Morgan County, Illinois

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Morgan County is in central Illinois. The county seat and largest city is Jacksonville. It’s part of the Jacksonville, Illinois area and is included in the Springfield–Jacksonville–Lincoln region for statistical purposes.

Size and people
The county covers about 572 square miles, with most of that being land. As of the 2020 census, about 32,915 people lived in Morgan County; a 2024 estimate puts the population at around 32,618. The area has a mix of urban and rural communities.

History
Morgan County was created in 1823 from parts of Greene and Sangamon Counties. It was named after General Daniel Morgan, a Revolutionary War hero. Jacksonville was founded in 1825 by settlers from New England who moved west after the Erie Canal opened and the Black Hawk War ended. These early settlers valued education and abolitionism and helped shape the county’s early culture.

Geography and climate
The 90th Meridian runs through the county. Winters are cold and summers are warm. In Jacksonville, January is usually the cold month and July is the warmest. The county gets most rain in the spring.

People and economy
Morgan County’s population is mostly White, with Black and other racial groups making up smaller portions. Roughly two-thirds live in urban areas and one-third in rural areas. The county is served by several school districts.

Economy and income levels are modest, with median household incomes in the tens of thousands of dollars and a noticeable share of residents living below the poverty line.

Politics
Historically, Morgan County tends to vote Republican in statewide and national elections.