Jersey County is a county in Illinois, United States, wedged between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers in the southwestern part of the state. It had a population of 21,512 at the 2020 census and covers 377 square miles (980 km2) centred near 39°05′N 90°22′W.
Jerseyville is the county seat, and its postal code is 62052. The county holds a handful of incorporated cities and villages, several unincorporated communities, and a set of civil townships. It sits in the Central time zone and is part of the St. Louis, MO–IL Combined Statistical Area.
Towns & Villages in Jersey County
Jersey County’s map holds a small cluster of incorporated cities and villages along the river bluffs and inland farmland, plus a longer list of unincorporated crossroads communities and hamlets carried over from the county’s historical record. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no town government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerseyville | City · seat | 8,337 | 62052 |
| Grafton | City | 626 | 62037 |
| Elsah | Village | — | — |
| Fidelity | Village | — | — |
| Otterville | Village | 87 | — |
| Beltrees | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brighton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Camden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chautauqua | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Delhi | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Democrat Spring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Newbern | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fieldon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kemper | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake Piasa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lockhaven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McClusky | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Delhi | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newbern | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nutwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reardon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reddish | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rosedale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spankey | Unincorp. | — | — |
Jerseyville anchors the county’s inland farmland; Grafton and Elsah sit on the bluffs above the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, both known for river tourism rather than population size.
ZIP Codes
- 62052 — Jerseyville (also serves most of the county’s inland communities)
- 62037 — Grafton
Smaller villages and unincorporated communities generally share the ZIP code of the nearest incorporated town rather than carrying one of their own.
Geography
Jersey County occupies a wedge of bluff and bottomland where the Illinois River meets the Mississippi. Water bounds it on three sides: the Mississippi River along the south, the Illinois River along the west, and Macoupin Creek along the northwest. The land side of the county, to the north and east, is rolling farmland typical of southwestern Illinois. Pere Marquette State Park, near Grafton, sits at the confluence and marks the spot where Father Jacques Marquette’s 1673 expedition passed through.
Jersey County borders Greene County to the north, Calhoun County to the southwest across the Illinois River, Macoupin County to the east, and Madison County to the southeast. St. Charles County, Missouri, lies across the Mississippi to the south.
Demographics
Jersey County had 21,512 residents at the 2020 census. Jerseyville, with 8,337 people, and Grafton, with 626, are the county’s two largest incorporated communities; most of the remaining population lives in unincorporated areas and townships around them. Median household income runs below the Illinois median of $80,306, in line with other rural counties in the region. Spread across 369 square miles of land, the county’s density works out to roughly 58 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — corn, soybeans, and livestock on the county’s inland farmland — remains a core part of the local economy, alongside employment tied to the St. Louis metropolitan area to the south. Grafton and Elsah, on the river bluffs, draw visitors for boating, wine tourism, and Pere Marquette State Park’s lodge and trails. Jerseyville, the seat, is the county’s retail and services hub.
History
Jersey County was organized on February 28, 1839, carved out of neighboring Greene County. Early settlers named it after New Jersey, honoring where many of them had come from. Grafton and Elsah, both platted in the 19th century along the river, grew around steamboat traffic and quarrying; Elsah’s well-preserved limestone village core is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Getting There
Illinois Route 3 and Illinois Route 267 are the county’s main highways, with the Great River Road (Route 100) tracing the Mississippi bluffs past Grafton and Elsah.
- Alton, Illinois — 15 miles south
- St. Louis, Missouri — 35 miles south
- Carrollton, Illinois — 20 miles northeast
- Springfield, Illinois — 75 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is St. Louis Lambert International Airport, across the river in Missouri.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Jersey County?
It is in southwestern Illinois, where the Illinois River meets the Mississippi River, part of the St. Louis metropolitan area’s outer edge.
What is the population of Jersey County?
21,512 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Jersey County?
377 square miles (980 km2), of which 369 square miles is land and about 7.9 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Jersey County?
Jerseyville is the county seat and largest community.
How many towns and villages are in Jersey County?
Two incorporated cities (Jerseyville and Grafton), a handful of incorporated villages including Elsah, Fidelity, and Otterville, and about twenty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Jersey County?
62052 (Jerseyville) and 62037 (Grafton) are the county’s two confirmed ZIP codes; most smaller communities use one of these.
Why is it called Jersey County?
Early settlers named it after New Jersey, honoring where many of them had migrated from.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Illinois.