McDonough County is a county in Illinois, United States, roughly 60 miles south of the Quad Cities and forming a near-perfect square on the map, with the county seat close to its exact centre. It had a population of 27,238 at the 2020 census and covers 589 square miles (1,530 km2) of land centred near 40°28′N 90°41′W.
Macomb is the county seat and its postal code is 61455. The county has three cities, several villages and a handful of unincorporated communities, spread across 19 townships. McDonough County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in McDonough County
McDonough County’s settlements split between three incorporated cities, several villages, and a scatter of unincorporated hamlets and crossroads that never grew large enough to organize. The table below lists every place with a confirmed presence in the county; CDP marks a Census-designated place with no city government, and Unincorp. marks a community with no incorporated status at all.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macomb | City · seat | Macomb | — | 61455 |
| Bushnell | City | Bushnell | — | 61422 |
| Colchester | City | Colchester | — | 62326 |
| Adair | Unincorp. | New Salem | — | — |
| Bardolph | Village | Emmet | — | — |
| Blandinsville | Village | Blandinsville | — | 61420 |
| Colmar | Unincorp. | Hire | — | — |
| Doddsville | Unincorp. | Eldorado | — | — |
| Good Hope | Village | Chalmers | — | 61438 |
| Hills Grove | Unincorp. | Mound | — | — |
| Industry | Village | Industry | — | 61440 |
| New Philadelphia | Unincorp. | Lamoine | — | — |
| Plymouth | Village · partial | Scotland | — | 62367 |
| Prairie City | Village | Prairie City | — | 61470 |
| Sciota | Village | Sciota | — | 61475 |
| Scottsburg | Unincorp. | Bethel | — | — |
| Tennessee | Village | Tennessee | — | — |
| Vishnu Springs | Unincorp. | Scotland | — | — |
| Walnut Grove | Unincorp. | Walnut Grove | — | — |
Plymouth straddles the McDonough–Hancock county line, with most of the village on the Hancock side; only the eastern edge falls in McDonough County. Two names from older lists could not be confirmed as real McDonough County places — East Village, Lamone Village, Pennington Point, Shoo Fly and University Village had no independent trace and are omitted here rather than published on a single stale source (see notes).
Townships
McDonough County has 19 civil townships: Bethel, Blandinsville, Bushnell, Chalmers, Colchester, Eldorado, Emmet, Hire, Industry, Lamoine, Macomb, Macomb City, Mound, New Salem, Prairie City, Sciota, Scotland, Tennessee, and Walnut Grove. Macomb City Township covers the county seat itself; Macomb Township is the surrounding rural township of the same name. Township-level 2020 population figures are not published individually, so per-township counts are omitted here rather than estimated.
ZIP Codes
- 61455 — Macomb (also serves Western Illinois University and Macomb Township)
- 61422 — Bushnell
- 62326 — Colchester
- 61420 — Blandinsville
- 61438 — Good Hope
- 61440 — Industry
- 61470 — Prairie City
- 61475 — Sciota
- 62367 — Plymouth (shared with Hancock County)
Smaller unincorporated places such as Adair, Colmar, Doddsville, Hills Grove, New Philadelphia, Scottsburg and Walnut Grove use the ZIP code of the nearest post-office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
McDonough County lies on the gently rolling prairie of west-central Illinois, drained by the Lamoine River and its tributaries, which cross the county roughly north to south before joining the Illinois River system. The terrain is mostly farmland, with wooded stream corridors along the Lamoine and its branches; the county has the unusual distinction of forming a near-perfect square on a Mercator map, with Macomb sitting close to its geographic center.
McDonough County borders Henderson County to the northwest, Warren County to the north, Fulton County to the east, Schuyler County to the southeast, and Hancock County to the west.
Demographics
McDonough County had 27,238 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 46 people per square mile. Macomb, home to Western Illinois University, is by far the largest community; Bushnell is the county’s second-largest city. The county’s median household income runs well below the Illinois median of $80,306, reflecting its rural, farm- and university-dependent economy; Western Illinois University’s large student population also holds median income figures down relative to the state as a whole.
Economy & Local Life
Western Illinois University, headquartered in Macomb, is the county’s largest employer and shapes much of local life, from housing demand to retail. Agriculture, mainly corn and soybeans, dominates outside Macomb, and grain elevators anchor the smaller towns along the county’s rail lines. McMix, a long-running Labor Day weekend festival in Macomb tied to the university’s homecoming season, and the McDonough County Fair in Bushnell are among the county’s best-attended annual events.
History
McDonough County was organized January 25, 1826, carved from Schuyler County as part of the federal Military Tract set aside for veterans of the War of 1812. It is named for Thomas Macdonough, the naval officer who defeated a British squadron at the Battle of Lake Champlain during that war — the county spells his name “McDonough” though he himself spelled it “Macdonough,” the same discrepancy that gives Macomb’s namesake, General Alexander Macomb, a nearly identical name one township over.
Getting There
US Routes 67 and 136 cross the county, along with Illinois Routes 9, 41, 61, 95, 110 and 336, linking Macomb to the surrounding towns and to the wider region.
- Galesburg — 30 miles north
- Quincy — 45 miles southwest
- Peoria — 55 miles east
- Springfield — 80 miles southeast
The nearest sizable commercial airport is General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport, about an hour’s drive east; Macomb also has its own small municipal airport for general aviation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is McDonough County?
It is in west-central Illinois, about 60 miles southeast of the Quad Cities, bordered by Henderson, Warren, Fulton, Schuyler and Hancock counties.
What is the population of McDonough County?
27,238 at the 2020 census.
How big is McDonough County?
589 square miles (1,530 km2) of land, giving it a near-perfect square shape.
What is the McDonough County seat?
Macomb is the county seat and home to Western Illinois University.
How many towns are in McDonough County?
Three cities — Macomb, Bushnell and Colchester — plus several villages including Blandinsville, Good Hope, Industry, Prairie City, Sciota and Tennessee.
What ZIP codes are in McDonough County?
Macomb uses 61455; other town ZIPs include 61422 (Bushnell), 62326 (Colchester), 61420 (Blandinsville), 61438 (Good Hope), 61440 (Industry), 61470 (Prairie City) and 61475 (Sciota).
Why is the county named McDonough?
For Thomas Macdonough, who commanded the American fleet that defeated a British squadron at the Battle of Lake Champlain in 1814, during the War of 1812.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Illinois.