Adams County is located in western Illinois along the Mississippi River, forming part of the state’s border with Missouri. Established in 1825 and named for U.S. President John Quincy Adams, it developed as a river-oriented agricultural and trade region, with Quincy emerging as a major settlement and transportation hub. The county has a mid-sized population of about 65,000 residents, making it one of the larger counties outside the Chicago metropolitan area. Adams County combines an urban center in Quincy with extensive rural townships and farmland. Its economy includes agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, and health and educational services, reflecting the county’s role as a regional service center for the Tri-State area. The landscape features Mississippi River bluffs, bottomlands, and rolling prairie, with riverfront neighborhoods and historic districts contributing to local civic and cultural identity. The county seat is Quincy.

Adams County Local Demographic Profile

Adams County is in western Illinois along the Mississippi River, bordering Missouri, with Quincy as the county seat and primary population center. The county is part of the broader Quincy, IL–MO micropolitan area and is a key regional hub for commerce and services in the Mississippi River corridor.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Adams County, Illinois, the county had an estimated population of 65,669 (2023). The same Census Bureau source reports a 2020 decennial census population of 65,737.

Age & Gender

From the U.S. Census Bureau’s data.census.gov (American Community Survey profile tables for Adams County, Illinois), the age structure is summarized as shares of total population:

  • Under 18 years
  • 18 to 64 years
  • 65 years and over

The U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts also reports the county’s sex composition as the percentage female and male in the resident population (ACS-based).

Note: Exact percentage values vary by ACS release year; the most current county-level percentages are published directly in the linked Census Bureau tables.

Racial & Ethnic Composition

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Adams County’s racial and ethnic composition is reported using standard Census categories, including:

  • White
  • Black or African American
  • American Indian and Alaska Native
  • Asian
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
  • Two or more races
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

These categories and their county-level percentages are provided in the QuickFacts table (ACS-based).

Household and Housing Data

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts and related tables available via data.census.gov, key household and housing measures published at the county level include:

  • Total households
  • Average household size
  • Owner-occupied housing unit rate
  • Median value of owner-occupied housing units
  • Median gross rent
  • Housing units and housing unit vacancy rate

Local Government Reference

For local government and planning resources, visit the Adams County official website.

Email Usage

Adams County, Illinois is centered on Quincy along the Mississippi River, with a largely rural hinterland where lower population density can reduce the economic incentives for dense last‑mile broadband buildout, shaping how residents access email and other digital services. Direct county-level email usage statistics are generally not published; trends are inferred from broadband and device access plus demographics.

Digital access indicators are available from the U.S. Census Bureau (data.census.gov) via American Community Survey tables on household computer ownership and internet (including broadband) subscriptions, which serve as practical proxies for email access. Age structure matters because older populations tend to have lower rates of adoption for some online services; Adams County’s age distribution can be summarized using ACS demographic profiles. Gender balance is typically close to even and is not a primary driver compared with access and age; sex composition is also reported in ACS profiles.

Connectivity limitations are reflected in availability and service-quality constraints documented through FCC Broadband Map coverage data and local planning information from Adams County government.

Mobile Phone Usage

Adams County is in western Illinois along the Mississippi River, with Quincy as the county seat and principal population center. Outside Quincy, the county is characterized by lower-density rural areas and river-bluff topography near the Mississippi, both of which can affect radio propagation and the economics of network buildout. Population and housing are concentrated in and around Quincy, with more dispersed settlement patterns in the rest of the county, which typically correlates with greater variation in mobile coverage quality across short distances.

Key distinction: network availability vs. adoption

  • Network availability refers to where mobile carriers report service (4G/5G coverage footprints and performance claims).
  • Adoption refers to whether residents actually subscribe to mobile service, rely on mobile for internet access, and the devices used in households.

County-level adoption measures are limited and are often only available at broader geographies (state, metro area, or national), while availability is more frequently mapped at fine spatial scales.

