Johnson County, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Johnson County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Illinois
. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 12,582, which is a decrease of 2.3% from 12,878 in 2000. Its county seat
is Vienna
.
. It was named for Richard M. Johnson
, who was then a U.S. Congressman from Kentucky
. In 1813, Johnson commanded a Kentucky regiment at the Battle of the Thames
, after which he claimed to have killed Tecumseh
in hand to hand combat. Johnson went on to be Vice President of the United States
.
]
of 2000, there were 12,878 people, 4,183 households, and 3,053 families residing in the county. The population density
was 37 people per square mile (14/km²). There were 5,046 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.52% White
, 14.17% Black
or African American
, 0.27% Native American
, 0.13% Asian
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
, 1.07% from other races
, and 0.79% from two or more races. 2.86% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 27.3% were of American
, 18.3% German
, 13.3% English
and 13.1% Irish
ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.8% spoke English
and 1.8% Spanish
as their first language.
There were 4,183 households out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.30% were married couples
living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the county the population was spread out with 18.30% under the age of 18, 11.40% from 18 to 24, 34.00% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 149.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 160.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,326, and the median income for a family was $40,275. Males had a median income of $29,415 versus $22,844 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $17,990. About 8.10% of families and 11.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.30% of those under age 18 and 11.50% of those age 65 or over.
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...
of Illinois
Illinois
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,...
. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 12,582, which is a decrease of 2.3% from 12,878 in 2000. Its 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....
is Vienna
Vienna, Illinois
Vienna is a city in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,434 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Johnson County, and the site of two well-known state penitentiaries. Heron Pond - Little Black Slough Nature Preserve, a National Natural Landmark, is nearby. The...
.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 348.86 square miles (903.5 km²), of which 343.92 square miles (890.7 km²) (or 98.58%) is land and 4.95 square miles (12.8 km²) (or 1.42%) is water.Major highways
U.S. Highway 45
Adjacent counties
- Williamson CountyWilliamson County, Illinois-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*92.7% White*3.8% Black*0.4% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*0.4% Other races*2.0% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
- north - Saline CountySaline County, IllinoisSaline County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 24,913, which is a decrease of 6.8% from 26,733 in 2000. Its county seat is Harrisburg. Saline County is home to the smallest post office and the largest KFC in the United States....
- northeast - Pope County - east
- Massac County - southeast
- Pulaski County - southwest
- Union County - west
National protected areas
- Cypress Creek National Wildlife RefugeCypress Creek National Wildlife RefugeThe Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Cache River watershed in southernmost Illinois, largely in Pulaski County, but with extensions into Union, Alexander, and Johnson counties. The refuge was established in 1990 under the authority of the Emergency Wetlands Resource Act of...
(part) - Shawnee National ForestShawnee National ForestThe Shawnee National Forest, located in the Ozark and Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, consists of approximately 280,000 acres of federally managed lands. In descending order of land area it is located in parts of Pope, Jackson, Union, Hardin, Alexander, Saline, Gallatin, Johnson, and Massac...
(part)
History
Johnson County was organized in 1812 out of Randolph CountyRandolph County, Illinois
Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 33,476, which is a decrease of 1.2% from 33,893 in 2000. Its county seat is Chester....
. It was named for Richard M. Johnson
Richard Mentor Johnson
Richard Mentor Johnson was the ninth Vice President of the United States, serving in the administration of Martin Van Buren . He was the only vice-president ever elected by the United States Senate under the provisions of the Twelfth Amendment. Johnson also represented Kentucky in the U.S...
, who was then a U.S. Congressman from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. In 1813, Johnson commanded a Kentucky regiment at the Battle of the Thames
Battle of the Thames
The Battle of the Thames, also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was a decisive American victory in the War of 1812. It took place on October 5, 1813, near present-day Chatham, Ontario in Upper Canada...
, after which he claimed to have killed Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
in hand to hand combat. Johnson went on to be Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
.
