Massac County, Illinois

Massac County, Illinois
Massac County Courthouse
Location in the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location in the U.S.
Founded	February 8, 1843
Seat	Metropolis
Largest city	Metropolis
Area
• Total	242 sq mi (627 km2)
• Land	237 sq mi (614 km2)
• Water	4.6 sq mi (12 km2), 1.9%
Population
• (2010)	15,429
• Density	65/sq mi (25/km²)
Congressional district	15th
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5

Massac County is a county located in the state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 15,429. Its county seat is Metropolis.

Massac County is included in the Paducah, KY-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is located along the Ohio River, in the portion of the state known locally as "Little Egypt".

History

This area was occupied by various cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years before European contact. The most complex and last was that of the Mississippian culture, which built the complex mounds and plaza at the Kincaid Site (now a National Historic Landmark). They abandoned the site in about 1500, centuries before European contact.

Part of the Illinois Country was claimed by French explorers; this area was barely settled, with most French colonial villages close to the Mississippi River. During the French and Indian War against the British, the French built a fort here in 1757. It was named Fort Massac after Claude Louis d'Espinchal, Marquis de Massiac, the French Naval Minister. Massiac is a commune in Cantal, France. Fort Massac is also a National Historic Landmark. Although beginning to be settled by European Americans after the American Revolution, Massac County was formally organized on February 8, 1843, out of territory from both Johnson and Pope counties. In the mid-19th century, after the revolutions of 1848, the Midwest received many German immigrants. Their self-identified descendants today comprise nearly one-third of the population of the county. The Elijah P. Curtis House is the third National Historic Landmark in Massac County. Built in 1870, it is located at 405 Market Street in Metropolis, Illinois.

• 

  Massac County at the time of its creation in 1843

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 242 square miles (630 km²), of which 237 square miles (610 km²) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km²) (1.9%) is water.

Climate and weather

Metropolis, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.5     42 25     3.9     48 29     4.4     58 38     4.7     69 47     4.8     77 56     4     86 64     4.3     90 68     3     88 66     3.3     82 59     3.2     71 47     4.5     58 38     4.4     47 29 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     89     6 −4     99     9 −2     112     14 3     119     21 8     121     25 13     102     30 18     109     32 20     76     31 19     83     28 15     82     22 8     113     14 3     111     8 −2 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Metropolis have ranged from a low of 25 °F (−4 °C) in January to a high of 90 °F (32 °C) in July, although a record low of −21 °F (−29 °C) was recorded in January 1984 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.00 inches (76 mm) in August to 4.76 inches (121 mm) in May.

Major highways

• Interstate 24
• U.S. Highway 45
• Illinois Route 169

Adjacent counties

• Pope County - north
• Livingston County, Kentucky - east
• McCracken County, Kentucky - south
• Pulaski County - west
• Johnson County - northwest

National protected area

• Shawnee National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	4,092		—
1860	6,213		51.8%
1870	9,581		54.2%
1880	10,443		9.0%
1890	11,313		8.3%
1900	13,110		15.9%
1910	14,200		8.3%
1920	13,559		−4.5%
1930	14,081		3.8%
1940	14,937		6.1%
1950	13,594		−9.0%
1960	14,341		5.5%
1970	13,889		−3.2%
1980	14,990		7.9%
1990	14,752		−1.6%
2000	15,161		2.8%
2010	15,429		1.8%
Est. 2014	14,905		−3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2010

Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:

• 91.0% White
• 5.9% Black
• 0.4% Native American
• 0.3% Asian
• 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• 2.0% Two or more races
• 0.4% Other races
• 1.9% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

2000

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 15,429 people, 6,362 households, and 4,242 families residing in the county. The population density was 65.0 inhabitants per square mile (25.1/km²). There were 7,113 housing units at an average density of 30.0 per square mile (11.6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.0% white, 5.9% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.7% were German, 16.1% were Irish, 8.5% were English, and 8.5% were American.

Of the 6,362 households, 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.3% were non-families, and 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 42.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,077 and the median income for a family was $51,794. Males had a median income of $46,231 versus $25,717 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,216. About 9.7% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Brookport
• Metropolis

Village

• Joppa

Unincorporated communities

• Bargerville
• New Liberty
• Round Knob
• Shady Grove
• Unionville

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Massac County, Illinois
• Massac County High School