St. Clair County, Illinois

St. Clair County, Illinois boasts 674 square miles in the Southwestern region of Illinois. St. Clair County is bordered by Madison County to the north, Clinton County to the northeast, Washington County to the east, Randolph County to the south, Monroe County to the southwest, and the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, Missouri to the west. It is part of the eastern St. Louis Metropolitan Area called Metro East.

St. Clair County, IL was named for Major General Arthur St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory. St. Clair was responsible for organizing the county in 1790. St. Clair County, originally established in the Northwest Territory, covered two-thirds of present day Illinois.

Cities and towns in St. Clair County, IL include Alorton, Belleville (the county seat), Brooklyn, Cahokia, Caseyville, Centreville, Collinsville, Dupo, East Carondelet, East St. Louis, Fairview Heights, Fayetteville, Freeburg, Lebanon, Lenzburg, Marissa, Mascoutah, Millstadt, New Athens, O'Fallon, Sauget, Shiloh, Smithton, St. Libory, Summerfield, Swansea and Washington Park.

The 2008 estimated population of St. Clair County, Illinois was 262,291 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That was a 2.4 percent increase from 2000. The major roadways serving St. Clair County include Interstate 57, Interstate 64, Interstate 70 and Interstate 255. The MetroLink system provides public transportation and links St. Clair County residents to Alton, IL, the City of St. Louis, MO and Clayton, MO. The St. Louis Lambert International Airport also serves St. Clair County. Business-friendly St. Clair County is home to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, which offers international cargo services.

The Scott Air Force Base is located in St. Clair County, Illinois. According to the Air Base's Economic Impact Analysis, Scott Air Force Base contributes about $2 billion a year to the region's economy and is the fourth largest employer in the St. Louis area. The base creates approximately 6,000 indirect jobs and Scott Air Force Base residents spend almost $145 million annually on housing.

Medical needs are well met in St. Clair County; hospitals serving St. Clair include St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville, Memorial Hospital, Touchette Regional Hospital and the United States Air Force Medical Center. The St. Clair County Regional Office of Education oversees the 139 public schools located within the county. There are also 36 private schools in the county. Colleges in Saint Clair County include McKendree College, Southwestern Illinois College, and Saint Louis University at its Belleville Campus, Lindenwood University-Belleville.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department provides excellent law enforcement services. The department also provides a Patrol Division, Correction’s Division, Civil Process Section, and Court Bailiff Services. The sheriff is responsible for managing all prisoners confined to the St. Clair County Jail and is responsible for delivering prisoners to the courthouse for trial and arraignment.

Belleville, the seat of St. Clair County's government, houses the St. Clair County Courthouse, Twentieth Judicial Court, at the St. Clair County Building, 10 Public Square, Belleville, IL 62220.

The Circuit Court is divided into four main divisions: Civil, Family, Felony, and Traffic. The Civil Division deals with product liability, personal injury, eminent domain, probate, and more. The Felony Division is where serious criminal charges are filed and processed. The Family / Domestic Relations Division handles divorces, no-contact orders, orders of protection, child adoptions, and paternity suits. The Traffic Division handles traffic violations, DUIs, misdemeanors and municipal ordinance violations. State, municipal and county law enforcement agencies deposit all traffic tickets, warrants and citations issued in St. Clair County by the Traffic Division.