Introduction
Champaign County, not to be confused with Champaign, Illinois, has the county seat of Urbana and a population of 201,801 according to the latest U.S. Census. The cities of Urbana and Champaign are the only two cities in the county and they nearly surround the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Champaign County has a total area of 998 square miles, 996 square miles of which is land and 2.1 square miles is water and is the fifth-largest county in Illinois by land area. Champaign County is situated on the divide between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and is a flat plateau.
Transportation
Champaign County is largely agricultural land, with corn and soybean fields dominating its rural parts. Because the major employers are the university, Kraft foods, Carle Hospital and Medical Group, and the OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center, the roads of Champaign County are frequently busy. Unfortunately, this also means that motor vehicle accidents are common including agricultural truck accidents, work zone accidents, car and truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and accidents involving animals.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), in 2017, Champaign County had 3,480 motor vehicle accidents. Of these accidents, 13 were fatal, 876 resulted in injuries, and 142 of these accidents resulted in A-injuries, or injuries that are classified by IDOT as any injury, other than a fatality, that prevents the injured person from walking, driving, or continuing with the activities they were capable of prior to the accident. This can include severe lacerations, skull and chest injuries, broken limbs, and abdominal injuries.
The major highways that run through Champaign County include: Interstate 57, Interstate 72, Interstate 74, U.S. Route 45, U.S. Route 136, U.S. Route 150, Illinois Route 10, Illinois Route 47, Illinois Route 49, Illinois Route 54, Illinois Route 130.
Champaign County is also home to three public-use airports, which include:
- University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI)-Champaign-Urbana
- Rantoul National Aviation Center (Frank Elliott Field)(TIP)-Rantoul
- Frasca Field (C16)-Urbana
Passenger trains operated by Amtrak also run through Champaign County, operating between Chicago and either Carbondale or New Orleans.
Climate and Weather
Champaign County weather is typical for Illinois, with highs averaging 85 °F during the summer months and lows averaging 16 °F during winter. On average, Champaign County gets 41.2 inches of measurable precipitation in the form of rain, snow, or hail, which not only contributes to motor vehicle accidents, but also slip and falls, pedestrian accidents, rideshare accidents, and bicycle accidents.
Demographics
Champaign County has approximately 80,665 households with 39.7% of these households consisting of married couples and 25.8% with children under the age of 18. The median household income for Champaign County is $45,262 while the median household income for families is $65,785, making Champaign County a middle-class, family-oriented community.
Champaign County takes seriously the health and safety of its children, families, and senior residents offering various programs geared towards promoting healthy lifestyles, providing accessible and affordable medical care to lower-income residents, and ensuring that children, adults, and seniors are provided access to any additional help they may require during difficult times.
Champaign County lawyers at America’s Consumer Lawyer can also assist during these difficult times including incidents of nursing home abuse and neglect, motor vehicle accidents, premises accidents, and child accidents, abuse, or neglect.
Communities
Cities: Champaign and Urbana
Villages: Bondville, Broadlands, Fisher, Foosland, Gifford, Homer, Ivesdale, Longview, Ludlow, Mahomet, Ogden, Pesotum, Philo, Rantoul, Royal, Sadorus, Savoy, Sidney, St. Joseph, Thomasboro, Tolono
Townships: Ayers, Brown, Champaign, Colfax, Compromise, Condit, Crittenden, Cunningham, East Bend, Harwood, Hensley, Kerr, Ludlow, Mahomet, Newcomb, Ogden, Pesotum, Philo, Rantoul, Raymond, Sadorus, Scott, Sidney, Somer, South Homer, St. Joseph, Stanton, Tolono, Urbana
Census-Designated Places: Lake of the Woods, Penfield, Seymour
Other Incorporated Places: Augerville, Block, Bongard, Dailey, Deers, Dewey, Dickerson, Dillsburg, Flatville, Fulls, Gerald, Giblin, Glover, Jimtown, Leverett, Lotus, Mayview, Mira, Parkville, Pauline, Prospect, Rising, Rutherford, Sellers, Sloan Station, Staley, State Road, Tipton, Tomlinson, Wilbur Heights
Education
Champaign County is home to many schools in addition to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. These schools include:
Unified School Districts
- Champaign Community Unit School District 4
- Champaign/Ford Regional Office Of Education
- Education For Employment System 330
- Fisher Community Unit School District 1
- Gifford Community Consolidated School District 188
- Heritage Community Unit School District 8
- Ludlow Community Consolidated School District 142
- Mahomet-Seymour Community Unit School District 3
- Ogden Community Consolidated School District 212
- Prairieview School District 192
- Rantoul City School District 137
- Rantoul Township High School District 193
- Rural Champaign County Special Education Cooperative
- St Joseph Community Consolidated School District 169
- St Joseph Ogden Consolidated High School District 305
- Thomasboro Community Consolidated School District 130
- Tolono Community Unit School District 7
- University Of Illinois Lab School
- Urbana School District 116
Private Schools
- Montessori Habitat
- Calvary Baptist Christian Academy
- Campus Middle School for Girls
- Canaan Academy
- Chesterbrook Academy
- Circle Academy
- Countryside School
- Devonshire KinderCare
- Devonshire KinderCare Photo – Devonshire KinderCareDaycare / Preschool
- First School
- Montessori School
- The High School Of St Thomas More
- Holy Cross Elementary School
- Judah Christian School
- Kindercare Learning Center
- Kingswood School
- Montessori School Of Champaign-Urbana
- Next Generation Early Education
- Next Generation School
- Pavilion Foundation School
- St. John Lutheran School
- St Malachy School
- St Matthew School
- St. Paul Lutheran School
- Swann Elementary School
- Swann Special Care Ctr-elem/secondary School
- University Primary School
When sending your child off to school you assume they will remain safe, however, this isn’t always the case. School bus accidents, gym and physical education accidents, lack of supervision, playground injuries, and school district negligence are just a few examples of the types of school injury cases America’s Consumer Lawyer has experience with.
Attractions
Champaign County has many activities and attractions to offer its residents and visitors, including:
- Spurlock Museum
- Krannert Art Museum
- Meadowbrook Park
- Orpheum Children’s Science Museum
- Sholem Aquatic Center
- Homer Lake
- Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve
- Alto Vineyards Champaign
- Centennial Park
- Spalding Park
- Urbana Dog Park
While most of the time spent at these attractions will be enjoyable and uneventful, accidents can occur, including slip and falls, dog bites, amusement park injuries, bicycle accidents, swimming, boating, and drowning accidents, camping injuries, and motor vehicle accidents.
Agruss Personal Injury: People, First
We see you as a person, not just a client – and that makes us better at work we do. We listen. We learn your story. And, as we help you get the money you deserve, we go above and beyond in a way most law firms never could and never would. Because we’re not just lawyers. And you’re not just a client. We’re friends, neighbors, family. We’re all people and here at America’s Consumer Lawyer, we put people first.
