MCHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS

'McHenry County' is located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 260,077. As of 2005, the population is estimated to be 303,990. Its county seat is Woodstock, Illinois⁶. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest county, in terms of population, in the state of Illinois. Long known as a center of agriculture and recreation, it has recently grappled with rapid rates of suburbanization and urbanization.

Contents

Geography

Adjacent Counties

History

Demographics

Townships

Cities and towns

Census designated places

Notable Residents

See also

External links

References

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,583 km² (611 mi²). 1,563 km² (604 mi²) of it is land and 20 km² (8 mi²) of it (1.25%) is water.

Adjacent Counties

★ Walworth County, Wisconsin - north

★ Kenosha County, Wisconsin - northeast

★ Lake County - east

★ Cook County - southeast

★ Kane County - south

★ DeKalb County - southwest

★ Boone County - west

History

McHenry County was formed in 1836 out of Cook and LaSalle Counties. The County was named for Major William McHenry, an Indian fighter who died in Vandalia in 1835.
McHenry County originally stretched all the way east to Lake Michigan, with the county seat centrally in McHenry, but in 1839, the eastern townships of the county were carved out to form Lake County.
The Republican Party has maintained McHenry County as one of its most reliable strongholds, being the most conservative county in Chicagoland.
President Gerald Ford's mother Dorothy Ayer Gardner Ford and maternal grandfather Levi Addison Gardner and possibly his maternal grandmother Adele Augusta Ayer Gardner were born in the county (near Harvard, Illinois).

Demographics

'McHenry County Population by year'

2000 - 260,077 1990 - 183,241 1980 - 147,897 1970 - 111,555 1960 - 84,210 1950 - 50,656 1940 - 37,311 1930 - 35,079 1920 - 33,164 1910 - 32,509 1900 - 29,759 1890 - 26,114 1880 - 24,908 1870 - 23,762 1860 - 22,089 1850 - 14,978 1840 - 2,578

As of the census² of 2000, there were 260,077 people, 89,403 households, and 69,287 families residing in the county. The population density was 166/km² (431/mi²). There were 92,908 housing units at an average density of 59/km² (154/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.91% White, 0.59% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.77% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. 7.54% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 89,403 households out of which 42.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.50% were married couples living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.50% were non-families. 18.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the county the population was spread out with 30.20% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 33.50% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 8.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $64,826, and the median income for a family was $71,553. Males had a median income of $50,479 versus $31,141 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,476. About 2.50% of families and 3.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.80% of those under age 18 and 3.60% of those age 65 or over.

Townships

★ Alden

★ Algonquin

★ Burton

★ Chemung

★ Coral

★ Dorr

★ Dunham

★ Grafton

★ Greenwood

★ Hartland

★ Hebron

★ Marengo

★ McHenry

★ Nunda

★ Richmond

★ Riley

★ Seneca

Cities and towns

★ Algonquin - partly in Kane County

★ Barrington Hills

★ Bull Valley

★ Cary

★ Crystal Lake

★ Fox Lake - partly in Lake County

★ Fox River Grove - partly in Lake County

★ Fox River Valley Gardens - see Port Barrington

★ Greenwood

★ Harvard

★ Hebron

★ Holiday Hills

★ Huntley - partly in Kane County

★ Island Lake - partly in Lake County

★ Johnsburg

★ Lake in the Hills

★ Lakemoor - partly in Lake County

★ Lakewood

★ Marengo

★ McCullom Lake

★ McHenry

★ Oakwood Hills

★ Pistakee Highlands

★ Port Barrington - partly in Lake County

★ Prairie Grove

★ Richmond

★ Ringwood

★ Spring Grove

★ Trout Valley

★ Union

★ Wonder Lake

★ Woodstock

Census designated places

★ Ridgefield

★ Solon Mills

★ Sunnyside

★ Village of Lakewood

Notable Residents

★ Alkaline Trio - Alternative/Punk rock band

See also

★ Chain O'Lakes State Park

★ Fox River

★ Golden Corridor

★ Lake in the Hills Airport

★ Moraine Hills State Park

★ McHenry County College

★ UP/Northwest Line

External links

★ [1]

★ McHenry County official website

★ Major William McHenry

★ McHenry County Historical Society

★ History of McHenry County Towhships

★ http://www.uwmchenry.org/ United Way of McHenry County]

References

★ Population of states and counties of the United States: 1790 to 1990 : from the twenty-one decennial censuses, , Richard L. (editor), Forstall, United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division, 1996, ISBN 0-934213-48-8
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