Godfrey is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,825 at the 2020 census. a native New Englander, who arrived in the area in 1832. 1838 saw the establishment of the Monticello Female Seminary, later renamed Monticello College. Captain Godfrey, the father of eight daughters, was an advocate of higher education for women and made a large donation of funds and land for the college. Monticello operated as a two-year college for women until the campus was sold in 1970 to establish Lewis and Clark Community College. Monticello's final class graduated in 1971.
The nearby mouth of the Missouri River was the starting point for the expedition of Lewis and Clark.
Geography
Godfrey is located in the northwest corner of Madison County. It is bordered to the southeast by the city of Alton, to the east by Foster Township, to the north and west by Jersey County, and to the south by the Mississippi River, across which is the city of West Alton, Missouri. Godfrey is by road north of downtown St. Louis.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Godfrey has a total area of , of which are land and , or 5.39%, are water.
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Godfrey had a population of 17,825. The median age was 46.9 years. 19.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.5 males age 18 and over.
83.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 16.8% lived in rural areas.
There were 7,419 households in Godfrey, of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.8% were married-couple households, 16.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
Of the 6,427 households 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 23.3% of households were one person and 11.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.90.
The age distribution was 22.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median household income was $50,342 and the median family income was $57,971. Males had a median income of $43,017 versus $27,870 for females. The per capita income for the village was $25,292. About 3.2% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
It is in the Alton Community Unit School District 11.
Notable people
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- Zoe Akins, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and playwright; attended school in Godfrey
- Craig Hentrich, NFL punter, 1994–2009
- John Madson, freelance naturalist, tallgrass prairie ecosystems
- Ellis Wainwright, brewer, art collector and socialite