St. Clair County is the ninth most populous county in Illinois. Located directly east of St. Louis, the county is part of the Metro East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois, known as "Little Egypt". As of the 2020 United States census, St. Clair County had a population of 257,400, making it the second most populous county in Illinois outside the Northern Third. Belleville is the county seat and largest city.
Along the Mississippi River, Cahokia Village was founded in 1697 by French settlers and served as a Jesuit mission to convert tribes of the Illinois Confederation to Christianity. The area became the center of the French Illinois Country. Prior to the establishment of Illinois as a state, the government of the Northwest Territory created St. Clair County in 1790. In 1809, the county became the administrative center of the Illinois Territory and one of the two original counties of Illinois, alongside Randolph County. In 1970, the United States Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population, which generally has moved west every decennial census, in St. Clair County.
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History
This area was occupied for thousands of years by cultures of indigenous peoples. The first modern explorers and colonists of the area were French and French Canadians, founding a mission settlement in 1697 now known as Cahokia Village. After Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War in 1763 and absorbed its territory in North America east of the Mississippi River, British-American colonists began to move into the area. Many French Catholics moved to settlements west of the river rather than live under British Protestant rule.
After the United States achieved independence in the late 18th century, St. Clair County was the first county established in present-day Illinois; it antedates Illinois' existence as a separate jurisdiction. The county was established in 1790 by a proclamation of Arthur St. Clair, first governor of the Northwest Territory, who named it after himself.
The original boundary of St. Clair county covered a large area between the Mackinaw and Ohio rivers. In 1801, Governor William Henry Harrison re-established St. Clair County as part of the Indiana Territory, extending its northern border to Lake Superior and the international border with Rupert's Land.
When the Illinois Territory was created in 1809, Territorial Secretary Nathaniel Pope, in his capacity as acting governor, issued a proclamation establishing St. Clair and Randolph County as the two original counties of Illinois.
Originally developed for agriculture, this area became industrialized and urbanized in the area of East St. Louis, Illinois, a city that developed on the east side of the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. It was always strongly influenced by actions of businessmen from St. Louis, who were initially French Creole fur traders with western trading networks.
In the 19th century, industrialists from St. Louis put coal plants and other heavy industry on the east side of the river, developing East St. Louis. Coal from southern mines was transported on the river to East St. Louis, then fed by barge to St. Louis furnaces as needed. After bridges spanned the river, industry expanded.
Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 674 square miles (1,750 km2), of which 658 square miles (1,700 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (2.4%) is water.
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Belleville have ranged from a low of 22 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 90 °F (32 °C) in July, although a record low of −27 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 117 °F (47 °C) at East St. Louis, Illinois was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.02 inches (51 mm) in January to 4.18 inches (106 mm) in May.
Transportation
Public transit
St. Clair County is home to 11 St. Louis MetroLink stations on the Red and Blue Lines.
St. Clair County is also served by Metrobus and Madison County Transit.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 257,400. The median age was 39.3 years, 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 16.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.4 males age 18 and over.
As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 59.6% White, 29.7% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.1% from some other race, and 6.8% from two or more races, while Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.9% of the population.
As of the 2020 census, 85.8% of residents lived in urban areas while 14.2% lived in rural areas.
As of the 2020 census, there were 103,134 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.7% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
As of the 2020 census, there were 114,595 housing units, of which 10.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 65.1% were owner-occupied, 34.9% were renter-occupied, the homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%, and the rental vacancy rate was 9.6%.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 270,056 people, 105,045 households, and 70,689 families residing in the county. The population density was 410.6 inhabitants per square mile (158.5/km2). There were 116,249 housing units at an average density of 176.7 per square mile (68.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 64.6% white, 30.5% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.2% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.5% were German, 11.1% were Irish, 7.4% were English, and 4.6% were American.
Of the 105,045 households, 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.7% were non-families, and 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 36.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,562 and the median income for a family was $61,042. Males had a median income of $47,958 versus $34,774 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,770. About 12.3% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center, operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections, is near East St. Louis.
Also located in St. Clair County is Scott Air Force Base, which is home to U.S. Transportation Command, the Air Force's Air Mobility Command, and the U.S. Army Transportation Command.
Politics
St. Clair County is a reliably Democratic county, having voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every presidential election since 1928, with the exception of the 1972 United States presidential election.
Communities
Former Township
Belleville
Education
Below is a list of school districts with any territory in the county, no matter how slight, even if the schools and/or administrative offices are located in other counties:
K-12 school districts
Brooklyn Unit School District 188
Cahokia Community Unit School District 187
Collinsville Community Unit School District 10
Columbia Community Unit School District 4
Dupo Community Unit School District 196
East St. Louis School District 189
Lebanon Community Unit School District 9
Marissa Community Unit School District 40
Mascoutah Community Unit School District 19
New Athens Community Unit School District 60
Red Bud Community Unit School District 132
Waterloo Community Unit School District 5
Wesclin Community Unit School District 3
Secondary school districts
Belleville Township High School District 201
Freeburg Community High School District 77
O'Fallon Township High School District 203