Broughton is a village in Hamilton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 185 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area.
The village was founded in the 1720s as Saint Philippe du Grand Marais (called "St. Philippe") by French coureurs de bois. In the early 19th century, it was known as "Rectorville" for nearby Rector Creek, which had been named for federal land surveyor John Rector.
Geography
Illinois Route 142 passes through the village, leading north-northwest to McLeansboro, the county seat, and south to Eldorado.
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Broughton has a total area of , of which (or 99.79%) is land and (or 0.21%) is water.
Earthquake of 1968
- Broughton was the closest village to the epicenter of the 1968 Illinois earthquake (at 37°57′00″ N, 88°28′48″ W), one of the most widely noticed tremors in United States history because it was felt in large populated areas like St. Louis and Chicago.
Demographics
As of the 2020 census