Polo is a city in

Ogle County Ogle County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 53,497. Its county seat is Oregon, and its largest city is Rochelle. Ogle County comprises Rochelle, ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The population was 2,355 at the 2010 census, down from 2,477 in 2000.

History

The community was named after

Marco Polo Marco Polo (, , ; 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known as ''Book of the Marv ...

. Polo was incorporated in 1856.

Geography

Polo is located at (41.986852, -89.577100). According to the 2010 census, Polo has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 2,477 people, 1,007 households, and 654 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,081 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.39%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.04%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.20% Native American, 0.32%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.65% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.36% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.57% of the population. There were 1,007 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,833, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $37,857 versus $24,135 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,604. About 7.2% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Polo has its own school district, Polo School District 222, which includes

Polo Community High School Polo Community High School (simply referred to as Polo High School) is a public high school in Polo, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Polo Community Unit School District No. 222. It was ranked as the 6,869 best school in the United St ...

, Aplington Middle School which grades are through 6th to 8th, and Centennial Elementary School which is Preschool to 5th.

Library

The Polo Public Library at 302 West Mason Street in Polo is operated by the Polo Public Library District. The building is one of several Carnegie libraries on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The library was established in 1871 as an association which charged a membership fee and was transferred to the town under the new name Buffalo Township Free Public Library in 1891.

Notable people

George Perkins Clinton George Perkins Clinton (7 May 1867 – 13 August 1937) was an American botanist, mycologist, and plant pathologist who for thirty-five years worked at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station at New Haven. An expert on smuts and rusts, ...

(1867–1937), botanist and mycologist *

George Peek George Nelson Peek (November 19, 1873 – December 17, 1943) was an American agricultural economist, business executive, and civil servant. He was the first administrator of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) and the first preside ...

, economist *

Kathleen Weaver Kathleen Weaver (born 1945) is an American writer and editor, who was born in Sioux City, Iowa. Education Raised in Polo, Illinois, she went on to study art and political science at the University of Edinburgh. After, she earned a B.A. and M.A. ...

, writer and editor

References

External links

Polo official websitePolo Community Unit School District 222Polo Public Library District
{{authority control Cities in Ogle County, Illinois Cities in Illinois Rockford metropolitan area, Illinois 1856 establishments in Illinois