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Ford County, Illinois

Coordinates: 40°35′N 88°13′W / 40.59°N 88.22°W / 40.59; -88.22
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ford County
County
Ford County Courthouse in Paxton
Ford County Courthouse in Paxton
Map of Illinois highlighting Ford County
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°35′N 88°13′W / 40.59°N 88.22°W / 40.59; -88.22
Country United States
State Illinois
FoundedFebruary 17, 1859
Named afterThomas Ford
SeatPaxton
Largest cityPaxton
Area
 • Total
486 sq mi (1,260 km2)
 • Land486 sq mi (1,260 km2)
 • Water0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
13,534
 • Estimate 
(2024)
13,451 Decrease[1]
 • Density27.8/sq mi (10.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts2nd, 16th
Websitewww.fordcountycourthouse.com

Ford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 13,534.[2] Its county seat is Paxton.[3] Ford County was part of the Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area until 2018, when the Office of Management and Budget removed the county from the area.[4][5]

History

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Ford County was formed February 17, 1859, making it Illinois's "newest" county. It was created at the behest of some residents of Vermilion County, who complained to the General Assembly that they lived too far from the county seat. Ford County was named after Thomas Ford, the Governor of Illinois from 1842 to 1846.[6]

  • The creation of Douglas and Ford Counties in 1859 resulted in Illinois's current county map.
    The creation of Douglas and Ford Counties in 1859 resulted in Illinois's current county map.

Geography

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According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 486 square miles (1,260 km2), of which 486 square miles (1,260 km2) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) (0.1%) is water.[7]

Climate and weather

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Paxton, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[8]
Metric conversion
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Paxton have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 102 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.40 inches (36 mm) in February to 4.38 inches (111 mm) in May.[8]

Adjacent counties

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Transit

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Major highways

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18601,979—
18709,103360.0%
188015,09965.9%
189017,03512.8%
190018,3597.8%
191017,096−6.9%
192016,466−3.7%
193015,489−5.9%
194015,007−3.1%
195015,9016.0%
196016,6064.4%
197016,382−1.3%
198015,265−6.8%
199014,275−6.5%
200014,241−0.2%
201014,081−1.1%
202013,534−3.9%
2023 (est.)13,250[9]−2.1%
US Decennial Census[10]
1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12]
1990-2000[13] 2010[14]
2000 census age pyramid for Ford County

2020 census

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Ford County, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[15] Pop 1990[16] Pop 2000[17] Pop 2010[18] Pop 2020[19] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 15,069 14,096 13,885 13,520 12,265 98.72% 98.75% 97.50% 96.02% 90.62%
Black or African American alone (NH) 58 42 35 78 75 0.38% 0.29% 0.25% 0.55% 0.55%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 4 12 14 32 24 0.03% 0.08% 0.10% 0.23% 0.18%
Asian alone (NH) 32 40 46 36 57 0.21% 0.28% 0.32% 0.26% 0.42%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [20] x [21] 0 0 0 x x 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) 24 4 5 11 42 0.16% 0.03% 0.04% 0.08% 0.31%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [22] x [23] 80 110 517 x x 0.56% 0.78% 3.82%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 78 81 176 294 554 0.51% 0.57% 1.24% 2.09% 4.09%
Total 15,265 14,275 14,241 14,081 13,534 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2010 census

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As of the 2010 United States census, there were 14,081 people, 5,676 households, and 3,798 families living in the county.[24] The population density was 29.0 inhabitants per square mile (11.2/km2). There were 6,282 housing units at an average density of 12.9 per square mile (5.0/km2).[7] The racial makeup of the county was 97.1% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.1% of the population.[24] In terms of ancestry, 35.7% were German, 15.5% were Irish, 13.6% were American, and 10.4% were English.[25]

Of the 5,676 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.1% were non-families, and 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 42.4 years.[24]

The median income for a household in the county was $48,667 and the median income for a family was $62,819. Males had a median income of $43,849 versus $30,136 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,401. About 5.4% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.[26]

Communities

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Map of Ford County

Cities

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Villages

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Unincorporated communities

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Extinct settlements

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Townships

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Politics

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Ford County is one of the state's most consistently Republican counties; since its 1859 organization it has voted for Republican presidential candidates in all but two elections. In 1912, the GOP was divided and Progressive Theodore Roosevelt carried the county over the more conservative official nominee William Howard Taft; in 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt in the first of his four campaigns became and has remained the only Democrat to carry Ford County. Since 1968 no Democratic presidential candidate has topped 36% of the county's vote, and since the county first formed only three Democrats – all in landslide national victories – have managed 40% of Ford County's votes.

