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Towanda is a village in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 493 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bloomington–Normal Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Landmarks of Towanda include a grain silo complex , local library, and Towanda Elementary School of Normal, Illinois School District Unit Number 5.
Geography
Towanda is located at 40°33'52?N 88°53'57?W? / ?40.56444, -88.89917 (40.564435, -88.899048)[1]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.8 km˛ (0.7 mi˛), all land.
The village gets 37 inches of rain per year. The U.S. average is 37. Snowfall is 24 inches. The average U.S. city gets 25 inches of snow per year. The number of days with any measurable precipitation in the village is 104.
On average, there are 190 sunny days per year in Towanda, IL. The July high is around 87 degrees. The January low is 16. Towanda-area historical tornado activity is slightly above Illinois state average. It is 114% greater than the overall U.S. average.
On May 5th, 1977, there was an F4 (max. wind speeds 207-260 mph) tornado 22.2 miles away from the Towanda village center that injured 2 people and caused between $500,000 and $5,000,000 in damages.
On July 7th, 2004, there was an F4 tornado 23.9 miles away from the village center injured 3 people.[1]
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 493 people, 199 households, and 146 families residing in the village. The population density is 271.9/km˛ (709.0/mi˛). There are 207 housing units at an average density of 114.2 persons/km˛ (297.7 persons/mi˛). The racial makeup of the village is 98.58% White, 0.41% African American, 0.41% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 0.41% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 199 households out of which 29.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% are married couples living together, 8.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 26.6% are non-families. 22.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.48 and the average family size is 2.91.
In the village the population is spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village is $41,705, and the median income for a family is $51,875. Males have a median income of $33,750 versus $30,078 for females. The per capita income for the village is $18,702. 5.3% of the population and 2.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 8.1% are under the age of 18 and 3.4% are 65 or older.
History
According to an old Towanda newspaper, it gots its name after Towanda, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the founder of Bloomington, Il, and Illinois State University, Jesse Fell who donated the land for the small village.
It was in the location of the Chicago and Alton Railroad (now Union Pacific) that ran through the center of town and was vital to town life. The track still passes through town but does not stop there anymore.
Fun Facts
Each July 03, Towanda has a spaghetti supper in the evening and a street dance at night. People from Towanda and surrounding areas come out for the festivities.
On July 04, a parade goes through Towanda and is considered a big event in McLean County. Individuals and families from around Bloomington, Normal, Hudson, Lexington and elsewhere come out for it. Additionally, there is a flea market and the two parks where vendors come from all around the United States to sell their antiques and other items.
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