Effingham, Illinois

Effingham is a city located in Effingham County, Illinois . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 12,384. It is the County Seat of Effingham County .

The city bills itself as "The Crossroads of Opportunity" because of its location at the intersection of two major Interstate highways: I-57 running from Chicago to New Orleans , and I-70 running from Utah to Maryland . Thus, Effingham has a broad range of restaurants, lodging, and shopping facilities.

Effingham is also located on U.S. Highway 40, the historic National Road .

GEOGRAPHY

Effingham is located at 39°7'15" North, 88°32'45" West (39.120903, -88.545909).

According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 22.6 Km&² (8.7 Mi&² ). 22.5 km&² (8.7 mi&²) of it is land and 0.2 km&² (0.1 mi&²) of it is water. The total area is 0.69% water.

HISTORY

Effingham is named for Effingham County , which was named after Edward Effingham , who resigned his commission as general in the British army in 1775 , refusing to serve in the war against the Colonies. Effingham is a village in England . The name is Anglo-Saxon for "Effa's house".

In 1949, Effingham received it's moment of National fame. In April of that year, St. Anthony's hospital caught fire and burned to the ground, killing 70 people. As a result, fire codes nationwide were improved. Due to extensive media coverage, including a '' LIFE '' magazine cover story, donations for rebuilding the hospital came from all 48 states and several foreign countries.

Effingham is also historically important as a rail junction. The old Pennsylvania Railroad and the Illinois Central Railroad cross paths in downtown. Even today, Amtrak 's '' City Of New Orleans '' passes through daily.

DEMOGRAPHICS

As of the Census of 2000, there were 12,384 people, 5,330 households, and 3,187 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 551.5/km&² (1,428.9/mi&²). There were 5,660 housing units at an average density of 252.1/km&² (653.0/mi&²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.79% White , 0.36% African American , 0.19% Native American , 0.59% Asian , 0.00% Pacific Islander , 0.38% from Other Races , and 0.69% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,330 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were Married Couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,761, and the median income for a family was $45,902. Males had a median income of $31,442 versus $21,543 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $19,132. 9.6% of the population and 6.5% of families were below the Poverty Line . 12.9% of those under the age of 18 and 7.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

WORLD'S LARGEST CROSS

The Cross at the Crossroads was built with a record in mind - according to the couple running the welcome center that day, the Foundation looked at the other World's Largest, and built theirs 2 feet taller. According to the FAQ list supplied by the greeters, the cross is 198 feet tall, 180 tons of steel, made in four sections, and can withstand 145 mph winds. Five years from concept to completion, it cost more than one million dollars so far.

EXTERNAL LINKS

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Effingham, Illinois