Chester is a town located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River Valley in Randolph County, Illinois. The population was 8,400 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County^GR6 and is 63 miles south of St. Louis, Missouri. Randolph County is a county located in the state of Illinois. ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... Randolph County is a county located in the state of Illinois. ...

Chester is the birthplace of Elzie Segar, creator of the comic character Popeye. The town motto is "The Home of Popeye" and there is a statue of Popeye in the town. The annual Popeye Picnic celebrates the character with food, games, carnival rides, and events. Elzie Crisler Segar (born December 8, 1894 - died October 13, 1938) was an American cartoonist who created the famous comic-strip character Popeye in 1929. ... A Popeye comic book cover shows Popeye, with his characteristic corncob pipe and single good eye, and his girlfriend Olive Oyl. ...

The Chester area includes a number of state parks and historic sites. The Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site has a beautiful overlook of the Mississippi River. Across the river from Fort Kaskaskia is Kaskaskia Island, the only part of Illinois west of the Mississippi River. The island was the site of the first State Capital of Illinois. A historic church, founded by French explorer Pere Jacques Marquette, still holds weekly mass on the island. Five miles northeast of Chester is the Randolph County State Recreation Area, which has a 65 acre lake for fishing as well as hiking and equestrian trails. South of Chester is the Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area, which has many scenic overlooks and trails to spot its namesake turkeys.

Chester High School is the local public high school. The girls track team won their third conference championship in a row in 2006 and won the title for the fifth time in the past six years. Also, the girls' track team won the sectional for the fourth time in school history in May 2006.

Chester's newspaper is the Randolph County Herald Tribune and radio station is KSGM 980AM.

Chester is centered around the intersection of Illinois Route 3 (Great River Road) and Illinois Route 150. See also Illinois Route 3 is a major north-south arterial state highway in southwestern Illinois. ... The Great River Road is a collection of state, provincial, federal and local roads which follow the course of the Mississippi River through ten U. S. states and one Canadian province. ... See also U.S. 150 Illinois Route 150 is an east-west state road in southern Illinois. ...

Geography

Chester is located at 37°54′50″N, 89°49′23″W (37.913947, -89.823140)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.3 km² (5.9 mi²). 15.3 km² (5.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.17% is water. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ...

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 8,400 people, 2,018 households, and 1,283 families residing in the town. The population density was 339.9/km² (879.9/mi²). There were 2,229 housing units at an average density of 146.1/km² (378.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.87% White, 3.59% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population. 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... Race, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is a self-identification data item in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

There were 2,018 households out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.92. Matrimony redirects here. ...

In the town the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 105.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,079, and the median income for a family was $49,426. Males had a median income of $36,103 versus $22,239 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,190. About 5.4% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over. The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

External links

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 37.913947° -89.82314°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA