DeKalb County, Illinois

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DeKalb County, Illinois
Sycamore Dek cty gov leg center.jpg
DeKalb County's Legislative Center
Seal of DeKalb County, Illinois
Seal
Map of Illinois highlighting DeKalb County
Location in the U.S. state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location in the U.S.
Founded March 4, 1837
Named for Johann de Kalb
Seat Sycamore
Largest city DeKalb
Area
 • Total 635 sq mi (1,645 km2)
 • Land 631 sq mi (1,634 km2)
 • Water 3.4 sq mi (9 km2), 0.5%
Population
 • (2010) 105,160
 • Density 167/sq mi (64/km²)
Congressional districts 14th, 16th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.dekalbcounty.org

DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the population was 105,160.[1] Its county seat is Sycamore.[2]

DeKalb County is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

DeKalb County was formed on March 4, 1837,[3] out of Kane County, Illinois. The County was named in honor of Johann de Kalb,[4] a German (Bavarian) hero of the American Revolutionary War. DeKalb County is approximately 632.7 square miles, located 63 miles west of Chicago. There are 19 townships in the county with the county seat at Sycamore.

Between 1834 and 1837, early white men began to settle in DeKalb County along the streams and wooded areas because of the fertile soil, wild game, and food and water opportunities. Major growth stemmed from the introduction of the railroad which brought easier methods of transportation and opportunities for industrial growth. Some of the notable industries based in DeKalb County were: Sandwich Manufacturing Company, Marsh Harvester Company, Barbed Wire, Gurler Brothers Pure Milk and many more.

The county has always been noted for agriculture. In 1852, the first Agricultural Fair was held in Sycamore, under the supervision of the DeKalb Agricultural Society. Eventually farmers, businessmen, bankers and newspapermen organized to become the DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association. In later years the DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association would split into two and become DeKalb County Farm Bureau and DeKalb Agricultural Association (DEKALB AgResearch, Inc., Monsanto). DeKalb County is credited with being the birthplace of the Farm Bureau movement.

Education has played an important role in the area with Northern Illinois University located in DeKalb and Kishwaukee Community College located in Malta. A major fair has been held each year since 1887 at the Sandwich Fairgrounds in Sandwich.

  • DeKalb County at the time of its creation in 1837

Pronunciation

Unlike similarly spelled locations, such as DeKalb County, Georgia, DeKalb denizens from Illinois pronounce the county name /dᵻˈkælb/ di-KALB, with an L sound, as opposed to a silent "L."

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 635 square miles (1,640 km2), of which 631 square miles (1,630 km2) is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) (0.5%) is water.[5]

Climate and weather

Sycamore, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
1.5
 
 
27
10
 
 
1.4
 
 
32
16
 
 
2.5
 
 
44
26
 
 
3.5
 
 
58
37
 
 
4.2
 
 
70
48
 
 
4.5
 
 
80
58
 
 
4.2
 
 
84
63
 
 
4.5
 
 
81
61
 
 
3.5
 
 
74
51
 
 
2.6
 
 
62
40
 
 
2.8
 
 
45
28
 
 
2.1
 
 
32
17
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[6]

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Sycamore have ranged from a low of 10 °F (−12 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −27 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.40 inches (36 mm) in February to 4.49 inches (114 mm) in June.[6]

Adjacent counties

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Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1840 1,697 —
1850 7,540 344.3%
1860 19,086 153.1%
1870 23,265 21.9%
1880 26,768 15.1%
1890 27,066 1.1%
1900 31,756 17.3%
1910 33,457 5.4%
1920 31,339 −6.3%
1930 32,644 4.2%
1940 34,388 5.3%
1950 40,781 18.6%
1960 51,714 26.8%
1970 71,654 38.6%
1980 74,624 4.1%
1990 77,932 4.4%
2000 88,969 14.2%
2010 105,160 18.2%
Est. 2014 105,462 [7] 0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2013[1]
2000 census age pyramid for DeKalb County with a marked spike in college-aged individuals due to Northern Illinois University

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 105,160 people, 38,484 households, and 23,781 families residing in the county.[12] The population density was 166.6 inhabitants per square mile (64.3/km2). There were 41,079 housing units at an average density of 65.1 per square mile (25.1/km2).[5] The racial makeup of the county was 85.1% white, 6.4% black or African American, 2.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 3.9% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.1% of the population.[12] In terms of ancestry, 32.6% were German, 17.5% were Irish, 8.7% were English, 7.0% were Polish, 6.4% were Italian, 6.3% were Swedish, and 3.8% were American.[13]

Of the 38,484 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.2% were non-families, and 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 29.3 years.[12]

The median income for a household in the county was $54,002 and the median income for a family was $70,713. Males had a median income of $50,192 versus $35,246 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,179. About 7.7% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.[14]

Communities

Cities

Town

Villages

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Townships

DeKalb County is divided into nineteen townships:

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See also

Notes

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References

Further reading

External links

 Winnebago County Boone County McHenry County
Lee County and Ogle County Kane County
  DeKalb County, Illinois  
LaSalle County Kendall County

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