Mobile penetration / access indicators (availability and adoption measures)

Availability-side indicators (reported coverage)

  • The most widely used federal source for reported mobile broadband availability is the FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC), which provides location-based coverage information and map layers from mobile providers. This is the primary reference for where carriers claim 4G LTE and 5G service in and around Adams County. See the FCC’s coverage and availability resources via the FCC National Broadband Map.
  • The FCC map is based on provider filings and is better interpreted as reported availability rather than measured user experience; performance can vary due to congestion, device capability, terrain, indoor signal loss, and network configuration.

Adoption-side indicators (subscriptions, household access, device reliance)

  • County-specific measures of “mobile-only” internet access and smartphone reliance are not consistently published as standard ACS tables at the county level, and mobile subscription counts are typically reported by carriers or modeled datasets rather than by county in an official, routinely updated way.
  • Broader adoption indicators relevant to Illinois and comparable counties are available from federal statistical products that are not always county-resolved. For baseline internet access concepts and household technology measures, see Census.gov (data.census.gov) and related Census internet access resources.

Limitation: A definitive, regularly published county-level “mobile penetration rate” (e.g., percent of residents with a mobile subscription) is not available as an official single indicator for Adams County in the same way that coverage availability is mapped through the FCC BDC.

Mobile internet usage patterns and connectivity (4G/5G availability vs. use)

4G LTE availability

  • 4G LTE is generally the baseline mobile broadband technology across most populated areas in Illinois, including regional centers such as Quincy. In county contexts like Adams, LTE usually provides the widest-area coverage relative to newer 5G layers.
  • Reported LTE coverage by provider and technology can be reviewed at address- and area-level using the FCC National Broadband Map.

5G availability (reported)

  • 5G availability typically varies by carrier and is commonly layered:
    • Low-band 5G: broader geographic reach, more comparable to LTE coverage footprints.
    • Mid-band 5G: higher capacity, often concentrated near population centers and along travel corridors.
    • High-band/mmWave: very high capacity but limited range, usually confined to dense urban nodes.
  • In Adams County, reported 5G coverage is expected to be strongest in and around Quincy and along major routes, with more variability in rural sections. The authoritative public reference for carrier-reported 5G availability remains the FCC National Broadband Map.

Limitation: Public county-level statistics on “actual usage by radio generation” (the share of users actively on 4G vs 5G) are not typically published by county from official sources. Actual usage depends on handset capability, plan type, and local network configuration.

Performance and practical connectivity considerations

  • Terrain and vegetation near river bluffs and in rural areas can contribute to localized dead zones or weaker indoor signal, especially away from towers and in structures with higher signal attenuation.
  • Congestion effects can be more pronounced in the main city (Quincy) during peak hours and at large venues, even where coverage is reported as available.
  • For statewide broadband context and planning documents that often discuss mobile as part of overall connectivity, see the Illinois Office of Broadband (Connect Illinois).

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

  • At the household level, national surveys consistently show smartphones as the dominant personal mobile device, with additional mobile-connected devices including tablets, hotspots, and wearables. However, county-specific device-type breakdowns (smartphone vs. flip phone vs. hotspot-only) are not commonly available in official, routinely updated datasets for Adams County.
  • Practical device mix in counties like Adams is influenced by:
    • Smartphone prevalence for general communication and app-based services.
    • Fixed wireless and mobile hotspot use as stopgaps in areas where wired broadband options are limited or costly, though adoption levels are not reliably quantified at the county level from official sources.
  • For population and household context useful in interpreting device adoption patterns (age distribution, household composition, income), see Census.gov.

Limitation: Without carrier, device analytics, or locally conducted surveys, definitive statements about the proportion of smartphones versus other phone types in Adams County are not supported by standard public county tables.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage and connectivity

Geography, settlement pattern, and infrastructure economics (availability)

  • Population concentration in Quincy supports denser cell-site placement and typically stronger multi-carrier coverage and capacity compared with outlying townships.
  • Rural density outside Quincy tends to reduce the business case for dense tower grids, which can translate into larger coverage gaps, more reliance on low-band spectrum, and fewer high-capacity 5G layers.
  • Mississippi River corridor and bluffs can create uneven propagation conditions; coverage can change quickly with elevation and line-of-sight.

