Royal Lakes is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

Macoupin County Macoupin County is located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, it had a population of 47,765. The county seat is Carlinville, Illinois, Carlinville. The primary industry is agriculture, consis ...

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 167 at the 2020 census. A July 1, 2008

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

estimate placed the population at 184.

Geography

Royal Lakes is located at (39.1116990, -89.9606600) in Hillyard Township in southern Macoupin County. Royal Lakes lies at the southwestern corner of two intersecting roads,

Illinois Route 16 Illinois Route 16 (IL 16) is an east–west highway in central Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Joe Page Bridge over the Illinois River in Hardin, while its eastern terminus is at Paris at Illinois Route 1 and U.S. Route 150, with I ...

and

Illinois Route 159 Illinois Route 159 is a north–south state road in southwestern Illinois. Its southern terminus is at Illinois Route 3 and Illinois Route 154 in Red Bud and its northern terminus at Illinois Route 16 in Royal Lakes. This is a distance of . Ro ...

. The nearest large cities are

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, approximately to the southwest and

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

, around northeast of the village. According to the 2010 census, Royal Lakes has a total area of , of which (or 91.09%) is land and (or 8.91%) is water.

Lakes

Three small lakes – Meshach, Shad, and Shadrach – are located within the village of Royal Lakes. * Meshach Lake is located in the east central portion of Royal Lakes. With an average depth of between nine and twelve feet, it is the deepest of the three lakes. * Shad Lake covers approximately with a maximum depth of two feet. * Shadrach Lake is located north of Magnolia Drive and west of North Dogwood Drive. Its depth ranges from five to eight feet.

History

The site that would eventually become Royal Lakes was purchased by a

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

developer in 1956. The tract was to be developed as a resort-style community. Three small lakes – Meshach, Shad, and Shadrach – were constructed for recreational purposes and the remaining land was divided into 2,435 lots, each measuring -by-125 feet. Royal Lakes was marketed as an affordable resort location in a rural setting. The community was heavily promoted in the predominantly

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 ...

neighborhoods of

and

East St. Louis East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

. In 1957, the first families moved into Royal Lakes. A communities church was organized in 1961 and the congregation moved into a permanent building seven years later. Due to Royal Lakes' status as a "resort" area, a lack of zoning regulations meant that there had been no provisions for the developer to provide basic infrastructure. With no road maintenance, water supply, or proper sewage disposal, the overall quality of life for residents of the community deteriorated. By the early 1970s, residents agreed that the only way to improve conditions in the community was through incorporation. An incorporation election was held in October 1972. Of the 98 votes cast, 89 were in favor of incorporation and 9 opposed. Royal Lakes officially became the Village of Royal Lakes. The village's first mayor, Thomas J. Stoddard, and other members of the municipal government took office in April 1973.

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 190 people, 80 households, and 46 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 121 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 15.79%

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 ...

, 80.53%

, 0.53% Native American, 1.05% 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 2.11% 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 ...

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of any race were 1.05% of the population. There were 80 households, out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% 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, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.26. In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.5% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.0 males. The median income for a household in the village was $17,708, and the median income for a family was $21,042. Males had a median income of $41,667 versus $15,000 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 village was $10,049. About 19.1% of families and 27.3% 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 32.7% of those under the age of eighteen and 27.8% of those 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the village of Royal Lakes is provided by two school districts. The portion of Royal Lakes lying east of Julian Avenue is served by Bunker Hill Community Unit School District 8. Areas west of Julian Avenue are served by

Southwestern Community Unit School District 9 The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

References

{{authority control Populated places established in 1957 Villages in Macoupin County, Illinois Villages in Illinois