County outline
Where Christian County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.1% of Christian County’s measured area and water for 0.9%. Its combined area converts to 1,853.8 square kilometers or approximately 458,079 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 709.483 | 1,837.553 | 454,069.1 |
| Water | 6.265 | 16.226 | 4,009.6 |
| Total | 715.748 | 1,853.779 | 458,078.7 |
How Christian County compares
By original Census land area, Christian County ranks #24 of 102 in Illinois and #1295 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.389 times the Illinois county-equivalent median of 510.7 square miles. It accounts for 1.3% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Illinois ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Christian County
The Census Bureau estimates that 33,443 people lived in Christian County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,395 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #42 of 102 in Illinois. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 34,041, the population has declined by 598 (−1.8%), compared with −0.8% for Illinois as a whole.
With 709.5 square miles of land, that is 47 people per square mile (18 per km²), placing Christian County #1,610 nationally for density and #48 in Illinois. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Illinois median is 44. Put another way, there are about 14 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 33,960 | 33,717 | 33,588 | 33,501 | 33,442 | 33,443 |
| Change | — | −243 | −129 | −87 | −59 | +1 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Christian County
15 incorporated places lie at least partly in Christian County. Together they are home to 22,335 people (66.8%); the other 11,108 (33.2%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Taylorville city, with 10,522 residents in the county.
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylorville cityCounty seat | 10,522 | 0% | 10.3 |
| Pana cityAlso in 1 other county | 4,907 | −3.5% | 3.859 |
| Kincaid village | 1,310 | −3% | 0.817 |
| Assumption city | 1,112 | −3.4% | 0.99 |
| Edinburg village | 1,055 | −2.9% | 0.625 |
| Morrisonville village | 977 | −2.2% | 1.035 |
| Stonington village | 794 | −3.8% | 0.457 |
| Tovey village | 445 | −3.9% | 0.223 |
| Mount Auburn village | 441 | −3.5% | 0.997 |
| Owaneco village | 206 | −3.3% | 0.458 |
| Bulpitt village | 204 | −4.2% | 0.069 |
| Palmer village | 199 | −3.9% | 0.995 |
| Jeisyville village | 99 | −2.9% | 0.122 |
| Harvel villageAlso in 1 other county | 54 | −3.6% | 0.72 |
| Moweaqua villageAlso in 1 other county | 10 | 0% | 2.051 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Christian County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Christian County is a central county of the Taylorville, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Christian County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 709.5 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #303 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #410 by population. It belongs to the Springfield-Jacksonville-Lincoln, IL Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
20 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Christian County; 14 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
6207562083625106251362517625316253862540625456254662547625506255562556625576255862563625676256862570
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Christian County
Christian County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Sangamon County (868.2 mi²) and the smallest is Macon County (580.5 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Christian County forms a block of 3,620.5 mi² of land, of which it holds 19.6%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Christian | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sangamon County | 868.2 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Shelby County | 758.5 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Montgomery County | 703.8 | about the same | Compare |
| Macon County | 580.5 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
How big is Christian County compared with U.S. states?
Christian County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.5 times as much. Illinois’s county land could hold about 78 areas the size of Christian County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 26.6 miles (42.9 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Christian County?
Christian County has more land than 1,927 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Christian County at #1,392 nationally by total area, 97 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.9%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.3 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Christian County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1294 | Van Buren County, Arkansas | 709.6 | Compare |
| #1295 | Christian County, Illinois | 709.5 | This county |
| #1296 | Blanco County, Texas | 709.3 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 39.545524, -89.279593. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,837,552,880 m²; AWATER: 16,227,345 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Christian County?
Christian County, Illinois has 709.5 square miles (1,837.6 km²) of land and 6.265 square miles of water, for a total area of 715.7 square miles. It ranks #1295 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Christian County the largest county in Illinois?
No. Christian County ranks #24 of 102 in Illinois by land area. The largest is McLean County, with 1,183.2 square miles of land.
What counties border Christian County?
Christian County shares a land border with Montgomery County, Sangamon County, Shelby County, and Macon County.
What is the population of Christian County?
The Census Bureau estimates Christian County had 33,443 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,395 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 47 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Christian County?
The county seat of Christian County is Taylorville.
What cities and towns are in Christian County?
Christian County has 15 incorporated places. The most populous five are Taylorville city, Pana city, Kincaid village, Assumption city, and Edinburg village; 11,108 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Christian County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Taylorville, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Christian County?
20 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Christian County, and 14 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Christian County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.5 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Christian County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 454,069 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 458,079 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.