Ford County Map, Illinois
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Ford County, Illinois
Ford County is a small patch of east-central Illinois that most folks just drive through on their way somewhere else. Paxton is the county seat. There’s lots of farming here such as corn and soybeans.
Only about 13,000 people live in the whole county. Summer evenings are perfect for porch-sitting. The county is named after Thomas Ford, the Governor of Illinois in the 1840s.
You won’t find any Starbucks, but the local diners serve a mean slice of pie. High school sports are popular and it’s flat as a pancake, which makes for some killer sunsets.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| County Name | Ford County |
| County Seat | Paxton |
| Population | Approximately 13,500 |
| Cities, Towns, and Communities | Paxton, Gibson City, Piper City, Roberts, Sibley, Elliott, Melvin, Cabery (part), Kempton, Loda, and various other unincorporated communities. |
| Interstates and Highways | Interstate 57, U.S. Highway 45, Illinois Route 9, Illinois Route 47, Illinois Route 54 |
| FIPS Code | 17-053 |
| Total Area (Land and Water) | 486 square miles (land: 485 sq mi, water: 1 sq mi) |
| Adjacent Counties (and Direction) | Kankakee County (North), Iroquois County (East), Vermilion County (Southeast), Champaign County (South), McLean County (Southwest), Livingston County (West) |
| Time Zone | Central Time Zone (CT) |
| State | Illinois |
| Coordinates | 40.6092° N, 88.2071° W |
| Etymology | Named after Thomas Ford, the Governor of Illinois from 1842 to 1846 |
| Major Landmarks | Chanute Air Museum (nearby in Rantoul), Railside Golf Club, Historic Paxton Carnegie Library |
| Website | Ford County Website |
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