McLean

Formed December 25, 1830 (53^rd county)

McLean County (170,975), Bloomington (78,699)

A Modern style metal and concrete courthouse was built in 1976.  It is on Front Street between Main and Olive streets.  United States Highway 51 is one blocks west.  Lundeen, Hilfinger, and Ashbury are the building designers.  The building was renovated in 1997.  A County Administration Center augments the courthouse.  There were more classic designed courthouses dating from 1868 and 1902 in Bloomington, the only county seat.  McLean County was founded on December 25, 1830 out of Tazewell County as the 53^rd county.  United States Senator John McLean was the inspiration for the county’s name.  Bloomington is named for a local grove, Blooming Grove. 

McLean County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a coroner, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 19 Board Members (legislative.)  Eighteen Circuit Court Judges serve McLean, Ford, Livingston, Logan, and Woodford counties and a court clerk serves McLean County (judicial.) The county is in north central Illinois.  Peoria, Illinois is northwest and Springfield, Illinois is southwest of the county.  The county center is 10 miles Northeast of Bloomington nearer Towanda.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Livingston, Ford, Champaign, Piatt, De Witt, Logan, Tazewell, and Woodford counties.  The county is overall shaped like a capital letter T standing on its head.  Bloomington is located in the western third of the county.  Bloomington is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 46.0% of the county population.  The county is pronounced MIK-LAEN. 

The area of the county is 1183 square miles.  It is 1 out of 102 in the state.  It ranks 13 out of 102 in population in the state.  It has a density of 144.5 persons per square mile making it 21 out of 102 in the state.  McLean County has 89.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 39 enters the county from the north, Woodford County, and terminates.  Interstate Highway 55 crosses northeast to southwest through the county from Livingston to Logan counties.  Interstate Highway 74 goes east to west from De Witt County to Woodford County.  United States Highway 24 crosses the extreme northern part from east to west from Livingston to Woodford counties.  United States Highway 51 is joined with Interstate Highway 39 from Woodford County and continues south into De Witt County.  United States Highway 136 crosses the extreme southern part of the county east to west from Champaign County to Logan County.  United States Highway 150 parallels Interstate Highway 74 from De Witt to Woodford counties.  This county is in the Bloomington-Normal Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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