DeKalb County, Illinois

History

DeKalb County was formed on March 4, 1837, out of Kane County, Illinois. The county was named for Johann de Kalb, a German (Bavarian) hero of the American Revolutionary War. DeKalb County's area is approximately 632.7 square miles, and it is located 63 miles west of Chicago. There are 19 townships in the county; the county seat is Sycamore.

Between 1834 and 1837, after the Potawatomi people had been pushed out, European Americans formed settlements in DeKalb County along streams and wooded areas due to fertile soil, wild game, and food and water opportunities. Primary growth stemmed from the introduction of the railroad, which brought easier methods of transportation and opportunities for industrial growth. Early industries based in DeKalb County included Sandwich Mfg. Co, Marsh Harvester Co, barbed wire, and Gurler Bros Pure Milk Co.

The county is noted for agriculture. In 1852, the DeKalb Agricultural Society produced the county's first Agricultural Fair, in Sycamore. Eventually farmers, businessmen, bankers and newspapermen organized to become the DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association, which later was split into DeKalb County Farm Bureau and DeKalb Agricultural Association (DEKALB AgResearch, Inc., Monsanto). DeKalb County is credited with being the birthplace of the Farm Bureau movement. DeKalb County is the 2nd largest hog producing county in Illinois and the 66th largest in the nation.

Education has played an important role in the area: Northern Illinois University is located in DeKalb and Kishwaukee College is located in Malta. Except for 2020 (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), a major fair has been held each year since 1887 at the Sandwich Fairgrounds in Sandwich. File:DeKalb County Illinois 1837.png|DeKalb County at the time of its creation in 1837

Pronunciation

Unlike similarly spelled locations, such as DeKalb County, Georgia, DeKalb denizens from Illinois pronounce the county name , with an L sound, as in German, after its namesake.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 635 sqmi, of which 631 sqmi is land and 3.4 sqmi (0.5%) is water.

Climate and weather

|Sycamore, Illinois |10|27|1.54 |16|32|1.40 |26|44|2.46 |37|58|3.52 |48|70|4.21 |58|80|4.49 |63|84|4.22 |61|81|4.48 |51|74|3.51 |40|62|2.60 |28|45|2.82 |17|32|2.13 In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Sycamore have ranged from a low of 10 °F in January to a high of 84 °F in July, although a record low of -27 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 103 °F was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.40 in in February to 4.49 in in June.

Adjacent counties

• Boone County - north
• McHenry County - northeast
• Kane County - east
• Kendall County - southeast
• LaSalle County - south
• Lee County - west
• Ogle County - west
• Winnebago County - northwest

Major highways

• [[File:I-88.svg|25px]] Interstate 88
• [[File:US 30.svg|25px]] US Route 30
• [[File:US 34.svg|25px]] US Route 34
• [[File:Illinois 23.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 23
• [[File:Illinois 38.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 38
• [[File:Illinois 64.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 64
• [[File:Illinois 72.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 72
• [[File:Illinois 110.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 110

Transit

• DeKalb Public Transit

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 100,420. The median age was 34.3 years; 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.1 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 73.9% White, 8.9% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3% Asian,

78.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 21.8% lived in rural areas.

There were 38,487 households in the county, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.4% were married-couple households, 20.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 41,311 housing units, of which 6.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 61.0% were owner-occupied and 39.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 105,160 people, 38,484 households, and 23,781 families residing in the county. The population density was 166.6 PD/sqmi. There were 41,079 housing units at an average density of 65.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 85.1% white, 6.4% black or African American, 2.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 3.9% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.1% of the population.