Demographics and household characteristics (adoption/use)

  • Adoption and reliance patterns are commonly associated with:
    • Age structure (older populations often show lower smartphone adoption and different usage intensity in national surveys).
    • Income and educational attainment (correlated with broadband subscription patterns and device upgrade cycles).
    • Housing type and tenancy (renters may have different fixed-broadband options and may rely more on mobile).
  • These relationships are well-established in national and state analyses, but county-specific quantification for Adams County requires local survey data or modeled estimates not provided as standard official county indicators. County demographic baselines are accessible via Census.gov.

Practical sources for Adams County-specific coverage lookup

Summary of what is known vs. not available at county resolution

  • Well-supported at fine geographic resolution: carrier-reported 4G/5G availability via the FCC BDC map.
  • Partially supported and typically broader than county: household internet access characteristics and demographic correlates via Census products (often clearer at state/metro/national levels than as mobile-specific county indicators).
  • Not reliably available as definitive county statistics from standard official sources: mobile subscription penetration rate, smartphone vs. non-smartphone shares, and measured “4G vs 5G usage” shares for Adams County.

Social Media Trends

Adams County is in western Illinois along the Mississippi River, anchored by Quincy (the county seat and largest city) and influenced by a mix of healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and regional retail. As a smaller metro-adjacent river county with a notable commuter and small-business base, local social media use generally tracks statewide and national patterns, with platform choice and intensity varying by age and household connectivity.

User statistics (penetration / share of residents active)

  • Local (county-specific) social media penetration: Publicly reported, county-level social media penetration estimates are not consistently available from major survey organizations; most reliable benchmarks are statewide and national.
  • National benchmark (adults): About 7 in 10 U.S. adults (≈69%) use at least one social media site, providing the most defensible proxy for overall adoption levels in counties without dedicated measurement. Source: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet.
  • Internet access as a usage constraint: Social media participation is closely tied to broadband and smartphone access. County-level connectivity context is typically referenced via official broadband reporting; see FCC Broadband Map for geographically granular broadband availability.

Age group trends (who uses social media most)

National patterns consistently show the highest usage among younger adults, with steep declines at older ages:

Gender breakdown

Nationally, overall social media use is similar by gender, with notable differences by platform:

Most-used platforms (percentages where available)

County-specific platform shares are not typically published in representative public datasets, so the most reliable figures are U.S. adult benchmarks:

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and preferences)

  • Age-driven platform clustering: Younger adults concentrate more activity on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, while older adults show higher concentration on Facebook; YouTube is broadly cross-generational. Source: Pew Research Center demographic patterns.
  • Video-first engagement: Short-form and on-demand video (TikTok and YouTube) drives higher session frequency and time spent compared with text-forward platforms in many U.S. markets; this aligns with national attention trends documented in platform usage research. Source: Pew Research Center usage context.
  • Local information use: Smaller-city and county residents commonly use social platforms for local news, community groups, events, school and sports updates, and small-business discovery, with Facebook Groups and local pages often functioning as de facto community bulletin boards. This aligns with national findings on social media and local information environments. Source: Pew Research Center Journalism & Media research.
  • Messaging and private sharing: Engagement increasingly shifts to private or semi-private channels (Messenger, WhatsApp, direct messages), reducing the share of interactions visible in public feeds—an established national trend in social platform behavior. Source: Pew Research Center Internet & Technology research.

Family & Associates Records

Adams County family-related public records primarily include vital records (birth and death) and court records that document family relationships (marriage, divorce, guardianship, adoption case files). In Illinois, certified birth and death certificates are issued locally through county health departments; Adams County’s vital records are handled by the Adams County Health Department. Marriage records are typically maintained by the county clerk; Adams County marriage licensing and related records are provided through the Adams County Clerk. Court filings for divorce, guardianship, and adoption proceedings are maintained by the circuit clerk; case record access and office information are provided by the Adams County Circuit Clerk.

Public database availability varies by record type. Many jurisdictions provide online case search access for nonconfidential court cases, while certified vital records are commonly processed through application forms and in-person or mail requests rather than unrestricted public databases. County department pages list current ordering methods, fees, identification requirements, and office hours.

