Perry

Formed January 1, 1827 (47^th county)

Perry County (20,940), Pinckneyville (5,648), Du Quoin (6,109)

The red/brown brick courthouse, located at Water and Main streets, was built in 1877 and remodeled 1939 and 1994.  Water Street is Illinois State Highway 13 in the town.  Daniel W. Norris is the architect of what is now a Modern style courthouse.  A County Administration building augments the courthouse.  The grounds feature a Liberty bell and veteran memorials.  Perry County was created on January 1, 1827 from Jackson and Randolph counties as the 47^th county with Pinckneyville as the only county seat.  Perry County is named for War of 1812 hero Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.  The county seat is named for Revolutionary War General Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. 

Perry County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a coroner, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 3 Board Members (legislative.)  Twenty-four Circuit Court Judges serve Perry, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair, and Washington counties and a court clerk serves Perry County (judicial.) The county is in southwest Illinois southeast of Saint Louis, Missouri and west of Evansville, Indiana.  The county center is 4.5 miles Northeast of Pinckneyville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Jackson, and Randolph counties. 

The area of the county is 441 square miles.  It is 63 out of 102 in the state.  It ranks 57 out of 102 in population in the state.  It has a density of 47.5 persons per square mile making it 48 out of 102 in the state.  Perry County has 59.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county is rectangular except for its southeast border which follows the Muddy River.  Pinckneyville is slightly south and west of center.  Du Quoin is in the southeast corner of the county.  Pinckneyville is county seat and Du Quoin is the largest city.  Pinckneyville is 27.0% of the county population while Du Quoin is 29.2% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced PINK-NEE-VIL.  The largest city is pronounced DOO KOIN.