Gifford, Illinois

Gifford is a village in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 975 at the 2010 Census.

Gifford
Village
Location of Gifford in Champaign County, Illinois.
Gifford Location within Champaign County Gifford Gifford (Illinois)
Coordinates: 40°18′25″N 88°1′19″W
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Champaign
Area [1]
• Total	0.44 sq mi (1.15 km^2)
• Land	0.44 sq mi (1.15 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	799 ft (244 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	975
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	1,048
• Density	2,360.36/sq mi (911.45/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Postal code	61847
Area code(s)	217
FIPS code	17-29145

History

Gifford was laid out in 1876 and named for Benjamin F. Gifford.[3][4] Along with nearby Penfield, the town had a station on the now-defunct Illinois Central Railroad.[5]

Gifford was heavily damaged by a tornado on November 17, 2013. The tornado struck shortly before 1:00 PM, destroying more than 20 homes and damaging 200 others.[6]

Geography

According to the 2010 Census, Gifford has a total area of 0.45 square miles (1.17 km²), all land.[7]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	124		—
1960	609		—
1970	814		33.7%
1980	848		4.2%
1990	845		−0.4%
2000	815		−3.6%
2010	975		19.6%
2019 (est.)	1,048	[2]	7.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the 2000 Census,[9] there were 815 people in 301 households, including 222 families, in the village. The population density was 1,288.2 people per square mile (499.5/km²). There were 316 housing units at an average density of 499.5 per square mile (193.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.79% White, 0.98% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race comprised 0.37% of the population.

Of the 301 households 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 22.6% of households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.85.

The age distribution was 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median household income was $46,667 and the median family income was $55,375. Males had a median income of $36,905 versus $25,568 for females. The per capita income for the village was $22,040. About 0.9% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

• The Shortline Railroad Prairie comprises six acres of abandoned railroad right-of-way that is owned and maintained by Grand Prairie Friends. It contains a hiking trail and a variety of native prairie plants.[10]

Notable people

• Dennis J. Collins, Illinois state legislator and lawyer
• Michelle Franzen, television and radio journalist
• Michael Frerichs, Incumbent Treasurer of Illinois

Bibliography

• Stewart, J.R., ed. (1918). A Standard History of Champaign County Illinois. I. Chicago and New York: The Lewis Publishing Company. LCCN 20003364.

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. Stewart 1918, p. 206.
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 137.
5. Stewart 1918, p. 521.
6. "Gifford heavily damaged by tornado". The News-Gazette. November 17, 2013. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017.
7. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
10. "Shortline Railroad Prairie". Grand Prairie Friends.

Further reading

• The Centennial Book: Gifford, Illinois 1875–1975. Potomac, IL: Bluegrass Printing. 1975.