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Illinois Counties
There are one hundred and two counties in Illinois. St. Clair County was the first county established in what is today Illinois. Most counties in Illinois were named after early American leaders, especially of the American Revolutionary War, as well as soldiers from the Battle of Tippecanoe and the War of 1812.Jersey County, Illinois
Jersey County Education, Geography, and History
Jersey County is a county located in the state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a
population of 22,985. Jersey County was
created on February 28, 1839. The county
seat is Jerseyville. The county is named
for the State of New Jersey, from which many early settlers hailed.
Jersey County is included in the St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Jersey County Name
The county is named for the State of New Jersey, from which many early settlers hailed.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Jersey County History
Jersey County was created on February 28, 1839 (Laws, 1839, p. 208) and was formed from Greene County. Present area,
or parts of it, formerly included in: Greene County (1821-1839), Madison County (1812-1821) and St. Clair County
(1790-1812).
The County was named for the State of New Jersey, which derived its name from the Isle of Jersey in Great Britain. The
County Seat is Jerseyville (1839-Present).
In 1821, with the establishment of Greene County, it ceased to be a part of Madison County, a relation it had held since the latter was formed by Gov. Edwards in 1818. The part o Greene County that now constitutes Jersey County, continued to be included in Greene Count until August 5, 1839. The Enabling Act passed by the Legislature, February 28, 1839, provided that on August 5, following at an election held for that purpose, a proposition should be submitted to the voters of the latter county, for and against the separation of Jersey County from Greene County, for their determination At that election, there were 1, 239 votes for and 714 against the proposition, a majority of 525 ou of a total of 1, 953 votes. From 1821 until 1839, however, the history of Jersey County is naturall included in that of Greene, and is so given. [Hamilton "History of Jersey Co." 1919]
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 377 square miles (976 km2). 369 square miles (956 km2) of it is land and 8 square miles (20 km2) of it (or 2.08%) is water.
Jersey county is located in southwest Illinois. Jersey County is bordered by the Mississippi River to the south, the Illinois River to the west, and Macoupin Creek to the northwest. Part of Mississippi River State Fish and Wildlife Area is located in this county. Pere Marquette State Park is located in Jersey County.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- North: Greene County
- Northeast: Macoupin County
- Southeast: Madison County
- Southwest: St. Charles County, Mo.
- Northwest: Calhoun County
Education
Unified school districts
- Alton Community Unit School District 11 - serves a very small portion of southern Jersey County (east of Elsah), along with northwestern Madison County.
- Greenfield Community Unit School District 10 - serves a very small portion of northeastern Jersey County (west of Kemper), along with eastern Greene County.
- Jersey Community Unit School District 100 - serves most of Jersey County, and a small portion of southern Greene County.
- Southwestern Community Unit School District 9 - serves the northeastern and southeastern portions of Jersey County, along with southwestern Macoupin County.
High schools
- Jersey Community High School, located in Jerseyville.
Colleges and universities
- Principia College, located near Elsah.
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