Jersey County, Illinois


Jersey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 21,512. The county seat and largest community is Jerseyville, with a population of 8,337 in 2010. The county's smallest incorporated community is Otterville, with a population of 87.
Jersey County is included in the St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Jersey County lies just northeast of where the great Mississippi and Illinois rivers meet. It is the former home of the Kickapoo, Menominee, Potawatomi, and Illiniwek Confederation Native Americans. The first European explorers to visit the area, Father Marquette and Louis Jolliet, arrived in 1673, where they encountered the fearsome painting of the Piasa bird. The present day Pere Marquette State Park, located near Grafton, is named in Father Marquette's honor, and a monument to him is located at the park.
Jersey County was founded on February 28, 1839, and was formed out of Greene County. The county was named for the state of New Jersey, from which many of the early settlers emigrated - which was itself named for the Channel Island of Jersey in Great Britain. The area quickly evolved into several small agricultural communities. As the area soon began to flourish, a county government was established and a courthouse was built in Jerseyville, the county seat. The Jersey County Courthouse was designed by architect Henry Elliott who also designed the courthouses in nearby Greene County, Edgar County, Illinois, DeWitt County, Illinois and Pike County, Illinois. The cornerstone for the courthouse was laid on July 4, 1893. The Romanesque Revival style courthouse is a magnificent architectural structure of limestone quarried from the nearby town of Grafton, Illinois.

Recent history

Today, while the county maintains its agricultural base, it is also within commuting distance of jobs and industry in St. Louis, Missouri and the surrounding area. A large portion of the population works outside of Jersey County and benefits from being "Near the crowd, but not in it.", the official slogan of the advertising campaign. The bordering rivers play an important part in Jersey County's economy by supporting agricultural producers and agribusiness, and by creating a strong tourist market. Education, manufacturing, and retail are also among the county's largest industries.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. Jersey County is bordered by three bodies of water: the Mississippi River to the south, the Illinois River to the west, and Macoupin Creek to the northwest.

Climate

Typically, the county's climate reflects most Midwest areas, located in the transitional zone between the humid continental climate type and the humid subtropical climate type, with neither large mountains nor large bodies of water to moderate its temperature. Spring is the wettest season and produces severe weather ranging from tornadoes to snow or ice storms. Summers are hot and humid, and the humidity often makes the heat index rise to temperatures feeling well above. Fall is mild with lower humidity and can produce intermittent bouts of heavy rainfall with the first snow flurries usually forming in late November. Winters can be cold at times with periodic light snow and temperatures below freezing.
In recent years, average temperatures in Jerseyville have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July. The record low temperature of was recorded in January 1977 and the record high temperature of was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranges from in January to in April.

Major highways

State protected areas

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 21,512. The median age was 44.2 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.3 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 93.9% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population.
40.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 59.4% lived in rural areas.
There were 8,652 households in the county, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.5% were married-couple households, 17.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 9,754 housing units, of which 11.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.1% were owner-occupied and 21.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 22,985 people, 8,828 households, and 6,228 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 9,848 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 42.8% were German, 14.7% were Irish, 10.6% were English, and 8.6% were American.
Of the 8,828 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 40.5 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $53,470 and the median income for a family was $64,773. Males had a median income of $48,750 versus $31,789 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,368. About 5.6% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Jersey County is divided into eleven townships:
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Jersey County.
† county seat
RankPlaceMunicipal typePopulation
1† 'JerseyvilleCity8,336
2Brighton Village2,221
3GraftonCity626
4ElsahVillage519
5FieldonVillage176
6FidelityVillage96
7Otterville'Town87

Education

Unified school districts

Local

The Republican Party holds five of eight countywide elected positions as of 2022 as well as a 12 to zero majority on the county board.
Jersey County is part of Regional Office of Education #40 which includes neighboring Macoupin, Calhoun and Greene counties. The office operates a facility in Jerseyville.

State

Jersey County is divided into two legislative districts in the Illinois House of Representatives:
  • District 100 - Currently represented by C. D. Davidsmeyer and consists of the majority of the county and includes the cities of Jerseyville and Grafton.
  • District 111 - Currently represented by Amy Elik and consists of the southern portion of the county and includes the village of Elsah.
The county is also divided into two legislative districts in the Illinois Senate:
  • District 50 - Currently represented by Steve McClure and consists of the majority of the county and includes the cities of Jerseyville and Grafton.
  • District 56 - Currently represented by Kristopher Tharp and consists of the southern portion of the county and includes the village of Elsah.
As of February 2025, the county is one of 7 that voted to join the state of Indiana.