Illinois Counties
Illinois County map
Click Image to Enlarge

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.
 

Lawrence County, Illinois

Lawrence County Education, Geography, and HistoryLawrence County, Illinois Courthouse

Lawrence County is the easternmost county in the state of Illinois (excluding water boundaries). According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 16,833.  Lawrence County was created on January 16, 1821. The county seat is Lawrenceville. The county is named for Captain James Lawrence (1781-1813), commander of the USS Chesapeake in the War of 1812.

Etymology - Origin of Lawrence County Name

Lawrence County is named for Captain James Lawrence, commander of the USS. Chesapeake, killed in naval battle in 1812. Famous for his command "Don't give up the ship!".

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Lawrence County History

Lawrence County was created on January 16, 1821 (Laws, 1821, p. 16) and was formed from Crawford and Edwards Counties. Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: Crawford County (1816-1821), Edwards County (1815-1819), Gallatin County (1812-1815),Madison County (1812-1815), Randolph County (1809-1812) and Knox, Northwest Territory (1790-1809).

The County was named for Captain James Lawrence, Commander of the Chesapeake, who was mortally wounded in an engagement between that vessel and the British vessel, Shannon, during the War of 1812. The County Seat is Lawrenceville . Prior County Seats was Home of Toussaint Dubois (Lawrenceville) (1821) and Lawrenceville (1821-Present).

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 374 square miles (968 km2), of which, 372 square miles (963 km2) of it is land and 2 square miles (5 km2) of it (0.52%) is water.

 Lawrence county is located in southeast Illinois. Red Hills State Park is located in this county.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

  • North: Crawford County
  • East: Knox County, Ind.
  • Southwest: Wabash County
  • West: Richland County

Education



Compare More Colleges and Universities
Find the Right School

Find more schools to match to your needs.


County Resources
US Counties
Click Image to Enlarge