Johnson County is a county in Illinois, United States, in the southern tip of the state, a region known locally as “Little Egypt.” It had a population of 13,308 at the 2020 census and covers 349 square miles (900 km2), of which 344 square miles (890 km2) is land and 4.9 square miles (13 km2) is water, centred near 37°28′N 88°52′W.
Vienna is the county seat; its postal code is 62995. The county includes one city, six villages, and more than two dozen unincorporated communities and rural subdivisions. Johnson County lies in the Central time zone (UTC−6, CDT in summer).
Towns & Villages in Johnson County
Johnson County has one incorporated city (Vienna, the county seat) and six incorporated villages. The rest of the places listed below are unincorporated communities, rural subdivisions, or lake-resort developments with no municipal government of their own — marked “Unincorp.” in the table. Population figures for individual unincorporated places are not separately tabulated by the Census Bureau and are shown as —.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna | City · seat | — | 62995 |
| Belknap | Village | — | — |
| Buncombe | Village | — | 62912 |
| Cypress | Village | — | 62923 |
| Goreville | Village | — | 62939 |
| New Burnside | Village | — | 62967 |
| Simpson | Village | — | 62985 |
| Boles | Unincorp. | — | 62909 |
| Bloomfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Deer Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eagle Point Bay | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Egyptian Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elvira | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flatwoods | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Forman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ganntown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grantsburg | Unincorp. | — | 62943 |
| Joppa Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Omar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ozark | Unincorp. | — | 62972 |
| Parker | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pharoahs Gardens | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pond | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reevesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reynoldsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Robinwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sandburn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sugar Creek Ranch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tunnel Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wagon Creek Heaven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wartrace | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Vienna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
West Vienna sits immediately west of Vienna proper and is often mistaken for a neighborhood of the city rather than a separate unincorporated place. Boles, a small rail-served community, does not appear on older place lists for the county but carries its own ZIP code.
ZIP Codes
- 62995 — Vienna (also serves the county seat area and West Vienna)
- 62939 — Goreville
- 62912 — Buncombe
- 62985 — Simpson
- 62972 — Ozark
- 62923 — Cypress
- 62943 — Grantsburg
- 62967 — New Burnside
- 62909 — Boles
Belknap and most of the smaller unincorporated communities and lake subdivisions share a ZIP code with the nearest post-office town rather than having their own.
Geography
Johnson County lies in the rugged, forested Shawnee Hills, in Illinois’s southern tip. Much of the county’s southern and central portion falls within the Shawnee National Forest, and Ferne Clyffe State Park, known for its sandstone bluffs and box canyons, sits just outside Goreville. The Cache River flows through the southern part of the county, and Cedar Lake, a reservoir near Vienna, supplies water to the city of Carbondale.
Johnson County borders Williamson County to the north, Saline County to the northeast, Pope County to the east, Massac County to the southeast, Pulaski County to the southwest, and Union County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 13,308 residents in Johnson County. Vienna is the county’s largest community by a wide margin, with the villages of Goreville and New Burnside among the next largest incorporated places. Median household income in the county trails the Illinois median of $80,306, consistent with other rural counties in the Little Egypt region. Population density works out to roughly 39 people per square mile, well below the statewide average.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — corn, soybeans, and livestock — remains a core part of the county’s economy, alongside forestry and outdoor recreation tied to the Shawnee National Forest and Ferne Clyffe State Park. The Vienna Correctional Center, an Illinois Department of Corrections facility, is one of the county’s larger employers. Hunting, fishing, and camping tourism around Cedar Lake and the state park draw visitors from the wider Little Egypt region, especially in fall foliage season.
History
Johnson County was organized in 1812, carved out of Randolph County, making it one of the older counties in the state. It was named for Richard Mentor Johnson, then a U.S. congressman from Kentucky, who commanded a Kentucky mounted regiment at the Battle of the Thames in 1813 and later claimed to have personally killed the Shawnee leader Tecumseh in hand-to-hand combat during the fighting. Johnson went on to serve as the ninth Vice President of the United States, under Martin Van Buren. The county has voted heavily Republican in nearly every election since the Civil War.
Getting There
Interstate 24 and Interstate 57 both pass near the county, and U.S. Route 45 runs north–south through Vienna.
- Marion, Illinois — about 15 miles north
- Carbondale, Illinois — about 30 miles northwest
- Paducah, Kentucky — about 30 miles southeast
- Metropolis, Illinois — about 15 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Williamson County Regional Airport in Marion, roughly 15 miles north of Vienna.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Johnson County, Illinois?
It is in the southern tip of the state, in the Shawnee Hills region known as Little Egypt, between Marion and the Ohio River.
What is the population of Johnson County?
Johnson County had a population of 13,308 at the 2020 census.
How big is Johnson County?
The county covers 349 square miles (900 km2), including 344 square miles of land and 4.9 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Johnson County?
Vienna is the county seat.
How many towns are in Johnson County?
The county has one city (Vienna) and six villages — Belknap, Buncombe, Cypress, Goreville, New Burnside, and Simpson — plus more than two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Johnson County?
Johnson County’s ZIP codes include 62995 (Vienna), 62939 (Goreville), 62912 (Buncombe), 62985 (Simpson), 62972 (Ozark), 62923 (Cypress), 62943 (Grantsburg), 62967 (New Burnside), and 62909 (Boles).
Is Ferne Clyffe State Park in Johnson County?
Yes. Ferne Clyffe State Park, known for its sandstone bluffs and box canyons, lies just outside Goreville in Johnson County, within the Shawnee National Forest region.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Illinois.