Washington County, Illinois

Washington County Education, Geography, and History

Washington County is a county located in the state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 14,716. Washington County was created on January 2, 1818. The county seat is Nashville. The county is named for George Washington (1732-1799), commander-in-chief of American forces in the American Revolutionary War and first President of the United States.

Etymology - Origin of Washington County Name

The county is named for President George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Army during the American Revolution and first President of the United States.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Washington County History

Washington County was created on January 2, 1818 (Territorial Laws, 1817-1818, p. 39) and was formed from St. Clair County. Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: St. Clair County (1790-1818) and Randolph County (1803-1818).

The County was named for George Washington, a Revolutionary General, statesman, and first president of the United States. Commander in chief of the American forces during the Revolution (1775-1783), and president of the second Constitutional Convention, he was the first president of the newly independent United States (1789-1797). The county seat is Nashville. It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known locally as "Little Egypt". Prior County Seats was Covington (1818-1831) and Nashville (1831-Present).

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 564 square miles (1,461 km²), of which, 563 square miles (1,457 km²) of it is land and 2 square miles (4 km²) of it (0.27%) is water.

Washington county is located in south Illinois.  Many lakes, rivers, streams, and creeks are located in this area, including the Kaskaskia River, which is the county's northern border. Washington County State Recreation Area is located in this county.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• North: Clinton County
• Northeast: Marion County
• East: Jefferson County
• South: Perry County
• Southwest: Randolph County
• Northwest: St. Clair County

Education

The county is served by seven school districts:

• Oakdale CCSD 1
• West Washington County CUD 10
• Irvington CCSD 11
• Ashley CCSD 15
• Hoyleton Cons SD 29
• Nashville CCSD 49
• Nashville CHSD 99

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