Effingham, Illinois

Effingham is a city in Effingham County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,384 at the 2000 census. 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 (39.120903, -88.545909).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.6 km² (8.7 mi²). 22.5 km² (8.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.69%) is 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. The name is Anglo-Saxon for "Effa's house".

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.

On April 5, 1949, 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.

Notable citizens

Jimmy Kite, NASCAR driver

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/km² (1,428.9/mi²). There were 5,660 housing units at an average density of 252.1/km² (653.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.79% White, 0.36% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.04% of the population.

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. About 6.5% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

World's Largest Cross

Effingham is the home of the world's largest cross. Built over a five year period at a cost of over one million dollars, the cross stands 198 feet tall and contains 180 tons of steel. It consists of four sections and can withstand 145 mph winds.

External links

Cities in Illinois | Effingham County, Illinois | Micropolitan areas of Illinois