History & Heritage
Early settlement, river commerce, Jerseyville, Grafton and historic Elsah.
Explore Chapter →JERSEY COUNTY · ILLINOIS
Jersey CountyWhere Great Rivers Meet Historic Bluff Country
Explore Jersey County, Illinois, from the historic courthouse and neighborhoods of Jerseyville to the Mississippi and Illinois River bluffs around Grafton, the preserved village of Elsah, and farms and wooded acreage across the rural interior. Discover homes, architecture, schools, parks, history and practical property resources.
From riverfront and bluff properties to historic town residences and rural acreage, conditions and property rights vary. Verify school boundaries, floodplain elevations, slope and drainage, zoning, utility access and permits for the specific address.
21,1602025 Population Estimate
1839Year Established
369.66Land Square Miles
JerseyvilleCounty Seat
Great RiversHistoric Bluff Country
Live Jersey County Inventory
Homes For Sale
Explore current real estate for sale across Jersey County, including homes, condos, land, acreage, multifamily and commercial properties.
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Recently Sold Homes
Explore recently sold real estate, including homes, condos, land, and commercial properties.
See the Homes
Jersey County Home Tours
Listings show you photographs. Countywide home tours make it easier to compare scale, layout, architecture and housing eras across communities throughout Jersey County.
Jersey County Home Tours are on the way. As Archway Abodes adds walkthroughs from Jersey County, new tours will automatically appear here.
Want to explore beyond Jersey County? Our Community Home Tours collection brings together video walkthroughs from communities throughout Greater St. Louis, making it easy to compare homes, architecture, layouts and local character across the region.
ARCHWAY ABODES × JERSEY COUNTY
Jersey County Home Tours
Coming Soon
New Jersey County walkthroughs will appear here automatically.
Archway Abodes × Jersey County Checking the current Jersey County playlist…
Explore Jersey County
From Riverfront Villages to the Rural Heartland
Discover historic Jerseyville, Grafton and Elsah, Mississippi and Illinois River bluffs, homes, schools, outdoor recreation and the practical details of riverfront and country property.
Homes & Architecture
Limestone landmarks, village homes, ranches, farms and bluffside properties.
Explore Chapter →Economy & Employment
Agriculture, health care, local commerce, education and river tourism.
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Roads & Getting Around
U.S. 67, Great River Road, ferry crossings and rural access.
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Schools & Education
Jersey CUSD 100, Southwestern CUSD 9, Principia and regional colleges.
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Parks, Trails & Rivers
Pere Marquette, scenic river bluffs, trails and protected nature.
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Historic Towns & Local Life
Jerseyville, Grafton, Elsah, Brighton, Fieldon, Fidelity and Otterville.
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Growth, Development & Land
Floodplains, steep slopes, historic preservation, wells and rural acreage.
Explore Chapter →County Overview
Four Regions, One Remarkable River-County Landscape
Jersey County brings together a historic county seat, two major river landscapes, small eastern villages and agricultural communities throughout its rural interior.
Jerseyville & Central Heartland
The county seat brings together courthouse architecture, local businesses, health care, schools, traditional neighborhoods and farmland.
Examples: Jerseyville · central rural areas
Grafton, Elsah & Great River Road
River confluences, limestone bluffs, historic villages, Principia College and Pere Marquette create the county’s scenic southwestern corridor.
Examples: Grafton · Elsah · Pere Marquette
Brighton, Fidelity & Eastern Countryside
Small-town neighborhoods, agricultural land and regional road connections toward adjoining counties.
Examples: Brighton · Fidelity · eastern rural communities
Fieldon, Otterville & Northern Rural Country
Farmsteads, valleys, wooded parcels and historic settlements in the more dispersed northern landscape.
Examples: Fieldon · Otterville · northern rural communities
County Signature Section
From River Settlements to Limestone Landmarks
From Indigenous river-valley history and nineteenth-century settlement to river commerce, preserved villages, architectural landmarks and the Great River Road.
Great Rivers, Enduring Communities & Remarkable Buildings
Established in 1839 from Greene County and named for New Jersey, Jersey County grew around the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, fertile uplands, trade routes and agricultural settlements. Jerseyville became its government and commercial center.
River commerce and limestone quarrying shaped Grafton, while Elsah's nineteenth-century streets and surviving masonry buildings preserve a village-scale landscape. The historic Jersey County Courthouse anchors Jerseyville’s civic heritage.
Principia College's Bernard Maybeck-designed campus and Pere Marquette State Park add nationally distinctive architecture and outdoor scenery to the river bluffs.
Established1839
County seatJerseyville
2025 population estimate21,160
2020–2025 estimate change−1.7%
Land area369.66 sq mi
Homes & Architecture
Historic Limestone, Village Cottages & River-Bluff Homes
Jersey County pairs landmark Romanesque Revival architecture, stone village buildings and traditional neighborhood housing with farms and river-oriented properties.
Jerseyville Courthouse & Historic Masonry
The Romanesque Revival Jersey County Courthouse and older town buildings offer a powerful introduction to regional limestone and historic masonry traditions.
Elsah, Grafton & Nineteenth-Century Homes
Greek Revival, Italianate and vernacular stone and brick architecture survive in historic village settings; individual preservation requirements must be checked.
Bungalows, Foursquares & Mid-Century Homes
Established neighborhoods include early-twentieth-century traditional residences, Craftsman influences, ranches and split-level homes.
Bluffside Homes, Farmsteads & Acreage
View-oriented slopes, riverfront areas, working farms and wooded tracts each demand different checks for flood exposure, drainage, access and utilities.