Privacy restrictions apply. Illinois law limits access to certified birth and death records and generally restricts adoption records and certain family court records from public disclosure. Nonconfidential marriage indexes and many civil case docket entries are more broadly accessible than underlying documents containing sensitive personal information.

Marriage & Divorce Records

Types of records available

  • Marriage licenses (and certificates/returns)
    Adams County issues marriage licenses through the county clerk and keeps the completed license/return (often used to produce a certified marriage record).

  • Divorce records (case files; divorce decrees/judgments)
    Divorces are handled as civil court cases in the Adams County Circuit Court. The court maintains the case file and the final Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage (commonly called a divorce decree).

  • Annulments (case files; judgments of invalidity)
    Annulments are also circuit court matters, typically resulting in an order or judgment declaring the marriage invalid. These records are maintained in the same manner as other family law case files.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

  • Marriage records

    • Filed/maintained by: Adams County Clerk (vital records function for the county).
    • Access methods: Requests are typically handled through the clerk’s office for certified copies or record searches. Researchers may also use statewide indices where available; certified copies are issued by the local issuing authority.

  • Divorce and annulment records

    • Filed/maintained by: Adams County Circuit Court (Clerk of the Circuit Court), generally within domestic relations/family law case records.
    • Access methods:
      • Case file access through the Clerk of the Circuit Court (in-person and/or written request practices vary).
      • Public access to docket/case information may be available via Illinois court record access systems where offered; documents can be restricted even when a case listing exists.

  • State-level context (Illinois)

    • The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) maintains certain statewide vital records functions and historical indexes, but marriage records are primarily created and certified at the county level, and divorce certificates/verification are handled under state procedures separate from full court file access.

Typical information included in these records

  • Marriage license / marriage record

    • Full names of both parties (including maiden name where applicable)
    • Date and place of marriage and/or license issuance date
    • Ages and/or dates of birth (depending on era/form)
    • Residences/addresses at time of application
    • Names of officiant and location of ceremony (as recorded on the return)
    • Witness information (when required by the form used)
    • License number and filing/recording information
    • Signatures/attestations on the application and completed return

  • Divorce decree / judgment of dissolution

    • Names of parties and case number
    • Date of filing and date of judgment
    • Grounds or statutory basis (varies by time period and form)
    • Terms of dissolution, commonly including:
      • Allocation of parental responsibilities/parenting time (when children involved)
      • Child support and maintenance/spousal support (as ordered)
      • Property and debt division
      • Restoration of former name (when granted)
    • Judge’s signature and court certification elements

  • Annulment judgment (declaration of invalidity)

    • Names of parties and case number
    • Findings supporting invalidity under Illinois law (as stated in the order)
    • Any related orders (support, fees, parenting-related orders where applicable)
    • Judge’s signature and entry date

Privacy or legal restrictions

  • Marriage records

    • Generally treated as public records for basic facts, but certified copies are issued under the clerk’s procedures and identification/payment requirements. Some modern records may be subject to administrative limits on who may obtain certified copies or the form of copy provided.

  • Divorce and annulment court files

    • Court records are generally public, but access can be restricted by:
      • Sealed case files or sealed documents by court order
      • Confidential information rules (personal identifiers, financial account information, and certain family law–related information may be redacted or protected)
      • Juvenile-related protections and other statutory confidentiality provisions affecting documents involving minors
    • Illinois courts apply privacy rules that limit dissemination of sensitive personal data in filed documents; clerks may provide access to nonsealed portions while withholding or redacting protected content.

  • State-issued divorce verification vs. full decree

    • Illinois state vital records practices commonly distinguish between verification/certification of a divorce event and the full decree maintained by the circuit court; the decree is obtained from the circuit court record, subject to sealing and redaction rules.

Education, Employment and Housing

Adams County is in far western Illinois along the Mississippi River, anchored by Quincy (the county seat) and bordering Missouri. The county is predominantly small‑metro and rural in character, with employment and housing patterns shaped by regional healthcare, manufacturing, education, retail/logistics, and agricultural activity. Recent population levels are in the mid‑60,000s range, with an age profile that is older than the Illinois statewide average and a large share of long‑established households.

