Tampico, Illinois

Tampico is a small village in Illinois, United States. It is in Tampico Township within Whiteside County. The village is close to the towns of Rock Falls and Sterling. In the 2020 census, Tampico had a population of 689 people.

One interesting fact about Tampico is that it is the birthplace of Ronald Reagan. He grew up to become the 40th President of the United States. Many visitors come to Tampico each year to see the places where he lived as a decouette.

History

The land where Tampico now stands used to be a wet area called a slough. The first European settlers arrived in 1852. The township of Tampico was created in 1861 by John W. Glassburn. By 1863–64, the land was drained to make it better for building. A railroad began running through the area in 1871 but stopped in the early 1980s. In June 1874, a tornado hit and destroyed some buildings. The village of Tampico became official in 1875.

Geography

Tampico covers an area of 0.39 square miles (1.01 km²), and it is all land. The Hennepin Canal lies about 1 mile east of the village. Tampico is roughly 40 miles east-northeast of Moline and about 110 miles west of Chicago.

Demographics

National Register of Historic Places plaque

At the 2000 census, 772 people lived in the village of Tampico. Almost all of the people, 99.74%, were White, with only a few from other racial groups. About one-third of the households had children under 18. Many families were made up of married couples living together.

People of all ages lived in the village, with a median age of 36 years. The median income for families was $43,646, but some families and children lived below the poverty line.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	424	—
1890	429	1.2%
1900	807	88.1%
1910	849	5.2%
1920	788	−7.2%
1930	693	−12.1%
1940	727	4.9%
1950	760	4.5%
1960	790	3.9%
1970	838	6.1%
1980	966	15.3%
1990	833	−13.8%
2000	772	−7.3%
2010	790	2.3%
2020	689	−12.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

Education

The public school district for Tampico is Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico Community Unit School District 3.

There is also a school called Christ Lutheran School in nearby Sterling. It helps children from age 3 up to 8th grade. Students come from places like Walnut, Milledgeville, Morrison, and Dixon.

Notable people

Tampico is where several important people were born. One of them is Ronald Reagan, who became the 40th President of the United States. Another is Hazel A. McCaskrin, who worked as an Illinois state legislator. Joseph M. Reeves was also born in Tampico; he was a U.S. Navy Admiral and served in the Spanish–American War, World War I, and World War II.

Tampico, Illinois