Athens is a city in Menard County,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, United States. The population was 1,977 at the 2020 census. It is part of the

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Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Athens is in southeastern Menard County, southeast of Petersburg, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

. Illinois Routes 29 and 123 pass together through the northeast side of the city. IL 29 leads south to Springfield, the state capital, and north to Mason City, while IL 123 leads east to Williamsville and northwest to Petersburg. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the city of Athens has an area of , all land. Town Branch flows westward across the southwest corner of the city, leading to the

Sangamon River The Sangamon River is a principal tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 in central Illinois in the United Sta ...

, part of the

Illinois River The Illinois River () is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River at approximately in length. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, the river has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins with the confluence of the Des Plaines ...

watershed.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 1,726 people in 695 households, including 462 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 740 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.26% White, 0.41% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.46% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.27%. Of the 695 households 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 28.5% of households were one person and 11.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.10. The age distribution was 28.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males. The median household income was $41,208 and the median family income was $50,272. Males had a median income of $32,375 versus $24,519 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,981. About 5.4% of families and 6.9% 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 ...

, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Recreation

Athens is north of the north end of the Sangamon Valley Trail right-of-way. The trail includes a bridge over the Sangamon River and Cantrall Creek.State Journal-Register. 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2017-01-24. Athens has a sports complex that is used for baseball, softball, and football games as well as track & field and cross country events. Athens community members can visit the Athens Community Park that includes baseball diamonds, outdoor basketball hoops, and a football field for youth players.

Notable people

* Jack Brittin, pitcher for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

* Alice Sudduth Byerly (1855–1904), temperance activist * H. V. Porter, educator, coach, and member of the

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

; principal of Athens High School from 1919 to 1927

References

External links