Atlanta (formerly Xenia) is a city in Logan County, Illinois, United States. It is located along Route 66, and had a population of 1,669 at the 2020 census.
History
Early settlement
In December of 1836, surveyors platted the community of New Castle, located on the site of present-day Atlanta. The New Castle post office opened on November 26, 1847.
In May of 1853, surveyors platted the town of Xenia, The recently constructed main line of the Chicago & Alton Railroad intersected the town. As a result of being bypassed by the rail line, residents of New Castle voted to incorporate into Xenia. However, the town was unsuccessful in applying for a post office under that name, as there was already a Xenia in Clay County. In return, settlers moved to name the town Hamilton, after Colonel L. D. Hamilton, a Hamilton existed in Hancock County by this point. Finally, the name Atlanta was agreed upon, named after the city of Atlanta in Georgia. With no other Illinois towns by that name, the change was approved. The community of Atlanta was incorporated by the Illinois General Assembly on February 14, 1855.
In 1869, the Peoria, Atlanta and Decatur Railroad was first surveyed. Work commenced the following year, and the line was completed by November of 1874.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Atlanta has a total area of , of which (or 99.37%) is land and (or 0.63%) is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Atlanta had a population of 1,669. The median age was 39.5 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.4 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 702 households in Atlanta, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.9% were married-couple households, 17.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
2000 census
thumb|right|The octagon shaped [[Atlanta Public Library (Atlanta, Illinois)|Atlanta Public Library is listed on the National Register of Historic Places]]
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,649 people, 694 households, and 469 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 734 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.58% White, 0.12% Native American, 0.12% from other races, and 0.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
There were 694 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,194, and the median income for a family was $51,157. Males had a median income of $32,891 versus $25,658 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,460. About 3.5% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
Atlanta's motto is "Welcoming the world with a smile". The city's water tower has had a smiley face on it since 2003, when it was painted at the request of alderwoman Billie Cheek. The newspaper ran alone until 1964, when it merged with The Armington Helper of nearby Armington in Tazewell County. The new Atlanta Argus and The Armington Helper ran until the paper was disbanded in 1983.
The town is home to the WLCN radio station, which broadcasts in a country music format.
Education
Atlanta Public Schools are part of the Olympia Community Unit School District 16. Students attend Olympia High School.
The town, along with the majority of Logan County, is located within the boundaries of the community college district of Heartland Community College in Normal.
Notable people
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- Jeremiah D. Botkin, U.S. Congressman
- Paul Callaway, organist and conductor
- Ellen Rankin Copp, sculptor
- Lee Dunham, baseball player
- Tom Ewing, politician
- Lester C. Hunt, politician
- Dave Kindred, sportswriter
- Eleanor Sophia Smith, composer and music educator