Economy & Employment
Agriculture, Health Care, Tourism & Regional Connections
Rural enterprise, community services, local education, and riverfront visitor activity contribute to a varied county economy.
Agriculture & Rural Enterprises
Crops, farm services, equipment and agricultural land shape much of the county’s working landscape.
Health Care & Civic Institutions
Jersey Community Hospital, schools, local government and other service providers support Jerseyville and neighboring communities.
Tourism, Dining & Hospitality
Grafton riverfront businesses, the Great River Road, historic Elsah and Pere Marquette attract regional visitors.
Education & Metropolitan Employment
Principia College and regional commuting link residents to education and employers beyond the county.
Roads & Getting Around
Great River Road, U.S. 67 & Historic Ferry Crossings
Highways, scenic roads, river crossings and rural routes connect Jersey County to the wider Greater St. Louis region.
U.S. Route 67 & Regional Roads
U.S. 67 serves Jerseyville and connects communities north and south. Illinois Routes 16 and 109 support additional regional travel.
Illinois Route 100 — Great River Road
The scenic river highway offers access to Grafton, Pere Marquette and the bluffs; travel may be affected by weather or high water.
Brussels Ferry & Other Crossings
The state-operated Brussels Ferry connects across the Illinois River. Other nearby ferry services have separate schedules and operators; always verify service.
Commuting & Rural Access
The Census 2020–2024 mean commute was 27.1 minutes countywide. There are no MetroLink stations within Jersey County; check actual travel routes and access by address.
Schools & Education
Public School Districts, Principia College & Regional Learning
Public district boundaries can cross municipal and county boundaries. Verify grade-level assignment for the exact property address.
Public School Districts
Two principal public districts serve Jersey County and neighboring areas. Select a district for current schools, programs, calendars and district contacts.
Municipality or ZIP code alone cannot establish a school assignment.
Higher Education & Workforce Learning
The county includes a nationally significant liberal arts college, while nearby community colleges and agencies offer training and continuing education.
Principia CollegeElsah campus and distinctive Bernard Maybeck architectureLewis and Clark Community CollegeNearby Godfrey campus and regional career programsRegional Office of Education 40School and regional education servicesIllinois State Board of EducationOfficial statewide district information
Confirm current programs and enrollment directly with each institution.
Parks, Trails & Rivers
Pere Marquette, Great River Road & Scenic Bluff Country
Pere Marquette State Park protects thousands of acres of forests, limestone bluffs, trails and Illinois River scenery. Its lodge, scenic drives and visitor facilities make it a signature attraction.
Grafton’s riverfront, the Sam Vadalabene trail corridor, scenic river drives and protected natural areas add recreation options. Trail status, river levels, public access and permitted uses vary; check official notices before visiting.
Historic Towns & Local Life
Jerseyville, Grafton, Elsah & Countryside Communities
From courthouse-square commerce to riverfront tourism and quieter rural villages, local character differs across Jersey County.
Jerseyville & the County Seat
County government, historic architecture, traditional neighborhoods, health services, shops and civic events anchor the central community.
Grafton & the Riverfront
Historic buildings, visitor businesses, the confluence landscape and Great River Road define this river town.
Elsah & Architectural Heritage
A remarkably preserved village setting and Principia College connect community life with nationally distinctive architecture.
Brighton, Fieldon, Fidelity & Otterville
Smaller incorporated places offer agricultural settings, older residential neighborhoods and rural-community traditions.
Growth, Development & Land
River Floodplains, Bluff Properties & Rural Acreage
Property research must account for site conditions and applicable municipal or county jurisdiction, not broad assumptions about an entire community.
Grafton Riverfront & Floodplain Status
Check current FEMA flood maps, local floodplain permitting, elevation, insurance and drainage before purchasing river-adjacent parcels.
Bluff Slopes, Foundations & Access
On steep or wooded parcels, consider slope stability, drainage, grading, legal road access and buildability.
Historic Structures & Preservation
Elsah, Grafton and Jerseyville include historic properties. Verify actual local ordinances, permits and deed restrictions; National Register listing alone does not establish every restriction.
Rural Wells, Septic & Agricultural Land
For acreage, confirm zoning, permitted uses, well and wastewater approvals, easements, road frontage, farm leases and outbuilding permits.
Featured Community Guides
Discover Jersey County Communities
Explore the county seat, river towns and rural communities using the county-filtered Community Atlas. Dedicated local guides can be added as each becomes available.
Jerseyville & Central Communities
Learn about Jerseyville’s courthouse architecture, neighborhoods, shops, schools and local services.
Grafton, Pere Marquette & Great River Road
Explore riverfront settings, scenic bluffs, visitor attractions and outdoor recreation.
Elsah & Historic Architecture
Discover preserved village buildings and the architecturally notable Principia College campus.
Brighton, Fieldon, Fidelity & Otterville
Compare smaller communities, agricultural settings and rural housing patterns.
Explore Jersey County Communities
Jersey County Community Atlas
Explore communities throughout Jersey County. Search by community, browse the geographic hierarchy, or use the map to understand how individual municipalities and unincorporated places relate to neighboring communities and the broader Greater St. Louis region.
Jersey County Community Atlas
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Terrain/topographic basemap by MapTiler. Metropolitan and county-equivalent boundaries use U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb geography.
Explore Greater St. Louis
Search a community directly or narrow the alphabetical directory by one of the metropolitan area's component jurisdictions. The map is a discovery tool, not a ranking.
Community Directory · A-Z
Atlas Scope County Jersey County
Illinois communities within the Greater St. Louis metropolitan region
Communities appear alphabetically. Geographic filters organize the directory by location; they are not recommendations or rankings.
Geographic Areas
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