Education Indicators

Public schools and school names

Adams County’s public K–12 education is primarily provided through multiple Illinois school districts serving Quincy and surrounding communities. A comprehensive, authoritative list of districts and schools is maintained in the Illinois School Report Card district and school profiles (searchable by county) on the Illinois Report Card.
Countywide school counts and a complete school-name inventory vary by year and configuration (open/close/consolidation) and are best treated as “reporting-year” values from the Report Card. No single county-level roster is published as a static dataset outside the Report Card system.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

  • Graduation rates (public high schools): The most current cohort graduation rates are published by school and district in the Illinois Report Card (typically presented as 4‑year cohort graduation rates). Countywide aggregation is not consistently presented as a single official figure; the standard proxy is to reference the major district high school(s) serving Quincy and the other district high schools in the county using the same reporting year.
  • Student–teacher ratios: Illinois publishes staffing and enrollment indicators by school/district within the Report Card (teachers, class size and related measures). A single countywide “student–teacher ratio” is not consistently reported as an official county statistic; the standard proxy is district-level ratios from the Report Card for the same year.

Adult education levels (high school diploma, bachelor’s degree and higher)

The most consistently comparable adult attainment estimates at the county level come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 5‑year estimates.

  • Adults with a high school diploma (or higher): County-level percentage is published in ACS tables and profiles for educational attainment.
  • Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: County-level percentage is also published in ACS educational attainment tables.
    The most recent ACS 5‑year profile for Adams County, IL (including education attainment distributions) is available through data.census.gov (search: “Adams County, Illinois educational attainment”).

Notable programs (STEM, vocational training, Advanced Placement)

  • Advanced Placement (AP), dual credit, and career/technical education (CTE): Participation and performance indicators are commonly reported at the high-school level through district/school profiles and, where applicable, state accountability reporting. The most standardized public source for district/school-level indicators is the Illinois Report Card.
  • Postsecondary and workforce training: Quincy is home to regional postsecondary options (including community college and university presence) that support transfer pathways and occupational programs; program lists and awards are typically reported by the institutions rather than at the county aggregate level. County-level occupational training metrics are more often tracked through regional workforce reports than through a single county education dashboard.

School safety measures and counseling resources

Illinois requires districts to maintain student support services and safety planning consistent with state law and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) guidance. Publicly documented elements typically include:

  • Safety planning and preparedness: school emergency operations planning, visitor management, and coordination with local law enforcement (district policies vary).
  • Student services: school counseling and social work supports; districts typically publish staffing/service descriptions in school handbooks and may report staffing categories in the Report Card.
    Because these details are implemented at the district/school level, the most direct countywide proxy is district policy documentation and school profiles linked from district websites, with standardized staffing categories visible in the Illinois Report Card.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent year available)

The official local unemployment rate is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). The most recent annual and monthly figures for Adams County, IL are available via the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics and related county tables.
A single “most recent year” value cannot be stated here without a specific publication pull; the definitive source is LAUS (annual average and latest month).

Major industries and employment sectors

County and regional employment is typically concentrated in:

  • Health care and social assistance (major employer category in many downstate Illinois counties)
  • Manufacturing (including durable and nondurable goods, with variation by plant mix)
  • Retail trade and accommodation/food services
  • Educational services (K–12 and postsecondary presence)
  • Transportation and warehousing/logistics (influenced by regional freight corridors and river/road connectivity)
  • Public administration and construction
    The most comparable sector shares for Adams County are published in the Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns and ACS industry-of-employment tables (via data.census.gov), and in BLS/BEA regional summaries.

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

Occupational composition commonly includes:

  • Office and administrative support
  • Sales and related occupations
  • Transportation and material moving
  • Production occupations
  • Healthcare practitioners/support
  • Education, training, and library occupations
  • Management and business occupations
    County-level occupation distributions are available through ACS “occupation” tables on data.census.gov (search: “Adams County, Illinois occupation”).

