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Jacksonville, IL

Frequently asked questions

Jacksonville, IL

Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,616 at the 2020 census, down from 19,446 in 2010. It is the county seat of Morgan County. It is home to Illinois College, Illinois School for the Deaf, and the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, and was formerly home to MacMurray College. Jacksonville is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Morgan and Scott counties.

Jacksonville is located at 39°43′55″N 90°14′4″W (39.731936, −90.234394). It is 32 miles (51 km) west of Springfield, the state capital, and 70 miles (110 km) east of Hannibal, Missouri. Interstate 72 passes to the south of the city, with access from Exits 64 and 68. U.S. Route 67 passes just west of the city limits, leading south 64 miles (103 km) to Alton and north 66 miles (106 km) to Macomb. Illinois Route 104 passes through Jacksonville as Morton Avenue, leading southeast 18 miles (29 km) to Waverly, while Illinois Route 267 runs south from Jacksonville, leading 27 miles (43 km) to Greenfield. Illinois Route 78 leads north from Jacksonville 16 miles (26 km) to Virginia.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Jacksonville has a total area of 10.76 square miles (27.87 km²), of which 0.20 square miles (0.52 km²), or 1.83%, are water. The city sits in the middle of mostly flat, fertile farmland. One branch of Mauvaisterre Creek empties into Lake Mauvaisterre, a small reservoir surrounded on three sides by parkland. 4 miles (6 km) south of the city lies Lake Jacksonville, a 476-acre (193 ha) lake with 18.6 miles (29.9 km) of shoreline. Lake Jacksonville was named the "Number One Fishing Spot in Illinois" by Field & Stream magazine.

Jacksonville was established by European Americans on a 160-acre (65 ha) tract of land in the center of Morgan County in 1825, two years after the county was founded. The founders of Jacksonville were settlers from New England. They were descended from the English Puritans who had settled in New England in the 1600s and were part of a wave of New England farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of the Northwest Territory during the early 1800s. Most of them arrived as a result of the completion of the Erie Canal and the end of the Black Hawk War. When they arrived in what is now Jacksonville, there was nothing but dense virgin forest and wild prairie. The "Yankee" New Englanders laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings, and established post routes. They brought with them values such as a passion for education, establishing many schools, as well as staunch support for abolitionism. They were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church, though some were Episcopalian. Due to the Second Great Awakening, some of them had converted to Methodism and Presbyterianism, while some others became Baptist, before moving to what is now Jacksonville. Jacksonville, like some other parts of Illinois, would be culturally very continuous with early New England culture for most of its early history.

Health and wellness are priorities in Jacksonville, with institutions like Jacksonville Memorial Hospital offering comprehensive healthcare services to residents. Explore the parks, facilities, and programs the Jacksonville Parks and Recreation Department offers. These spaces provide opportunities for outdoor activities such as walking, jogging, sports, and picnicking. Join local fitness centers and gyms to participate in exercise programs, fitness classes, and strength training. Some popular options include Fitness World, Anytime Fitness, and CrossFit Culminate. Discover the walking and biking trails in and around Jacksonville, such as the Crimson and Rocket Recreation Trail and Jacksonville Recreation Trail 2. These trails offer opportunities for outdoor exercise and enjoyment of nature.

Top sites in Jacksonville, IL are Strawn Art Gallery, Big Eli Ferris Wheel, and Jacksonville Area Museum.

Population: 17,616 (2020). ZIP code: 62650. Area codes: 217, 447. Elevation: 587 ft (179 m). Area: 10.76 sq mi (27.87 km²).

FAQs

What is Jacksonville, IL famous for?

Throughout the later half of the 19th century, many railways were established and later merged with larger lines, bringing many businesses and industries to the city. Planing mills, shirt factories, broom factories, and iron foundries flourished in Jacksonville — among them men’s clothing giant J.C. Capps & Sons — but the city soon became well known for its cigar factories. The L.S. Kent-McCarthy Co. produced roughly 6 million cigars in 1905, while the McCarthy-Gebert Co. employed 250 cigar rollers, making the owners among the wealthiest in the Morgan County working class before the local industry faded with the rise of the cigarette.

What are the race demographics of Jacksonville, IL?

Jacksonville, IL is home to a population of 17.6k people, of which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2022, 0.969% of Jacksonville, IL residents were born outside of the country (171 people). In 2022, there were 10.1 times more White (non-Hispanic) residents (14.5k people) in Jacksonville, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.44k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 897 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.
 

Is Jacksonville, IL a good place to live?

Living in Jacksonville offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Jacksonville, there are a lot of bars and parks. Many young professionals and retirees live in Jacksonville and residents tend to lean conservative.

Sources

Wikipedia

City of Jacksonville

Jacksonville Memorial Hospital 

Jacksonville Parks and Recreation Department 

Fitness World

Anytime Fitness 

CrossFit Culminate

Crimson and Rocket Recreation Trail 

Jacksonville Recreation Trail 2 

Strawn Art Gallery

Big Eli Ferris Wheel

Jacksonville Area Museum

History of Jacksonville

DataUSA

Niche

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