Montgomery County is a county in Illinois, United States, in the central part of the state along Interstate 55. It had a population of 28,288 at the 2020 census and covers 710 square miles (1,839 km2), centred near 39°14′N 89°29′W.
Hillsboro is the county seat, and its postal code is 62049. The county has five incorporated cities, fifteen villages, and about a dozen smaller unincorporated communities, spread across eighteen townships. It observes Central time.
Towns & Villages in Montgomery County
Montgomery County has 33 named places on record, ranging from the county’s two largest cities down to crossroads communities with no post office of their own. City = incorporated city; Village = incorporated village; Unincorp. = an unincorporated community or rural neighborhood with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsboro | City · seat | Hillsboro | — | 62049 |
| Litchfield | City | — | — | 62056 |
| Nokomis | City | Nokomis | — | 62075 |
| Coffeen | City | — | — | 62017 |
| Witt | City | Witt | — | 62094 |
| Raymond | Village | Raymond | — | 62560 |
| Farmersville | Village | — | — | 62533 |
| Irving | Village | Irving | — | 62051 |
| Fillmore | Village | Fillmore | — | 62032 |
| Taylor Springs | Village | — | — | 62089 |
| Butler | Village | Butler Grove | — | 62015 |
| Waggoner | Village | — | — | 62572 |
| Panama | Village | — | — | 62077 |
| Harvel | Village | Harvel | — | 62538 |
| Walshville | Village | Walshville | — | 62091 |
| Donnellson | Village | — | — | 62019 |
| Ohlman | Village | — | — | 62076 |
| Coalton | Village | — | — | — |
| Schram City | Village | Hillsboro | — | — |
| Wenonah | Village | Nokomis | — | — |
| Barnett | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Chapman | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fairmont Place | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hillsboro Heights | Unincorp. | Hillsboro | — | — |
| Honey Bend | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Island View | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Shop Creek | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Stagecoach Junction | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sunrise Hills | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Thomasville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Van Burensburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| White Oak | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Zanesville | Unincorp. | Zanesville | — | — |
Litchfield straddles both North Litchfield and South Litchfield townships, so no single township is listed for it above. Coalton, Schram City and Wenonah are small villages with no post office of their own; mail there is handled by the nearest larger town rather than a dedicated ZIP code.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsboro | — | Hillsboro, Schram City, Hillsboro Heights |
| North Litchfield | — | Litchfield (north half) |
| South Litchfield | — | Litchfield (south half) |
| Nokomis | — | Nokomis, Wenonah |
| Witt | — | Witt |
| Raymond | — | Raymond |
| Irving | — | Irving |
| Fillmore | — | Fillmore |
| Harvel | — | Harvel |
| Butler Grove | — | Butler |
| Walshville | — | Walshville |
| Zanesville | — | Zanesville |
| Audubon | — | Rural |
| Bois D’Arc | — | Rural |
| East Fork | — | Rural |
| Grisham | — | Rural, near Coffeen |
| Pitman | — | Rural |
| Rountree | — | Rural |
ZIP Codes
- 62049 — Hillsboro (also serves Schram City and Hillsboro Heights)
- 62056 — Litchfield
- 62075 — Nokomis (also serves Wenonah)
- 62017 — Coffeen (also serves Coalton)
- 62094 — Witt
- 62560 — Raymond
- 62533 — Farmersville
- 62051 — Irving
- 62032 — Fillmore
- 62089 — Taylor Springs
- 62015 — Butler
- 62572 — Waggoner
- 62077 — Panama
- 62538 — Harvel
- 62091 — Walshville
- 62019 — Donnellson
- 62076 — Ohlman
That is 17 ZIP codes for the county’s 33 named places; the smallest unincorporated communities and rural crossroads share a ZIP with the nearest town listed above.
Geography
Montgomery County sits on the till plains of central Illinois, mostly flat to gently rolling farmland drained by the East Fork of Shoal Creek and Hurricane Creek. Coal mining shaped the landscape around Coffeen, Witt and Panama in the early twentieth century, and Coffeen Lake, built to cool the former Coffeen power plant, is the county’s largest body of water. The county covers 704 square miles of land and 6 square miles of water.
Montgomery County borders Sangamon County to the north, Christian County to the northeast, Shelby County to the east, Fayette County to the southeast, Bond County to the south, Madison County to the southwest, and Macoupin County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 28,288 residents, down from 30,104 in 2010. Litchfield is the county’s largest city and Hillsboro, the seat, is the second-largest. Montgomery County’s median household income runs below the Illinois median of $80,306, reflecting its farm- and industry-based economy. Population density is about 40 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Grain farming — corn and soybeans on the county’s flat prairie soils — remains the backbone of the rural economy. Litchfield is the county’s commercial hub, with a manufacturing base that grew up along the old Route 66 corridor, which still runs through town as a heritage route with a small museum. Hillsboro, the seat, centers on county government and its own local hospital. Coal mining, once the county’s largest employer, has largely wound down since the closure of area strip mines and the Coffeen power plant.
History
Montgomery County was organized in 1821 out of Bond and Madison counties and named for General Richard Montgomery, who died in 1775 leading the failed American assault on Quebec City during the Revolutionary War. Coal discovered in the late 1800s drew mining companies and immigrant labor to towns like Coffeen, Witt, Panama and Taylor Springs, and the Chicago & Alton Railroad (later part of the Route 66 corridor) made Litchfield a rail and manufacturing town by the early 1900s. The county’s coal industry declined through the mid-to-late twentieth century as underground mines closed one by one.
Getting There
- Springfield — 35 miles north
- St. Louis, Missouri — 55 miles southwest
- Decatur — 45 miles northeast
- Vandalia — 20 miles southeast
Interstate 55 and Illinois Route 16 cross the county through Litchfield and Hillsboro. The nearest commercial airport is Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield; Litchfield Municipal Airport serves general aviation locally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Montgomery County, Illinois?
It is in the central part of the state along Interstate 55, between Springfield and the St. Louis metro area.
What is the population of Montgomery County?
28,288 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Montgomery County?
710 square miles (1,839 km2), of which 704 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Montgomery County?
Hillsboro is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Montgomery County?
Five cities and fifteen incorporated villages, plus a number of smaller unincorporated communities, spread across eighteen townships.
What ZIP codes are in Montgomery County?
Seventeen, led by 62049 (Hillsboro) and 62056 (Litchfield).
What is Montgomery County known for?
Its early-1900s coal mining towns and the stretch of historic Route 66 running through Litchfield.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Illinois.