McDonough

Formed January 1, 1826 (44^th county)

McDonough County (27,237), Macomb (15,050)

The classic towered Victorian courthouse was built in 1872 in red brick and masonry.  It is located in a city square surrounded by Jackson, Lafayette, Carroll, and Randolph streets.  United States Highway 136 is Jackson Street.  Elijah E. Myers is the building architect.  The county was established on January 1, 1826 and named for War of 1812 hero Thomas Macdonough.  The county was taken from Schuyler County as the 44^th county with Macomb as the only county seat.  The county seat honors another War of 1812 hero General Alexander Macomb. 

McDonough County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a coroner, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 21 Board Members (legislative.)  Fifteen Circuit Court Judges serve McDonough, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, and Warren counties and a court clerk serves McDonough County (judicial.) The county is in western Illinois southwest of Peoria, Illinois and south of Davenport, Iowa.  The county center is in Macomb 1.1 miles North of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Warren, Fulton, Schuyler, Hancock, and Henderson counties. 

The area of the county is 589 square miles.  It is 36 out of 102 in the state.  It ranks 50 out of 102 in population in the state.  It has a density of 46.2 persons per square mile making it 51 out of 102 in the state.  McDonough County has 77.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 67 crosses north to south through the county from Warren County to Schuyler County.  United States Highway 136 goes east to west from Fulton County to Hancock County.  The county is nearly a square.  Macomb is slightly south of center in the county.  Macomb is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 55.3% of the county population.  The county is pronounced MAK-DON-OE.  This county is in the Macomb Micropolitan Statistical Area.