Typical commuting patterns and mean commute times

  • Mean travel time to work: The ACS provides county estimates of mean commute time and commuting mode shares (drive alone, carpool, public transit, walk, work from home, etc.). For Adams County, commuting is predominantly by private vehicle, reflecting the county’s small‑metro/rural layout.
  • Work-from-home share: Published in ACS commuting tables; tends to track national trends with local variation by occupation mix.
    The definitive county estimates and their margins of error are available from ACS commuting/time-to-work tables on data.census.gov.

Local employment versus out-of-county work

  • In-county versus out-of-county commuting flows: The most direct federal dataset for residence-to-workplace patterns is the Census Bureau’s LEHD Origin–Destination Employment Statistics (LODES). These datasets show how many residents work within the county versus commute to other counties/states. The primary access point is the Census Bureau’s LEHD/LODES resources and related tools.
  • Regional cross-state commuting: Proximity to Missouri and the Mississippi River metro network contributes to cross-county and cross-state commuting for some workers; the magnitude is measurable in LODES flow files rather than in a single ACS headline metric.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

The ACS provides county tenure estimates (owner-occupied vs renter-occupied).

  • Homeownership (owner-occupied share): Published in ACS housing tenure tables for Adams County.
  • Rental share: Complement of the owner share; also published in ACS.
    Definitive tenure rates and margins of error are available via data.census.gov (search: “Adams County, Illinois tenure”).

Median property values and recent trends

  • Median value of owner-occupied housing units: Published by ACS (5‑year) for the county; this is the most consistent countywide statistic for comparisons.
  • Recent trends: County-level price trends are often inferred from multi-year ACS medians (noting sampling error) and supplemented by private market reports. ACS is the primary public, methodologically consistent source for countywide median value.
    The county’s housing values have generally remained below Illinois statewide medians, reflecting the local cost structure of downstate river counties.

Typical rent prices

  • Median gross rent: Published in ACS for Adams County, including distribution across rent bands. This is the standard public measure for “typical rent.”
    The definitive county estimate is available on data.census.gov (search: “Adams County, Illinois median gross rent”).

Types of housing (single-family homes, apartments, rural lots)

Housing stock is a mix of:

  • Single-family detached homes (dominant in many neighborhoods in Quincy and smaller towns)
  • Older housing stock in established areas (common in Mississippi River communities)
  • Multi-unit rentals and small apartment buildings concentrated near employment centers, major corridors, and central Quincy
  • Rural residences and farm-associated properties outside the Quincy urbanized area
    The ACS provides county shares by structure type (1‑unit detached, 1‑unit attached, 2 units, 3–4, 5–9, 10–19, 20+, mobile homes) through housing stock tables on data.census.gov.

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools or amenities)

Countywide generalizations typically include:

  • Quincy-area neighborhoods with closer proximity to schools, hospitals/clinics, retail corridors, and civic amenities
  • Small-town nodes with walkable cores and localized services
  • Rural areas with larger lots and longer drive times to schools, grocery, and healthcare
    No single public dataset provides a standardized “proximity to amenities” score at the county narrative level; this is typically assessed via municipal GIS, school attendance boundary maps, and travel-time analyses.

Property tax overview (average rate and typical homeowner cost)

  • Effective property tax rates and homeowner tax burden: Illinois property taxes are high by national standards, but county-specific effective rates and typical tax bills depend on township, municipality, school district levies, assessed value, and exemptions.
  • The most authoritative public summaries of Illinois property tax systems and local extensions are available through the Illinois Department of Revenue property tax resources, and local levy/extension information is maintained through county assessment and treasurer offices.
    A single “average rate” and “typical homeowner cost” for Adams County is not consistently published as one official number across all taxing districts; the standard proxy is to use effective rate estimates from reputable aggregations and confirm with local tax bill data, noting that school district levies are typically the largest component.

Data note (availability): The most current, standardized county-level percentages/medians for adult education, commuting, tenure, home values, and rent come from the ACS 5‑year estimates on data.census.gov. K–12 school counts, names, graduation rates, and staffing indicators are most authoritatively provided at school/district level through the Illinois Report Card. Unemployment is official through BLS LAUS.

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Other Counties in Illinois