Adams County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 65,737. Its county seat is Quincy. Adams County is part of the Quincy, IL–MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History Adams County was formed in 1825 out of Pike County. Its name is in honor of the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties Hancock County - north Brown County - east Schuyler County - east Pike County - south Marion County, Missouri - west Lewis County, Missouri - west

Public transit Quincy Transit Lines Quincy station Burlington Trailways List of intercity bus stops in Illinois

Major highways

National protected area Great River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Climate and weather In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Quincy have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1979 and a record high of was recorded in July 2005. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May.

Demographics

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 65,737. The median age was 41.3 years, 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 20.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.4 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.0% of the population.

66.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 33.9% lived in rural areas.

There were 27,313 households in the county, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.3% were married-couple households, 18.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 30,235 housing units, of which 9.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.5% were owner-occupied and 28.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.1%.

Racial and ethnic composition +Adams County, Illinois – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)69,27463,72964,61162,41458,38996.72%96.43%94.63%93.01%88.82%Black or African American alone (NH)1,6971,6842,0772,2882,4642.37%2.55%3.04%3.41%3.75%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)7497102100920.10%0.15%0.15%0.15%0.14%Asian alone (NH)1602472694305000.22%0.37%0.39%0.64%0.76%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census81233xx0.01%0.02%0.05%Other race alone (NH)1146845752230.16%0.10%0.07%0.11%0.34%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census5981,0082,749xx0.88%1.50%4.18%Hispanic or Latino (any race)3032655677761,2870.42%0.40%0.83%1.16%1.96%Total71,62266,09068,27767,10365,737 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2006–2010 American Community Survey The median income for a household in the county was $55,052 and the median income for a family was $72,091. Males had a median income of $41,852 versus $29,404 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,035. About 9.4% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Community Communitytype Population TotalArea WaterArea LandArea Pop.DensityCamp Point village 1,121 1.27 0.00 1.27 885.47 Clayton village 639 0.89 0.01 0.88 722.85 Coatsburg village 150 0.13 0.00 0.13 1,136.36 Columbus village 114 0.22 0.00 0.22 520.55 Golden village 648 0.64 0.00 0.64 1,009.35 La Prairie village 42 0.19 0.00 0.19 217.62 Liberty village 543 0.39 0.00 0.39 1,388.75 Lima village 148 0.14 0.00 0.14 1,096.30 Loraine village 300 0.84 0.00 0.84 355.45 Mendon village 872 0.86 0.00 0.86 1,017.50 Payson village 1,025 1.17 0.00 1.17 876.07 Plainville village 271 0.23 0.00 0.23 1,153.19 Quincy (seat) city 39,463 15.81 0.04 15.77 2,503.20 Ursa village 609 0.69 0.00 0.69 882.61 Adams County county 65,737 871 16 855 75

Census-designated places

Adams Beverly Bloomfield Burton Fall Creek Fowler Kingston Marblehead Marcelline Meyer Paloma Richfield

Unincorporated communities

Bigneck Chatton Kellerville North Quincy Spring Valley Woodville

Townships

Adams County is divided into twenty-three townships:

Beverly Burton Camp Point Clayton Columbus Concord Ellington Fall Creek Gilmer Honey Creek Houston Keene Liberty Lima McKee Melrose Mendon Northeast Payson Quincy Richfield Riverside Ursa

Politics

Adams County, positioned in a primarily rural section of Illinois, is somewhat more conservative than the state's northeastern corner. President Donald J. Trump set the record for highest percentage of the vote ever received in 2024, vacuuming in 73%. Trump also previously set the record in 2020, and in 2016. Quincy, the county seat, is home to a high number of socially conservative Catholics and likewise is the home to the campus of Quincy University, a private Catholic liberal arts college, and the Western Catholic Union.

The county is part of the historic belt of German settlement extending into the Missouri Rhineland. Since it was antagonistic to the Yankee northeast of Illinois, it voted solidly Democratic until 1892. After being a swing county in the first half of the twentieth century, Adams County has been a Republican stronghold. It has gone Republican in all but four presidential elections since 1920, all but one of which was a 400-vote Democratic landslide. The county last supported a Democrat in 1964, when it voted for Lyndon Johnson. The county regularly supports the Republicans at the state level as well; it has not supported a Democrat for Governor of Illinois since Adlai Stevenson II in 1948. Additionally, five of the six countywide elected officials in Adams County are Republicans, with a Democrat holding the position of Circuit Clerk. Notably, while it voted for Barack Obama in his 2004 Senate campaign, he lost it by wide margins in both of his presidential bids.

The county is part of Illinois's 15th congressional district, currently represented by Republican Mary Miller. For the Illinois House of Representatives, the county is located in the 94th district, represented by Republican Randy Frese. The county is located in the 47th district of the Illinois Senate, represented by Republican Jil Tracy.

Education

Unified school districts School districts covering sections of the county include: - Text list Central Community Unit School District 3 Griggsville-Perry Community Unit School District 4 Liberty Community Unit School District 2 Mendon Community Unit School District 4 Payson Community Unit School District 1 Quincy Public School District 172 Southeastern Community Unit School District 337 Western Community Unit School District 12

Private schools Blessed Sacrament Catholic School Chaddock School Quincy Christian School Quincy Notre Dame High School St. Dominic Catholic School St. Francis Solanus Catholic School St. James Lutheran School St. Peter Catholic School

Colleges and universities Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences John Wood Community College Quincy University

Attractions

Adams County Fair Bayview Bridge Burton Cave Fall Creek Scenic Park Golden Windmill John Wood Mansion Saukenauk Scout Reservation Siloam Springs State Park Spirit Knob Winery Villa Katharine Wavering Park

See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Adams County, Illinois

References

External links

Adams County website Adams County GIS Website Great River Genealogical Society United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS) United States National Atlas