After the Libertarian Party's success in the 1998 election for Ford County Sheriff and other countywide offices, it achieved established party status. At the time this made Ford County the only county in Illinois with three established parties. Due to its second place showing over the then-dormant Democratic Party in that election, the Libertarians received the minority party's seat on the Board of Review and one of the five seats on the Sheriff's Merit Commission.[27] This status was lost by 2002 after the Libertarian Party failed to field any candidates in the 2002 general election.[28]

President Gerald Ford visited Ford County on October 24, 1974, to mark the retirement of Congressman Leslie C. Arends of Melvin who served in Congress for 40 years, including over 30 years as Republican Minority Whip.[29]

United States presidential election results for Ford County, Illinois[30]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1892 2,227 58.41% 1,359 35.64% 227 5.95%
1896 2,832 64.28% 1,507 34.20% 67 1.52%
1900 2,936 64.87% 1,469 32.46% 121 2.67%
1904 2,836 71.22% 926 23.25% 220 5.52%
1908 2,617 65.59% 1,164 29.17% 209 5.24%
1912 832 22.44% 1,035 27.91% 1,841 49.65%
1916 4,670 66.31% 2,054 29.16% 319 4.53%
1920 4,995 82.40% 958 15.80% 109 1.80%
1924 4,672 70.53% 1,093 16.50% 859 12.97%
1928 4,668 68.72% 2,098 30.88% 27 0.40%
1932 3,342 43.88% 4,175 54.82% 99 1.30%
1936 4,524 53.79% 3,715 44.17% 171 2.03%
1940 5,770 65.11% 3,062 34.55% 30 0.34%
1944 5,317 69.91% 2,270 29.85% 18 0.24%
1948 4,903 69.89% 2,079 29.64% 33 0.47%
1952 6,216 74.49% 2,121 25.42% 8 0.10%
1956 6,027 73.66% 2,152 26.30% 3 0.04%
1960 5,779 68.16% 2,698 31.82% 1 0.01%
1964 4,650 57.57% 3,427 42.43% 0 0.00%
1968 5,233 65.38% 2,216 27.69% 555 6.93%
1972 5,656 74.51% 1,934 25.48% 1 0.01%
1976 4,801 63.56% 2,690 35.61% 62 0.82%
1980 5,024 69.64% 1,803 24.99% 387 5.36%
1984 4,871 73.11% 1,763 26.46% 29 0.44%
1988 4,059 66.05% 2,026 32.97% 60 0.98%
1992 3,046 47.00% 2,175 33.56% 1,260 19.44%
1996 3,077 53.33% 2,065 35.79% 628 10.88%
2000 3,889 63.20% 2,090 33.97% 174 2.83%
2004 4,511 69.62% 1,912 29.51% 56 0.86%
2008 4,079 63.73% 2,227 34.80% 94 1.47%
2012 4,229 70.20% 1,656 27.49% 139 2.31%
2016 4,480 70.04% 1,414 22.11% 502 7.85%
2020 5,048 72.46% 1,754 25.18% 165 2.37%
2024 4,778 72.67% 1,643 24.99% 154 2.34%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020–2024". United States Census Bureau. U.S. Department of Commerce. March 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  2. ^ "Ford County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Office of Management and Budget (April 10, 2018). "OMB Bulletin No. 18-03: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  5. ^ Office of Management and Budget (September 14, 2018). "OMB Bulletin No. 18-04: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  6. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 128.
  7. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Paxton IL". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  9. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  10. ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  12. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  13. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  14. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  15. ^ "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Illinois- Table 14 - Persons by Race and Table 16 (p. 18-28) - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 29-39)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  16. ^ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Illinois - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Orogin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  17. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Ford County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  18. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Ford County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  19. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Ford County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  20. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  21. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  22. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  23. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  24. ^ a b c "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  25. ^ "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  26. ^ "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  27. ^ Stahly, Jim (June 3, 1999). "Libertarians Make History in Ford County". The Pantagraph. p. A1 – via NewsBank.
  28. ^ "Election 2002". The Pantagraph. November 7, 2002. p. A1 – via NewsBank.
  29. ^ Welcome to Paxton Archived December 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, accessed February 15, 2011.
  30. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
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40°35′N 88°13′W / 40.59°N 88.22°W / 40.59; -88.22

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