Randolph County, Illinois

Randolph County
County
Randolph County Courthouse in Chester
Motto:  Where Illinois Began
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°03′N 89°49′W / 38.05°N 89.82°W / 38.05; -89.82
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Founded	1795
Named for	Edmund Randolph
Seat	Chester
Largest city	Chester
Area
• Total	597 sq mi (1,550 km2)
• Land	576 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Water	22 sq mi (60 km2)  3.6%
Population  (2020)
• Total	30,163
• Density	51/sq mi (20/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	12th
Website	am.randolphco.org

Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 30,163.^[1] Its county seat is Chester.^[2]

Owing to its role in the state's history, the county motto is "Where Illinois Began." It contains the historically important village of Kaskaskia, Illinois's first capital.

The county is part of Southern Illinois in the southern portion of the state known locally as "Little Egypt", and includes fertile river flats, part of the American Bottom; it is near the Greater St. Louis area.