Litchfield, Illinois

Litchfield is a city in Montgomery County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,605 at the 2020 census.

Earlier, Hardinsburg, about to the southwest, had been founded about 1850.

The residents of Litchfield first voted to incorporate as a village on April 4, 1856. In 1916, a new plant was built at 120 W. St. John St. and operated until 1990. As of 2019, it has been repurposed as an indoor sports training facility.

Geography

Litchfield is in western Montgomery County, west of Hillsboro, the Montgomery county seat. Interstate 55 runs along the western edge of the city, with access from Exit 52 (Illinois Route 16). I-55 leads north to Springfield and southwest to St. Louis. IL 16 passes through Litchfield as Union Avenue, leading east to Hillsboro and southwest to Gillespie.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Litchfield has a total area of , of which are land and , or 18.38%, are water.

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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Litchfield had a population of 6,605. The median age was 42.9 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.4 males age 18 and over.

93.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 7.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,852 households in Litchfield, of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.8% were married-couple households, 20.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Income and poverty

The median income for a household was $50,368, and the per capita income in the city was $26,746. 18.2% of the population lived below the poverty line. of 2000, there were 6,815 people, 2,772 households, and 1,785 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,011 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.31% White, 0.37% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.

There were 2,772 households in 2000, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97.

The population is distributed with 25.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,717, and the median income for a family was $34,139. Males had a median income of $26,238 versus $19,545 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,612. About 15.7% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Attractions

thumb|The [[Ariston Café, a popular stop along U.S. Route 66]]

The Ariston Café is one of the oldest restaurants along the historic U.S. Route 66, commonly known as Old Route 66, though the café itself claims it is possibly the oldest. The Ariston Café was founded in 1924 in the town of Carlinville, Illinois, but was moved to its present location. The café was inducted into the Route 66 Hall of Fame in 1992. Another landmark is Litchfield's Lake Lou Yaeger, located northeast of town. The Sky View Theater is a member of the Route 66 Hall of Fame and has been in operation since 1950. It is among the last drive-in theaters still operating along Route 66.

In 1934, the Belvidere Motel opened in Litchfield. It is one of the oldest motels around.

The grand opening of the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center was June 1, 2013. The museum is located across from the Ariston Café at 334 North Historic Route 66. The museum is owned by the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center Association and is maintained mainly through donations.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Litchfield Municipal Airport is located southwest of the central business district of Litchfield.

Litchfield is served by Interstate 55 and Illinois Route 16.

Two Class 1 railroad lines (Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Norfolk Southern) cross at the south edge of Litchfield after running parallel through town from north to south.

==Notable people==

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Estella Bagnelle, county superintendent of schools in California
Stephen D. Canady (1865–1923), Illinois state legislator and businessman
Luke Epplin, sportswriter; grew up in Litchfield
Jackie Mayo, professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies
Paul Martin Pearson, author, governor of Virgin Islands, father of Drew Pearson
Ray Schalk, Hall of Fame catcher for Chicago White Sox
Harry C. Stuttle (1879–1947), Illinois state legislator, judge, and lawyer

References

External links

Litchfield Illinois, Historical Society of Montgomery County Illinois
City-Data.com