Polo, Illinois

Polo
City
Downtown Polo
Flag Logo
Motto:  Gateway to the Pines
Location of Polo in Ogle County, Illinois.
Polo Location within Ogle County Show map of Ogle County, Illinois Polo Polo (Illinois) Show map of Illinois
Coordinates: 41°59′13″N89°34′38″W / 41.98694°N 89.57722°W / 41.98694; -89.57722
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Ogle
Township	Buffalo
Government
•  Mayor	Doug Knapp (R)
Area [1]
• Total	1.45 sq mi (3.76 km2)
• Land	1.45 sq mi (3.76 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	863 ft (263 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,291
• Density	1,578.91/sq mi (609.44/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Postal code	61064
Area code	815
FIPS code	17-60937
Website	www.poloil.org

Polo is a city in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,355 at the 2010 census, down from 2,477 in 2000.

History

The community was named after Marco Polo. ^[3] Polo was incorporated on February 16, 1857. ^[4]

Geography

Polo is located at 41°59′13″N89°34′38″W / 41.98694°N 89.57722°W / 41.98694; -89.57722 (41.986852, -89.577100). ^[5]

According to the 2010 census, Polo has a total area of 1.36 square miles (3.52 km²), all land. ^[6]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	1,805		—
1880	1,819		0.8%
1890	1,728		−5.0%
1900	1,869		8.2%
1910	1,828		−2.2%
1920	1,867		2.1%
1930	1,871		0.2%
1940	2,071		10.7%
1950	2,242		8.3%
1960	2,552		13.8%
1970	2,542		−0.4%
1980	2,643		4.0%
1990	2,514		−4.9%
2000	2,477		−1.5%
2010	2,355		−4.9%
2020	2,291		−2.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]

As of the census ^[8] of 2000, there were 2,477 people, 1,007 households, and 654 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,886.2 inhabitants per square mile (728.3/km²). There were 1,081 housing units at an average density of 823.2 per square mile (317.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.39% White, 0.04% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.

There were 1,007 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,833, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $37,857 versus $24,135 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,604. About 7.2% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Polo has its own school district, Polo School District 222, which includes Polo Community High School, Aplington Middle School which grades are through 6th to 8th, and Centennial Elementary School which is Preschool to 5th.

Christ Lutheran School, located in nearby Sterling, serves students of various religious backgrounds from Polo to Walnut and from Morrison to Dixon. As part of the largest network of Protestant schools in the US, CLS provides an education for students from age 3 through 8th grade that is focused on all of the core academic subjects while remaining true to the Bible. ^[9]

Library

The Polo Public Library at 302 West Mason Street in Polo is operated by the Polo Public Library District. The building is one of several Carnegie libraries on the National Register of Historic Places. The library was established in 1871 as an association which charged a membership fee and was transferred to the town under the new name Buffalo Township Free Public Library in 1891. ^[10]

Notable people

• George Perkins Clinton (1867–1937), botanist and mycologist
• George Peek, economist
• Kathleen Weaver, writer and editor

See also

• Polo, Missouri, named after Polo, Illinois

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
2. "USGS detail on Newtown" . Retrieved October 21, 2007.
3. Moyer, Armond; Moyer, Winifred (1958). The origins of unusual place-names. Keystone Pub. Associates. p. 104.
4. City of Polo document- Certificate of Good Standing from the State of Illinois
5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
6. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
8. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
9. "Welcome to Christ Lutheran School". Christ Lutheran School. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
10. "Polo Library History. Reprinted from 1 Voice of the Prairie: A Brief History of Polo, Illinois. Polo, IL, 1957". Polo Public Library District. Retrieved July 1, 2009.^{[ dead link ]}

External links

• Polo official website
• History of Polo
• Polo Community Unit School District 222
• Polo Public Library District