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County · code 17051

Fayette CountyIllinois

Fayette County is in Illinois and has its seat in Vandalia. The county was created on February 14, 1821, and named after Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette.

  • Founded1821
  • County seatVandalia
  • Named forGilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette
  • Land area716 sq mi + 8.9 sq mi water
  • Population21,488 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped21,869 checked 14 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Fayette County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

MarionBondEffinghamShelbyMontgomeryClay Vandalia Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Fayette on the map of Illinois

Illinois has 102 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Adams CountyAlexander CountyBond CountyBoone CountyBrown CountyBureau CountyCalhoun CountyCarroll CountyCass CountyChampaign CountyChristian CountyClark CountyClay CountyClinton CountyColes CountyCook CountyCrawford CountyCumberland CountyDeKalb CountyDe Witt CountyDouglas CountyDuPage CountyEdgar CountyEdwards CountyEffingham CountyFord CountyFranklin CountyFulton CountyGallatin CountyGreene CountyGrundy CountyHamilton CountyHancock CountyHardin CountyHenderson CountyHenry CountyIroquois CountyJackson CountyJasper CountyJefferson CountyJersey CountyJo Daviess CountyJohnson CountyKane CountyKankakee CountyKendall CountyKnox CountyLake CountyLaSalle CountyLawrence CountyLee CountyLivingston CountyLogan CountyMcDonough CountyMcHenry CountyMcLean CountyMacon CountyMacoupin CountyMadison CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMason CountyMassac CountyMenard CountyMercer CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMorgan CountyMoultrie CountyOgle CountyPeoria CountyPerry CountyPiatt CountyPike CountyPope CountyPulaski CountyPutnam CountyRandolph CountyRichland CountyRock Island CountySt. Clair CountySaline CountySangamon CountySchuyler CountyScott CountyShelby CountyStark CountyStephenson CountyTazewell CountyUnion CountyVermilion CountyWabash CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWhite CountyWhiteside CountyWill CountyWilliamson CountyWinnebago CountyWoodford CountyFayette County Fayette
Counties of Illinois · Fayette highlighted

History

Formed in 1821 from Bond County, Clark County, Crawford County, Jefferson County and Wayne County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Fayette County was created from Bond, Clark, Crawford, Jefferson, and Wayne counties. The county lost territory over the following years: Marion was created from Fayette in 1823, Clay in 1824, Clinton in 1824, Montgomery and Shelby in 1827, and Effingham in 1831. In 1843, the Legislature authorized the creation of Audubon from Fayette, Montgomery, and Shelby, but the measure depended on a local referendum that failed.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1821
    Fayette County created Fayette created from Bond, Clark, Crawford, Jefferson, and Wayne.
    from Bondfrom Clarkfrom Crawfordfrom Jeffersonfrom Wayne
    · Ill. Laws 1820-1821, pp. 164-167
  2. 1823
    Lost territory Fayette lost to creation of Marion.
    to Marion
    · Ill. Laws 1822-1823, pp. 49-50
  3. 1824
    Lost territory Fayette lost to creation of Clay.
    to Clay
    · Ill. Laws 1824-1825, pp. 18-20
  4. 1824
    Lost territory Fayette lost to creation of Clinton.
    to Clinton
    · Ill. Laws 1824-1825, pp. 27-30
  5. 1827
    Lost territory Fayette lost to Montgomery, lost to creation of Shelby, and lost to creation of Non-County Area 7.
    to Montgomeryto Shelby
    · Ill. Rev. Code 1826-1827, pp. 115-117
Show all 8 changes (3 more)
  1. 1821
    Fayette County created Fayette created from Bond, Clark, Crawford, Jefferson, and Wayne.
    from Bondfrom Clarkfrom Crawfordfrom Jeffersonfrom Wayne
    · Ill. Laws 1820-1821, pp. 164-167
  2. 1823
    Lost territory Fayette lost to creation of Marion.
    to Marion
    · Ill. Laws 1822-1823, pp. 49-50
  3. 1824
    Lost territory Fayette lost to creation of Clay.
    to Clay
    · Ill. Laws 1824-1825, pp. 18-20
  4. 1824
    Lost territory Fayette lost to creation of Clinton.
    to Clinton
    · Ill. Laws 1824-1825, pp. 27-30
  5. 1827
    Lost territory Fayette lost to Montgomery, lost to creation of Shelby, and lost to creation of Non-County Area 7.
    to Montgomeryto Shelby
    · Ill. Rev. Code 1826-1827, pp. 115-117
  6. 1831
    Lost territory Fayette lost to creation of Effingham. Effingham not fully organized, part attached to Fayette until "organized."
    to Effingham
    · Ill. Laws 1830-1831, pp. 50-52
  7. 1832
    Changed Effingham fully organized, detached from Fayette.
    Effingham
    · Ill. Laws 1832-1833, pp. 22-23
  8. 1843
    Changed Legislature authorized creation of Audubon (proposed) from Fayette, Montgomery, and Shelby, dependent on local referendum that failed (no change).
    AudubonMontgomeryShelby
    · Ill. Laws 1842-1843, pp. 73-74

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Fayette

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Fayette by the Census

Population
21,488 2020 Census count
Housing units
8,829 2020 Census count
Land area
716 square miles
Water area
8.9 square miles
People per sq mi
30 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Fayette County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about Fayette County

When was Fayette County founded?
Fayette County was founded in 1821, formed from Bond County, Clark County, Crawford County, Jefferson County and Wayne County, and named after Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette.
What is the county seat of Fayette County?
The county seat of Fayette County is Vandalia.
Is there an online parcel map for Fayette County?
Yes. Fayette County publishes a parcel map of 21,869 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Fayette County's boundary or name changed?
Fayette County was created in 1821 from Bond County, Clark County, Crawford County, Jefferson County and Wayne County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, chiefly involving Effingham County, Clay County and Clinton County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Fayette County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door