Henry County is a county in Illinois, United States, in the northwestern part of the state along the Rock and Green Rivers. It had a population of 49,284 at the 2020 census and covers 826 square miles (2,140 km2) centred near 41°23′N 90°09′W.
Cambridge is the county seat, and its postal code is 61238. The county has four cities, ten villages and about twenty unincorporated communities. Henry County is part of the Davenport–Moline–Rock Island metropolitan area and observes Central Time.
Towns & Villages in Henry County
Henry County’s places split into two cities that anchor its economy — Kewanee and Geneseo — plus Colona and Galva, six smaller villages, and a scatter of unincorporated crossroads and rural subdivisions. CDP means census-designated place (unincorporated but tracked by the Census Bureau); Unincorp. covers the rest.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kewanee | City | — | 61443 |
| Geneseo | City | — | 61254 |
| Colona | City | — | 61241 |
| Galva | City | — | 61434 |
| Cambridge | Village · seat | — | 61238 |
| Orion | Village | — | 61273 |
| Woodhull | Village | — | 61490 |
| Annawan | Village | — | 61234 |
| Atkinson | Village | — | 61235 |
| Alpha | Village | — | 61413 |
| Andover | Village | — | 61233 |
| Osco | Village | — | 61274 |
| Bishop Hill | Village | — | 61419 |
| Green Rock | Village | — | — |
| Hooppole | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morristown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nekoma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ophiem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lynn Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dayton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cleveland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| German Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Green River | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brandenburg Corners | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Briar Bluff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brook Lawn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hickory Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Level Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shady Beach | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunny Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunny Hill Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Timber Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ulah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Warner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodcrest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Aliceville | Unincorp. | — | — |
The old list included Coal Valley, which lies across the county line in neighboring Rock Island County, not Henry County — it is dropped here. Green Rock and Green River are two distinct places despite the similar names: Green Rock is an incorporated village near Colona, while Green River is an unincorporated rural community.
ZIP Codes
- 61238 — Cambridge (also serves rural Cambridge Township)
- 61443 — Kewanee
- 61254 — Geneseo
- 61241 — Colona
- 61434 — Galva
- 61273 — Orion
- 61490 — Woodhull
- 61234 — Annawan
- 61235 — Atkinson
- 61413 — Alpha
- 61233 — Andover
- 61274 — Osco
- 61419 — Bishop Hill
The county’s smaller unincorporated communities, including Green Rock, Green River and the crossroads hamlets, are served by the ZIP code of the nearest post office town rather than a code of their own.
Geography
Henry County lies in the Rock River valley of northwestern Illinois, a landscape of glacial till plains and prairie farmland drained by the Rock River in the north and Green River in the south. The terrain is gently rolling, dropping toward the wooded Rock River bottomland near Colona and Green Rock. Farmland dominates the county outside its towns, with corn and soybeans the principal crops.
Henry County borders Whiteside County to the north, Bureau County to the east, Stark County to the southeast, Knox County to the south, Mercer County to the southwest, and Rock Island County to the west.
Demographics
Henry County had 49,284 residents at the 2020 census. Kewanee is the county’s largest community, followed by Geneseo; together the two cities hold roughly a third of the county’s population, with the balance spread across Cambridge, Colona, Galva and the smaller villages and farm townships. The county’s median household income runs below the Illinois median of $80,306, consistent with a rural county whose economy leans on agriculture and manufacturing rather than the state’s metro-area service sector. Population density is light, well under 100 people per square mile county-wide.
Economy & Local Life
Corn and soybean farming anchors Henry County’s economy, alongside livestock operations that gave Kewanee its old nickname, the “Hog Capital of the World.” Wyffels Hybrids, a seed-corn company, is headquartered in Atkinson and is one of the county’s notable agribusiness employers. Kewanee and Geneseo carry the county’s retail, healthcare and light-manufacturing base. Bishop Hill, the county’s best-known heritage site, draws visitors for its restored 1846 Swedish colony buildings, shops and seasonal festivals.
History
Henry County was organized on January 13, 1825, out of land previously attached to Fulton County, and is named for Patrick Henry, the Revolutionary War-era Virginia orator remembered for “Give me liberty, or give me death.” In 1846 a group of Swedish religious dissenters led by Eric Janson founded the communal colony of Bishop Hill in the county’s east; the settlement’s original buildings survive as a National Historic Landmark and Illinois state historic site. Kewanee grew through the late 1800s as a coal-mining and manufacturing town, home for decades to the Kewanee Boiler Company.
Getting There
Interstate 80 crosses the northern part of Henry County near Geneseo and Atkinson, and U.S. Route 6 runs east–west through Kewanee and Annawan. Illinois Route 78 runs north–south through Cambridge and Kewanee.
- Kewanee — about 25 miles southeast of Cambridge
- Geneseo — about 15 miles northwest of Cambridge
- Moline — about 30 miles west of Cambridge
- Peoria — about 50 miles southeast of Cambridge
The nearest commercial airport is Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Rock Island County.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Henry County, Illinois?
It is in the northwestern part of the state, in the Rock River valley between the Quad Cities and Peoria.
What is the population of Henry County?
49,284 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Henry County?
826 square miles (2,140 km2), including about 2.7 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Henry County?
Cambridge.
How many towns and villages are in Henry County?
Four cities (Kewanee, Geneseo, Colona and Galva), ten villages, and about twenty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Henry County?
Thirteen post office towns have their own ZIP codes, led by 61238 (Cambridge) and 61443 (Kewanee); see the list above.
What is Bishop Hill?
A restored 1846 Swedish colonial settlement in eastern Henry County, now a National Historic Landmark and Illinois state historic site with shops, museums and seasonal festivals.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Illinois.