Mahomet, Illinois
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Mahomet is a village located in Champaign County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 4,877.
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Geography
Mahomet is located at 40°11'33" North, 88°24'8" West (40.192384, -88.402115)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 17.7 km² (6.8 mi²). 17.7 km² (6.8 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 4,877 people, 1,654 households, and 1,374 families residing in the village. This figuere does not include surrounding subdivisions which would almost double the population. The population density is 274.9/km² (711.6/mi²). There are 1,700 housing units at an average density of 95.8/km² (248.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 98.18% White, 0.14% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.94% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,654 households out of which 51.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.9% are married couples living together, 9.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 16.9% are non-families. 14.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.95 and the average family size is 3.27.
In the village the population is spread out with 34.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village is $57,574, and the median income for a family is $61,063. Males have a median income of $46,277 versus $30,956 for females. The per capita income for the village is $21,990. 5.1% of the population and 3.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 5.1% of those under the age of 18 and 3.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Tourism
The most popular tourist attractions in Mahomet are Lake of the Woods Park, River Bend Forest Preserve, and the award winning Hartwell C. Howard Golf Course. Lake of the Woods Park is a 900 acre (3.6 km²) park along the Sangamon River. The park features a botanical garden, a lake, and also offers activities like boating, fishing, cross country skiing, and sledding. Within Lake of the Woods Park is the Early American Museum, which has a collection that features life in the 19th and early 20th century in East-Central Illinois. The park has a 3.3 mile bike path and a bell tower. The Hartwell C. Howard Golf Course is an 18 hole regulation course, a 9 hole par 3 course, and a practice range. The River Bend Forest Preserve is 275 acres (1.1 km²), of which 130 acres (0.5 km²) is water. The park has two large lakes, one of them being the largest lake in Champaign County and 2.5 miles of forest along the Sangamon River.
Mahomet Schools
The Mahomet School District has 2,678 students in grades K-12, 185 instructors and 10 administrators, spread over five schools. The school colors are orange and blue and the school mascot is a bulldog
Mahomet-Seymour High School
Mahomet-Seymour High School was built in 1981 and has since undergone expansion as the community of Mahomet continues to grow. The latest expansion was completed in August of 2000 and brought 16,000 sq. ft. (when completed the buiding was over 80,000 sq. ft.) of additional space to the building to the building, increased student capacity to 1,100, and cost $8,701,400. As of the 2004-2005 school year, the school has an enrollment of 863 students and a faculty of fifty-two full time teachers. In 2004, the Chicago Sun-Times ranked MSHS as the 23rd best high school in the state. The school has a strong athletic program, particularly in wrestling, football, and boys and girls track.
Mahomet-Seymour Junior High
Built in 1961, the building that is now MSJH was originally Mahomet- Seymour High School. In 1981 the high school moved to its current building. MSJH has gone through many renevations and additions, including ten new rooms in 1994. As of the 2004-2005 school year, there are 631 students enrolled at MSJH over three grade levels(6th-8th). An interesing fact about MSJH is that the floor in the Blue Gym was originally the flooring at the Assembley Hall, where the Fighting ILLINI of the University of Illinois play basketball and wrestle.
History
The village of Mahomet was first settled in 1832 on the banks of the Sangamon River and was the first communittee to be established in modern day Champaign County. The original village name was Middletown, because it was half-way between the towns of Danville and Bloomington. In 1871, the name of the village was changed to Mahomet because there was already another Middletown in Illinios, which was causing mail problems. Most early settlers came from Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania and chose to reside in Mahomet because because of its abundant water from the Sangamon River and its abundant trees. Currently, most residents commute 10 miles to the city of Champaign to work, although the village has a thriving small business district.
External links
Template:Mapit-US-cityscale [1] (http://mahomet.govoffice.com/) [2] (http://www.ms.k12.il.us/)