thumb|Newton in 1936
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Jasper County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,777 at the 2020 census. Newton is home to a large coal-fired power plant operated by Illinois Power Generating Co and is close to Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area and Sam Parr State Fish and Wildlife Area.
Newton is also home to the Drive 'n Theatre, formerly known as the Fairview Drive-In, which opened in 1953. It is one of ten drive-ins left standing in Illinois.
History
Newton is the largest, oldest and only city (although there are several villages) in Jasper County. Because of its favorable location within the county, it was named county seat in 1835.
Jasper County was formed in 1831 and approved on December 19, 1834. The county was named after Revolutionary War hero Sergeant Jasper. He and his close friend, Sergeant Newton, were patriots that saved American prisoners of war from certain death at the hands of British soldiers. Thus, the county and town became their namesakes.
A post office was established in Newton in March 1883. The post office was not established in a building, but rather in a man's hat. A rider brought the mail from Vincennes, Indiana, made a stop in Newton once a week and then continued delivering mail on his route north of Newton.
By 1841 the town had increased to five families. Lawrence Hollenbock and Samuel Garwood built a saw- and gristmill, and Benjamin Harris opened the first grocery store in Newton. In 1855, Newton had Miller's Hotel and a small inn known as the American House that is now Yesterday's Pub and Dining.
By 1865, the population of Newton had grown to 300; a decade later the population had reached 400. In 1874 Joe Litzelman's Hack Express began traveling daily to and from Olney on what is now Route 130.
Geography
Newton is located at the geographic center of Jasper County on a bluff overlooking the Embarras River.
Climate
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Demographics
Today, Newton has a population near 3,000. The community is made up of local businesses, industry, a high school of around 500 students and several organizations and churches. Downtown Newton is thriving after the completion of new lighting and a streetscape project. There are many organizations that are keeping Newton moving forward including the Jasper County Chamber of Commerce, JEDI, 100 Women Who Care, Eagle For Life, and many more.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Newton had a population of 2,777, with 1,214 households and 740 families residing in the city. The population density was , and there were 1,356 housing units at an average density of .
Of all households, 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. 42.3% were married-couple households, 17.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.