ZIP Code 60957

Paxton is a city in Ford County, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1859, Paxton celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2009. The town was named Prairie City in the late 1840s, then Prospect City by an Illinois Central Railroad official in 1855. Former President William Howard Taft visited Paxton while on his way to Champaign in June 1919. Paxton has a total of 2.3 square miles (596 km²), all land, served by three major highways (I-57, U.S. Route 45, Illinois Route 9 and Illinois Route 45A) The Ford County Courthouse in Paxton was built in 1906, and boasts many murals painted by the Works Progress Administration during the 1930s. The Historic Brick Water Tower & Ford County Historical Society Museum opened on July 4, 2007. The Paxton Foundation, a local historical preservation group, is currently restoring the Old Ford County Jail and Sheriff's Residence, built in 1871, and will be turned into a museum. The local Chamber of Commerce promotes the historic downtown district and local businesses in the Paxton area. The city is located at 40°45,40°W87°N87°W57 (88°45 -880957) and has a municipal airport with a landing strip with a 3,500 feet (1,100 m) landing strip [1,525 feet] As of the 2000 census, there were 4,525 people living in the city of Paxton.

History

Paxton was named Prospect City by an Illinois Central Railroad official in 1855. In 1859, it was renamed for Sir Joseph Paxton, architect of the Crystal Palace. The Ford County Courthouse in Paxton was built in 1906, and boasts many murals painted by the Works Progress Administration during the 1930s. Former President William Howard Taft visited Paxton while on his way to Champaign on June 22, 1919. The town also hosts the Historic Brick Water Tower & Ford County Historical Society Museum, which opened on July 4, 2007. The Paxton Foundation, a local historical preservation group, is currently restoring the Old Ford County Jail and Sheriff's Residence, built in 1871, and will be turned into a museum. The community has many homes built in the late 19th century, some of which are now part of an historic homes walking tour. Many of the home owners have won awards from various preservation and restoration societies for their efforts in maintaining the architectural heritage of these important landmarks. The local school's mascot was the Paxton Mustangs until consolidation with the Buckley-Loda Rockets district in 1990 formed the current Paxton-Buckley- Loda School District, known as the PBL Panthers. The school is a member of the IESA and IHSA for interscholastic sports and activities. The former Paxton Daily Record was published from 1865 to 2007, making the paper one of the longest-running daily newspapers of its size in the state of Illinois.

Geography

Paxton is located at 40°2731N 88°545W (40.458745, -88.095784).According to the 2010 census, Paxton has a total area of 2.3 square miles (5.96 km²), all land. Paxton is directly served by three major highways (I-57, U.S. Route 45, and Illinois Route 9), the Illinois Central Railroad, and a municipal airport with a 3,500 feet (1,100 m) landing strip [1]. The town has a population of 1,788. The town is located in the Sangamon County region of Illinois. It is located on the Illinois River, which runs through the town. The city is located near the town's central business district, which is known as the "Main Street" part of the city. It also has a small section of the Chicago-Illinois International Airport, which has a runway of 3,000 feet. The village's population is 1,816. The 2010 census found the town to have a total population of 2,717. The population of Paxton was 1,917 in the 2010 Census, and the 2010 population was 2,822 in the census-designated place (CDP). The town's CDP is the same as the CDP in the state of Illinois, and it has a CDP of 1.9 square miles, or 2.4 square miles. The CDP has a land area of 5.96 kilometers (2.3 sq miles).

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,525 people, 1,776 households, and 1,198 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 90.3% White, 7.5% African American, 0.07% Native American,0.55% Asian, and 0.86% from two or more races. The education level of the population age 25 and older in Paxton is as follows: high school or higher: 88.0%. The median income for a household in theCity was $37,804. The per capita income for the City was $18,617. About 4.2% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and4.8%. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 38 years, with 26.1% under the age of 18. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there are 86.5 males. The city has a population density of 2,031.4 inhabitants per square mile (784.3/km²) and a median income of $44,256. It is located on the U.S. Turnpike, which runs through the town of Paxton. It has a speed limit of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) and an average speed of 50 mph (80km/h).

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Paxton, Ford County, Illinois = 94.6. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 48. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 98. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Paxton = 3.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 4,450 individuals with a median age of 38.8 age the population dropped by -0.46% in Paxton, Ford County, Illinois population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,465.74 residents per square mile of area (565.98/km²). There are average 2.42 people per household in the 1,787 households with an average household income of $46,270 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.90% of the available work force and has dropped -4.28% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 21.54%. The number of physicians in Paxton per 100,000 population = 99.9.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Paxton = 37.1 inches and the annual snowfall = 16.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 101. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 187. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 16.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 42, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Paxton, Ford County, Illinois which are owned by the occupant = 72.80%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 55 years with median home cost = $96,030 and home appreciation of 0.50%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $17.21 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,478 per student. There are 17.4 students for each teacher in the school, 509 students for each Librarian and 1527 students for each Counselor. 9.91% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 9.19% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 4.20% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).