Demographics
2010
Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:- 89.0% WhiteWhite AmericanWhite Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
- 8.0% BlackAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
- 0.2% Native AmericanNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
- 0.2% AsianAsian AmericanAsian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
- 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific IslanderPacific Islander AmericanPacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
- 1.0% Two or more racesMultiracial AmericanMultiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
- 1.6% Other racesRace (United States Census)Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
- 3.0% Hispanic or LatinoHispanic and Latino AmericansHispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
(of any race)
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 12,878 people, 4,183 households, and 3,053 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 37 people per square mile (14/km²). There were 5,046 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.52% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 14.17% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.27% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.13% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.07% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.79% from two or more races. 2.86% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 27.3% were of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 18.3% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 13.3% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
and 13.1% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.8% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 1.8% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language.
There were 4,183 households out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.30% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the county the population was spread out with 18.30% under the age of 18, 11.40% from 18 to 24, 34.00% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 149.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 160.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,326, and the median income for a family was $40,275. Males had a median income of $29,415 versus $22,844 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $17,990. About 8.10% of families and 11.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.30% of those under age 18 and 11.50% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- BelknapBelknap, IllinoisBelknap is a village in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 133 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Belknap is located at ....
- BuncombeBuncombe, IllinoisBuncombe is a village in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 186 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Buncombe is located at ....
- CypressCypress, IllinoisCypress is a village in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 271 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cypress is located at ....
- GorevilleGoreville, IllinoisGoreville is a village in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 938 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Goreville is located at ....
- New BurnsideNew Burnside, IllinoisNew Burnside is a village in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 242 at the 2000 census.-Geography:New Burnside is located at ....
- SimpsonSimpson, IllinoisSimpson is a village in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 54 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Simpson is located at ....
- ViennaVienna, IllinoisVienna is a city in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,434 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Johnson County, and the site of two well-known state penitentiaries. Heron Pond - Little Black Slough Nature Preserve, a National Natural Landmark, is nearby. The...
Unincorporated communities
- Boles
- Dixon SpringsDixon Springs, IllinoisDixon Springs is an unincorporated community in Pope County, Illinois, United States. Dixon Springs is west of Golconda....
- Eagle Point Bay
- ElviraElvira, IllinoisElvira is an unincorporated community in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. The closest city to Elvira is Buncombe, which is about to the southeast. No numbered highways pass through Elvira; the closest state highway is Illinois Route 37 to the east....
- Ganntown
- GrantsburgGrantsburg, IllinoisGrantsburg is an unincorporated community in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. Grantsburg is located on Illinois Route 146 near the Shawnee National Forest east of Vienna. Grantsburg has a post office with ZIP code 62943....
- Lick Creek
- Mermet
- New ColumbiaNew Columbia, IllinoisNew Columbia is an unincorporated community in Massac County, Illinois, United States. New Columbia is southeast of Vienna....
- OzarkOzark, IllinoisOzark is an unincorporated community in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. Ozark is south of New Burnside. Ozark has a post office with ZIP code 62972. Ozark is also home to Camp Ondessonk, a catholic youth camp that is run by the Bellville Diocese....
- Pulleys MillPulleys Mill, IllinoisPulley's Mill is an unincorporated community in southern Williamson County, Illinois. It is generally located north of Goreville, near the intersection of Interstate 24 and Interstate 57....
- Reevesville
- Reynoldsburg
- Robbs
- Samoth
- Tunnel HillTunnel Hill, IllinoisTunnel Hill is an unincorporated community in northwestern Johnson County, Illinois. It's best known in the 21st Century for its namesake railroad tunnel that gives the name to the Tunnel Hill State Trail, a rails-to-trails project developed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources....
- Wartrace
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Vienna have ranged from a low of 25 °F (-3.9 °C) in January to a high of 90 °F (32.2 °C) in July, although a record low of -20 °F was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 103 °F (39.4 °C) was recorded in August 2007. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.16 inches (8 cm) in October to 5.16 inches (13.1 cm) in May.See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Johnson County, Illinois