Effingham

Formed January 1, 1831 (54^th county)

Effingham County (34,671), Effingham (12,266)

A Modern style courthouse built in 2007 replaced a nicer 1871 structure.  The building is at 5^th and Jefferson streets.  The older courthouse is on a square at 4^th, Jefferson, 3^rd, and Washington streets.  United States Highway 45 is one block east of the site.  Paul Greco was the 2007 building designer using light tan brick and concrete.  The old courthouse features a working clock tower and columns.  The grounds have a gazebo and veteran memorials.  The county was created on January 1, 1831 from Fayette and Crawford counties as the 54^th county.  Ewington was the first county seat until 1860 when Effingham took over.  Revolutionary War hero Edward Effingham is the namesake for both the county and county seat. 

Effingham County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a coroner, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 7 Board Members (legislative.)  Seventeen Circuit Court Judges serve Effingham, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Fayette, Jasper, Marion, Montgomery, and Shelby counties and a court clerk serves Effingham County (judicial.) The county is in south central Illinois southeast of Springfield, Illinois and northeast of Saint Louis, Missouri.  The Little Wabash River flows through the county.  The county center is 4.8 miles Southwest of Effingham nearer Watson.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Cumberland, Jasper, Clay, Fayette, and Shelby counties. 

The area of the county is 478 square miles.  It is 57 out of 102 in the state.  It ranks 41 out of 102 in population in the state.  It has a density of 72.5 persons per square mile making it 34 out of 102 in the state.  Effingham County has 55.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 57 crosses the county north to south from Shelby County to Fayette County.  Interstate Highway 70 goes east to west in the county from Cumberland to Fayette counties.  United States Highway 40 parallels Interstate Highway 70 from Cumberland to Fayette counties.  United States Highway 45 goes north to south Shelby County to Clay County.  The county is nearly a square with the northeast corner cut out.  The City of Effingham is located in the northeast quarter of the county.  Effingham is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 35.4% of the county population.  This county is in the Effingham Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Montrose