Nov 22, 2021 - News
Morris becomes the state's population center
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
New 2020 Census data pinpoints southwest suburban Morris as the population center of Illinois.
- That means half of the state's population resides north of Morris and the other half lives south. The same for east and west.
Why it matters: The movement of these "centers" indicates where people are relocating in the state and consequently which parts will get more funding and political representation.
- 2020 Census data shows yet another jump northeast, part of a pretty steady 180-year march from just outside Springfield toward Chicago.
- Sorry, rural parts of Illinois. That's just where the power and people continue to move.
Three facts about Morris: It was the site of a persistent warehouse fire this summer that caused mass evacuations due to toxic fumes from the lithium batteries burning inside.
- Located 60 miles southwest of Chicago, it's the county seat of Grundy County.
- According to the Morris municipal website, "in 1839, villagers built the Shakey Bridge across Nettle Creek to influence stagecoach lines to travel through the village."
- Personally, we might have chosen a name like "Very Stable Bridge."