town in Illinois is Astoria
Astoria, Illinois
Astoria is an incorporated town in Fulton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,193 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Astoria is located at ....
in Fulton County
Fulton County, Illinois
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 37,069, which is a decrease of 3.1% from 38,250 in 2000. Its county seat is Lewistown. Canton is the largest city. Both cities are southwest of Peoria, and the county is considered...
, incorporated on January 24, 1839; the newest existing town is Humboldt
Humboldt, Illinois
Humboldt is an incorporated town in Coles County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 437. It is part of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in Coles County
Coles County, Illinois
Coles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,873, which is an increase of 1.3% from 53,196 in 2000. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University....
, incorporated on April 16, 1878.
There are 17 incorporated towns in Illinois, none of which are county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
s:
| Town | County | Incorporated |
|---|---|---|
| Annawan | Henry Henry County, Illinois Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 50,486, which is a decrease of 1.0% from 51,020 in 2000. Its county seat is Cambridge... |
1869-03-31 |
| Astoria Astoria, Illinois Astoria is an incorporated town in Fulton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,193 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Astoria is located at .... |
Fulton Fulton County, Illinois Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 37,069, which is a decrease of 3.1% from 38,250 in 2000. Its county seat is Lewistown. Canton is the largest city. Both cities are southwest of Peoria, and the county is considered... |
1839-01-24 |
| Atkinson Atkinson, Illinois Atkinson is an incorporated town in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 972 at the 2010 census, down from 1,001 at the 2000 census.... |
Henry Henry County, Illinois Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 50,486, which is a decrease of 1.0% from 51,020 in 2000. Its county seat is Cambridge... |
1867-03-07 |
| Belle Prairie City Belle Prairie City, Illinois Belle Prairie City is an incorporated town in Hamilton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 60 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
Hamilton | 1869-03-30 |
| Chatsworth Chatsworth, Illinois Chatsworth is an incorporated town in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,265 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chatsworth is located at .... |
Livingston Livingston County, Illinois Livingston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 38,950, which is a decrease of 1.8% from 39,678 in 2000. Its county seat is Pontiac.... |
1867-03-08 |
| Cicero Cicero, Illinois Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 83,891 at the 2010 census. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, New York, which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator.... |
Cook Cook County, Illinois Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than... |
1867-02-28 |
| Cortland Cortland, Illinois Cortland is an incorporated town in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,270 at the 2010 census, up from 2,066 at the 2000 census... |
DeKalb DeKalb County, Illinois DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 105,160, which is an increase of 18.2% from 88,969 in 2000. Its county seat is Sycamore. DeKalb County is part of the Chicago metropolitan statistical area.-History:DeKalb County... |
1865-02-16 |
| Humboldt Humboldt, Illinois Humboldt is an incorporated town in Coles County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 437. It is part of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
Coles Coles County, Illinois Coles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,873, which is an increase of 1.3% from 53,196 in 2000. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University.... |
1878-04-16 |
| La Prairie La Prairie, Illinois La Prairie is an incorporated town in Adams County, Illinois, United States. The population was 60 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Quincy, IL–MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:La Prairie is located at .... |
Adams Adams County, Illinois Adams County is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 67,103, which is a decrease of 1.7% from 68,277 in 2000... |
1869-04-15 |
| Mason Mason, Illinois Mason is an incorporated town in Effingham County, Illinois, United States. The population was 396 at the 2000 census. It was named after Mayor Roswell Mason of Chicago, who built the Central Illinois railroad.-Geography:... |
Effingham | 1865-02-15 |
| Naples Naples, Illinois Naples is an incorporated town in Morgan and Scott counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 134 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Naples is located at .... |
Scott | 1839-02-01 |
| New Canton New Canton, Illinois New Canton is an incorporated town in Pleasant Vale Township, Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 417 at the 2000 census.-Geography:New Canton is located at .... |
Pike Pike County, Illinois Pike County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 16,430, which is a decrease of 5.5% from 17,384 in 2000... |
1869-03-31 |
| Nilwood Nilwood, Illinois Nilwood is an incorporated town in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 284 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Nilwood is located at .... |
Macoupin Macoupin County, Illinois Macoupin County is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 47,765, which is a decrease of 2.6% from 49,019 in 2000. The county seat is Carlinville. Macoupin County is an outlying county of the Metro-East region... |
1867-03-09 |
| Normal Normal, Illinois Normal is an incorporated town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. It had a population of 52,497 as of the 2010 census. Normal is the smaller of two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area... |
McLean McLean County, Illinois McLean County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. McLean County is included in the Bloomington–Normal, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 169,572, which is an increase of 12.7% from 150,433 in 2000. Its county seat is... |
1867-02-25 |
| Otterville Otterville, Illinois Otterville is an incorporated town in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the town had a total population of 126.-Geography:Otterville is located at .... |
Jersey Jersey County, Illinois Jersey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Jersey County is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,985, which is an increase of 6.1% from 21,668 in 2000... |
1867-03-07 |
| Sigel Sigel, Illinois Sigel is an incorporated town in Shelby County, Illinois, United States. The population was 386 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sigel is located at .... |
Shelby | 1867-03-07 |
| Topeka Topeka, Illinois Topeka is an incorporated town in Mason County, Illinois, United States. The population was 90 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Topeka is located at .... |
Mason | 1869-04-10 |
Despite its name, Belle Prairie City, Illinois
Belle Prairie City, Illinois
Belle Prairie City is an incorporated town in Hamilton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 60 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
is an incorporated town, not a city.
Maryland
Municipalities in Maryland can be citiesCity
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
, towns, or village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s.
New England
In all six New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
states (Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
), towns are the main units of local government. Towns cover most or all land area in all six states, including rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
areas. New England towns are notable for their town meeting
Town meeting
A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....
form of government.