Carterville is a city in Williamson County, Illinois, United States. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 5,848. The city is part of the Carbondale-Marion-Herrin combined statistical area and has grown considerably as a residential community of Carbondale and Marion.

The city is located next to Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge's of land and water contain a wide diversity of flora and fauna.

History

Carterville was founded by George Monroe McNeill and Laban Carter. McNeill married Olive Herrin of Herrin's Prairie and in 1866 they settled on the farm now known as Carterville. Carter came to Williamson County in 1864, purchased of land, and helped organize and secure a post office for Carterville in 1871. The town was named in his honor. McNeill was one of the youngest members of the Union army during the American Civil War. He enlisted at 16 and was with General William T. Sherman during his March to the Sea.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Carterville had a population of 5,848. The median age was 37.1 years. 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.3 males age 18 and over.

95.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,368 households in Carterville, of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.9% were married-couple households, 16.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The city had 2,545 families.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census

Carterville High School received a silver medal and ranked 94th in Illinois on U.S. News & World Reports 2016 list of the nation's best high schools. CHS was the only public high school in southern Illinois that performed above the state average of 21 on ACT testing.

The Carterville Unit 5 Schools' athletic programs have been successful in the past, winning the IHSA State Conference Championship in Class 3A football in 1996 and in Class 2A softball in 2008 and 2016. The Carterville Varsity Cheer squad hold the record for the most wins in IHSA history.

Media

Carterville is home to River Radio of Southern Illinois, a group of radio stations serving the Marion-Carbondale area. They include WOOZ-FM New Country Z100, 95.1 Steve FM (WUEZ), NewsRadio WJPF, Today's Hit Music WCIL-FM, and 103.5 ESPN. Carterville is also home to WSIL-TV, the ABC affiliate for the Cape Girardeau–Paducah–Harrisburg television market. The station moved to Carterville from its city of license, Harrisburg, in 1989.

Notable people

  • C. W. Bishop, Congressman, Carterville city clerk and postmaster
  • Mark Gottfried, college basketball coach
  • George Monroe McNeill, founder
  • Glenn Poshard, United States Representative and President of Southern Illinois University
  • Rodney Watson, college basketball coach

References

Further reading

  • Angle, Paul M. (1992). Bloody Williamson - A Chapter in American Lawlessness. University of Illinois Press. .
  • Erwin, Milo. 1876, Rep. 1976. History of Williamson County, Illinois. Marion, Ill.: Williamson County Historical Society.
  • Erwin, Milo, and Jon Musgrave. 2006. The Bloody Vendetta of Southern Illinois. Marion, Ill.: IllinoisHistory.com.
  • Spence, Jennifer and Sheri Hunter. 2011. Carterville, Cambria & Crainville: A Look Back At Our Towns. .
  • Carterville Chamber of Commerce