Mason County, Illinois

Mason County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 14,666.[1] Its county seat is Havana.[2] The county is named in honor of George Mason, a member of the Virginia legislature who campaigned for the adoption of the United States Bill of Rights.

Not to be confused with Mason, Illinois.

Mason County
U.S. county
Mason County Courthouse, Havana
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°14′N 89°55′W
Country United States
State Illinois
Founded1841
Named forGeorge Mason
SeatHavana
Largest cityHavana
Area
 • Total563 sq mi (1,460 km2)
 • Land539 sq mi (1,400 km2)
 • Water24 sq mi (60 km2)  4.3%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total14,666
 • Estimate 
(2018)
13,565
 • Density26/sq mi (10/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district18th
Websitewww.masoncountyil.org

History

Mason County was created in 1841 out of portions of Tazewell and Menard counties.

  • Mason County at the time of its creation in 1841

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 563 square miles (1,460 km2), of which 539 square miles (1,400 km2) is land and 24 square miles (62 km2) (4.3%) is water.[3]

Mason County is bound on the south by the Sangamon River, and on the west by the Illinois River. These rivers join at the county's southwest tip.

The soil covering much of Mason County is very sandy. This was formed during the melting of the Wisconsin Glacier about 10,000 years ago. Meltwater from the glacier deposited large amounts of sand in a delta region near at the junction of the Sangamon and Illinois Rivers.

The sandy soil does not hold water well, quickly exposing crops to drought conditions as the water table drops during periods of low precipitation. However, the soil is very good for growing vegetables that are otherwise not common in Illinois. Modern irrigation has made this a highly productive agricultural area.

A sand wetland on the Illinois River is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge.

Climate and weather
Havana, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
1.9
 
 
32
14
 
 
1.9
 
 
38
19
 
 
3
 
 
50
30
 
 
3.5
 
 
63
40
 
 
4.4
 
 
74
51
 
 
3.8
 
 
84
60
 
 
3.9
 
 
88
64
 
 
3.5
 
 
86
61
 
 
3.2
 
 
80
52
 
 
2.9
 
 
68
41
 
 
3.3
 
 
51
30
 
 
2.6
 
 
37
19
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[4]

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Havana have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −30 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 106 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1983. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.85 inches (47 mm) in January to 4.43 inches (113 mm) in May.[4]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18505,921—
186010,93184.6%
187016,18448.1%
188016,2420.4%
189016,067−1.1%
190017,4918.9%
191017,377−0.7%
192016,634−4.3%
193015,115−9.1%
194015,3581.6%
195015,326−0.2%
196015,193−0.9%
197016,1616.4%
198019,49220.6%
199016,269−16.5%
200016,038−1.4%
201014,666−8.6%
Est. 201813,565[5]−7.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 14,666 people, 6,079 households, and 4,060 families living in the county.[10] The population density was 27.2 inhabitants per square mile (10.5/km2). There were 7,077 housing units at an average density of 13.1 per square mile (5.1/km2).[3] The racial makeup of the county was 98.1% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population.[10] In terms of ancestry, 33.8% were German, 15.6% were American, 11.1% were English, and 10.3% were Irish.[11]

Of the 6,079 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.2% were non-families, and 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 44.0 years.[10]

The median income for a household in the county was $42,461 and the median income for a family was $51,348. Males had a median income of $43,448 versus $31,087 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,427. About 13.8% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.[12]

Communities

Cities

Town

Villages

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Townships

Politics

Although it voted for the Whig Party in the three elections from 1840 to 1848, Mason County was to be solidly Democratic for the next sixty to seventy years due to its anti-Yankee German-American heritage. It was not until the 1920 election when bitter resentment was felt by German-Americans at Woodrow Wilson’s postwar policies that Mason supported a GOP candidate.

In the following eighty years, Mason was a Republican-leaning swing county, although isolationist sentiment did cause it to vote narrowly for Wendell Willkie in 1940 and more convincingly for Thomas E. Dewey in 1944. The past decade or so has seen Mason turn solidly Republican due to opposition to the Democratic Party’s social liberalism and concern over the lack of employment and other economic opportunities in the “Rust Belt” – whose edge Mason County lies on.

Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 62.5% 4,058 31.0% 2,014 6.5% 421
2012 51.9% 3,265 45.5% 2,867 2.6% 164
2008 46.0% 3,141 51.9% 3,542 2.2% 148
2004 54.4% 3,907 44.8% 3,215 0.9% 61
2000 50.4% 3,411 47.1% 3,192 2.5% 169
1996 37.7% 2,430 52.5% 3,385 9.8% 629
1992 32.1% 2,473 51.5% 3,969 16.4% 1,260
1988 50.0% 3,424 49.7% 3,406 0.4% 25
1984 54.9% 4,109 44.8% 3,354 0.3% 23
1980 60.4% 4,644 34.8% 2,680 4.8% 369
1976 49.0% 3,847 50.3% 3,947 0.7% 55
1972 62.7% 4,897 37.1% 2,901 0.2% 12
1968 49.7% 3,899 42.9% 3,365 7.5% 589
1964 36.8% 2,833 63.2% 4,857
1960 53.0% 4,337 46.8% 3,824 0.2% 19
1956 59.3% 4,677 40.6% 3,199 0.2% 13
1952 61.9% 4,982 38.0% 3,061 0.1% 4
1948 49.8% 3,525 49.5% 3,503 0.7% 46
1944 54.5% 3,959 45.2% 3,282 0.3% 21
1940 50.5% 4,541 49.1% 4,416 0.5% 41
1936 38.9% 3,395 60.5% 5,278 0.7% 58
1932 30.7% 2,551 68.5% 5,681 0.8% 68
1928 54.8% 3,956 45.0% 3,246 0.3% 19
1924 52.7% 3,522 38.0% 2,536 9.3% 622
1920 58.4% 3,842 39.4% 2,595 2.2% 142
1916 42.4% 3,029 54.4% 3,886 3.1% 224
1912 23.0% 948 52.7% 2,173 24.3% 1,000
1908 43.5% 1,924 51.2% 2,264 5.3% 236
1904 45.0% 1,798 45.2% 1,806 9.7% 388
1900 43.7% 2,027 54.1% 2,508 2.2% 101
1896 45.8% 2,100 52.5% 2,407 1.6% 75
1892 40.0% 1,614 54.8% 2,211 5.2% 209
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See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  4. "Monthly Averages for Havana, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Archived from the original on May 29, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  10. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  11. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  12. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  13. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.

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