Union County, Illinois

state">U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 17,244. Its county seat is Jonesboro. It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known locally as "Little Egypt".

Union County
County
Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°28′N 89°16′W / 37.47°N 89.26°W / 37.47; -89.26
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Founded	January 2, 1818
Seat	Jonesboro
Largest city	Anna
Area
• Total	422 sq mi (1,090 km2)
• Land	413 sq mi (1,070 km2)
• Water	8.7 sq mi (23 km2)  2.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	17,244
• Density	41/sq mi (16/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	12th
Website	www.unioncountyil.gov

Union County was formed out of Johnson County, nearly a year before the Illinois Territory gained statehood. It was named for a joint revival meeting of the Baptists and Dunkards, called a "union meeting". The county seal depicts the leaders of these two groups shaking hands.

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  For its first year of existence, Union County included an area of unorganized territory temporarily attached to it.
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  In 1819, the additional territory became Alexander County, reducing Union to its current borders.

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 422 square miles (1,090 km²), of which 413 square miles (1,070 km²) is land and 8.7 square miles (23 km²) (2.1%) is water.

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Jonesboro have ranged from a low of 22 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 90 °F (32 °C) in July, although a record low of −20 °F (−29 °C) was recorded in January 1918 and a record high of 112 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1901. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.13 inches (80 mm) in September to 5.22 inches (133 mm) in May.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 17,808 people, 7,167 households, and 4,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 43.1 inhabitants per square mile (16.6/km²). There were 7,924 housing units at an average density of 19.2 per square mile (7.4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.8% white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.5% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 23.0% were German, 12.6% were Irish, 9.4% were English, and 8.1% were American.

Of the 7,167 households, 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.5% were non-families, and 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 42.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,760 and the median income for a family was $48,465. Males had a median income of $36,831 versus $31,272 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,512. About 12.7% of families and 21.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

• Anna
• Jonesboro (seat)

Villages

Unincorporated communities

• Balcom
• La Rue
• Reynoldsville
• Ware
• Wolf Lake

Like much of Southern Illinois, Union County has shifted toward the Republican Party over the past couple decades, with the Republican candidate for president winning the county since 2000.

School districts include:

K-12:

Secondary:

• Anna Jonesboro Community High School District 81
• Vienna High School District 133

Elementary:

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Union County, Illinois
• Ku Klux Klan in Southern Illinois

37°28′16″N 89°15′18″W / 37.47111°N 89.25500°W / 37.47111; -89.25500