Lincoln, Illinois Article Index for
Lincoln
Website Links For
Lincoln
 

Information About

Lincoln, Illinois




As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 15,369. It is the County Seat of Logan County .


GEOGRAPHY

Lincoln is located on I-55 (formerly Route 66 ), between Bloomington and Springfield (40°8'60" North, 89°22'3" West).

According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 15.3 Km&2 (5.9 Mi&2 ), none of which is covered by water.

Lincoln is on the Amtrak line between St. Louis, Missouri and Chicago, Illinois . Salt Creek (Sangamon River Tributary) and the Edward R. Madigan State Fish And Wildlife Area are nearby.


HISTORY

The town was officially named on August 27 , 1853 , in an unusual ceremony. Lincoln, having assisted with the Plat ting of the town and worked for the railroad which led to its founding, was asked to participate in a naming ceremony for the town. During the proceedings, Lincoln chose a ripe Watermelon from a nearby wagon, broke it open, and squeezed the juice on the grounds, as an informal Rite of Baptism .

Langston Hughes spent some of his early years in Lincoln. Later on, he was to write to his eighth-grade teacher in Lincoln, telling her his writing career began there in the eighth grade, when he was elected class poet.


DEMOGRAPHICS

As of the Census of 2000, there were 15,369 people, 5,965 households, and 3,692 families residing in the town. The Population Density was 1,002.4/km&2 (2,596.6/mi&2). There were 6,391 housing units at an average density of 416.8/km&2 (1,079.8/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.79% White , 2.82% African American , 0.16% Native American , 0.89% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.45% from Other Races , and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,965 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were Married Couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.89.

The town's population is spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,435, and the median income for a family was $45,171. Males had a median income of $33,596 versus $22,500 for females. The per-capita income for the town is $17,207. 10.7% of the population and 8.5% of families were below the Poverty Line . 13.9% of those under the age of 18 and 8.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.


NOTABLE PEOPLE FROM LINCOLN



EXTERNAL LINKS