Tazewell County is a county in Illinois, United States, on the east bank of the Illinois River across from Peoria, part of the west-central part of the state. It had a population of 131,343 at the 2020 census and covers 658 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 649 square miles are land, centred near 40°31′N 89°31′W.
Pekin is the county seat, and its postal code is 61554. The county has 5 incorporated cities, 13 villages, one census-designated place, and a scatter of unincorporated communities, spread across 11 townships. Tazewell County is part of the Peoria metropolitan area, and most of its population lives along the county’s western edge facing the river. The county observes Central time.
Towns & Villages in Tazewell County
The table below lists the county’s incorporated cities and villages, its one CDP, and the unincorporated communities carried over from the historical record. "Unincorp." places have no municipal government of their own and are locally administered by their township.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pekin | City · seat | Pekin | 31,731 | 61554 |
| East Peoria | City | Fondulac | 22,540 | 61611 |
| Morton | Village | Morton | 17,003 | 61550 |
| Washington | City | Washington | 16,079 | 61571 |
| Creve Coeur | Village | Fondulac | 5,143 | 61610 |
| Marquette Heights | City | Fondulac | 2,481 | 61554 |
| Tremont | Village | Tremont | 2,102 | 61568 |
| Sunnyland | Village | Fondulac | 3,349 | 61611 |
| Delavan | City | Delavan | 1,594 | 61734 |
| North Pekin | Village | Pekin | 1,562 | 61554 |
| South Pekin | Village | Pekin | 1,036 | 61564 |
| Mackinaw | Village | Mackinaw | 1,673 | 61755 |
| Minier | Village | — | 1,432 | 61759 |
| Hopedale | Village | Hopedale | 885 | 61747 |
| Green Valley | Village | — | — | 61534 |
| Groveland | Village | Groveland | — | 61611 |
| Deer Creek | Village | Deer Creek | — | 61733 |
| Armington | Village | — | 333 | 61721 |
| Heritage Lake | CDP | — | — | — |
| Schaeferville | Unincorp. | Fondulac | — | — |
| Dillon | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Farmdale | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Cooper | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wesley | Unincorp. | Little Mackinaw | — | — |
| Tazewell | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Robein | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Talbott | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Powerton | Unincorp. | Pekin | — | — |
| Richmond | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Walnut | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Grove | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fond du Lac | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Pekin and North Pekin share the 61554 ZIP; East Peoria, Sunnyland, and neighboring Groveland all draw mail through the 61611 East Peoria office. A handful of names carried over from older gazetteers — Allentown, Beverly Manor, Boynton, Brownwood, Burt, Caldwell, Cloverdale, Crandall, Crescent, Fravert, Gardena, Goodfield, Harvard Hills, Highway Village, Holmes, Lilly, Mayfair, Midway, Mindale, Parkland, Pekin Heights, Radville, Stoehrs, Sutter, Towne Oaks, Trailpark Gardens, and Winkel — could not be independently confirmed as standing communities and are omitted here (see notes). "Fondulac Plaza Shopping Center" was dropped outright: it is a retail center, not a settlement.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Pekin | — | Pekin, North Pekin, South Pekin, Powerton |
| Fondulac | — | East Peoria, Creve Coeur, Marquette Heights, Sunnyland, Schaeferville |
| Washington | — | Washington |
| Morton | — | Morton |
| Tremont | — | Tremont |
| Delavan | — | Delavan |
| Mackinaw | — | Mackinaw |
| Hopedale | — | Hopedale |
| Deer Creek | — | Deer Creek |
| Groveland | — | Groveland |
| Little Mackinaw | — | Wesley |
| Hittle | — | rural |
Individual 2020 township population counts are not verified here and are omitted rather than guessed; the county-wide figure above is the census-confirmed number.
ZIP Codes
- 61554 — Pekin (also serves North Pekin and Marquette Heights)
- 61611 — East Peoria (also serves Sunnyland and Groveland)
- 61550 — Morton
- 61571 — Washington
- 61610 — Creve Coeur
- 61568 — Tremont
- 61734 — Delavan
- 61564 — South Pekin
- 61755 — Mackinaw
- 61759 — Minier
- 61747 — Hopedale
- 61534 — Green Valley
- 61733 — Deer Creek
- 61721 — Armington
Heritage Lake and the small unincorporated crossroads scattered across the county use the ZIP of their nearest post office town rather than a code of their own.
Geography
Tazewell County sits on the east bank of the Illinois River, opposite Peoria, in the flat, glaciated farmland of central Illinois. The Mackinaw River crosses the county’s eastern half before joining the Illinois River near Pekin, and much of the county’s water area is river bottomland along both waterways. The terrain rises gently from the river valley in the west to rolling prairie farmland toward the east.
Tazewell County borders Peoria County to the northwest, Woodford County to the north, McLean County to the east, Logan County to the south, Mason County to the southwest, and Fulton County to the west.
Demographics
Tazewell County had 131,343 residents at the 2020 census. Pekin (31,731) and East Peoria (22,540) are its two largest communities, together holding more than two in five county residents. The county’s median household income runs above the Illinois median of $80,306, reflecting its mix of manufacturing wages and Peoria-metro commuter households. Density works out to roughly 202 people per square mile of land area, concentrated along the river corridor from Pekin through East Peoria and Washington.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing anchors the county’s economy: Caterpillar Inc. has long operated major facilities in and around Pekin and East Peoria, and Mitsubishi Chemical (formerly Aristech Chemical/PQ Corporation-linked plants) has a presence along the river. Agriculture — corn and soybeans on the county’s eastern prairie — remains a major land use outside the urbanized western strip. Pekin’s riverfront hosts the annual Pekin Marigold Festival, a September tradition tied to the city’s marigold-growing history, and East Peoria’s Festival of Lights runs each winter along the river.
History
Tazewell County was organized in 1827 out of Peoria County. It is generally understood to be named for Littleton Waller Tazewell, a U.S. senator from Virginia who became that state’s governor in 1834, though some local histories credit his father, Henry Tazewell, also a Virginia senator; Virginia’s own Tazewell County is named for the father. Pekin, platted in 1830 along the Illinois River, grew as a river-shipping and later rail and manufacturing town and has served as county seat since the county’s early years. East Peoria developed alongside Pekin as Peoria’s industrial base expanded across the river through the early 20th century.
Getting There
Interstate 74 crosses the county through East Peoria and Morton, linking to Interstates 155 and 474 near the Peoria river crossings; U.S. Routes 24 and 150 also run through the county.
- Peoria — 5 miles northwest of Pekin
- Bloomington — 35 miles east
- Springfield — 55 miles south
- Champaign — 65 miles east
General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport, just across the river in Peoria, is the county’s nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tazewell County, Illinois?
It sits in west-central Illinois, on the Illinois River directly across from Peoria.
What is the population of Tazewell County?
131,343 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Tazewell County?
658 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 649 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Tazewell County?
Pekin is the county seat and the county’s largest city.
How many towns are in Tazewell County?
5 incorporated cities and 13 villages, plus one CDP and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Tazewell County?
Codes include 61554 (Pekin), 61611 (East Peoria), 61550 (Morton), and 61571 (Washington), among others listed above.
How is "Tazewell" pronounced?
With a short A, so the first syllable rhymes with "razz" rather than "raze."
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Illinois.