Of the 38,484 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.2% were non-families, and 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 29.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $54,002 and the median income for a family was $70,713. Males had a median income of $50,192 versus $35,246 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,179. About 7.7% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• DeKalb
• Genoa
• Sandwich (mostly)
• Sycamore

Town

• Cortland

Villages

• Hinckley
• Kingston
• Kirkland
• Lee (part)
• Malta
• Maple Park (part)
• Shabbona
• Somonauk (mostly)
• Waterman

Unincorporated communities

• Afton Center
• Charter Grove
• Clare
• Colvin Park
• East Paw Paw
• Elva
• Esmond
• Fairdale
• Five Points
• Franks
• McGirr
• New Lebanon
• Rollo
• Shabbona Grove
• Wilkinson

Townships

• Afton
• Clinton
• Cortland
• DeKalb
• Franklin
• Genoa
• Kingston
• Malta
• Mayfield
• Milan
• Paw Paw
• Pierce
• Sandwich
• Shabbona
• Somonauk
• South Grove
• Squaw Grove
• Sycamore
• Victor

Politics

As part of Northern Illinois, DeKalb County was a stronghold for the Free Soil Party in its early elections – being among nine Illinois counties to support Martin Van Buren in 1848 – and became overwhelmingly Republican for the century following that party's formation. The only time it did not back the official GOP nominee between 1856 and 1988 was in 1912 when the Republican Party was mortally divided and Progressive Theodore Roosevelt won almost half the county's vote.

During this time, it rejected Democrats even in statewide and national landslides. In 1936, Republican nominee Alf Landon won DeKalb County by double digits while losing 46 of 48 states. Landon held Franklin D. Roosevelt to only 43 percent of DeKalb County's vote, the most he would garner in the county during his four runs for president. Even Barry Goldwater – renowned for his antagonism towards the establishment – won by seven percent in 1964, despite losing sixteen percent of the vote compared to Richard Nixon in 1960.

In 1992, with the third-party entrance of Ross Perot siphoning votes from Republican George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton became the first Democrat to carry the county in 140 years. Clinton would narrowly win the county again in 1996, carrying the county by 335 votes over Republican nominee Bob Dole.

Since 2008, the county has been a Democratic stronghold, comparable to other college towns around the United States and the other counties around Chicago.

Education

Tertiary

Northern Illinois University is in the county.

K-12

The following school districts have territory in the county, no matter how slight, even if their schools and/or administrative headquarters are in other counties:

K-12:

• Belvidere Consolidated Unit School District 100
• Central Community Unit School District 301
• Community Unit School District 300
• DeKalb Community Unit School District 428
• Earlville Community Unit School District 9
• Genoa-Kingston Community Unit School District 424
• Hinckley-Big Rock Community Unit School District 429
• Hiawatha Community Unit School District 426
• Indian Creek Community Unit District 425
• Kaneland Community Unit School District 302
• Lee Center Community Unit School District 271
• Leland Community Unit School District 1
• Sandwich Community Unit School District 430
• Somonauk Community Unit School District 432
• Sycamore Community Unit School District 427

Secondary:

• Rochelle Township High School District 212

Elementary:

• Creston Community Consolidated School District 161
• Eswood Community Consolidated District 269
• Steward Elementary School District 220

References

References

• US Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles
• US National Atlas

References

1. (March 2025). "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020–2024". U.S. Department of Commerce.
2. "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. Illinois Regional Archives Depository System. "Name Index to Illinois Local Governments". [[Illinois Secretary of State]].
5. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". Govt. Print. Off..
6. "Monthly Averages for Sycamore IL". The Weather Channel.
7. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates Tables". United States Census Bureau.
8. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau.
11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". US Census Bureau.
12. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
14. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
15. "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Illinois- Table 14 - Persons by Race and Table 16 (p. 18-28) - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 29-39)".
16. "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Illinois - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Orogin".
17. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – DeKalb County, Illinois".
18. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – DeKalb County, Illinois".
19. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – DeKalb County, Illinois".
20. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
21. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
22. not an option in the 1980 Census
23. not an option in the 1990 Census
24. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau.
25. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau.
26. "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau.
27. "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau.
28. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections".
29. Geography Division. (December 22, 2020). "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: DeKalb County, IL". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].