Bethalto
Village
Sign outside the village hall
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Madison
Coordinates	38°54′15″N 90°2′48″W / 38.90417, -90.04667
Area	6.6 sq mi (17 km²)
- land	6.6 sq mi (17 km²)
Density	1,437.3 /sq mi (555 /km²)
Mayor	Steve Bryant
Timezone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code	62010
Area code	618
Location of Bethalto within Illinois
Wikimedia Commons: Bethalto, Illinois

Bethalto is a village in Madison County, Illinois, USA. The population was 9,454 at the 2000 census^[1].

Geography

Bethalto is located at 38°54′15″N, 90°2′48″W (38.904197, -90.046579).^[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 6.6 square miles (17.0 km²), all of it land.

Early Beginnings

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The original name of Bethalto was Bethel. However, when the first post office was established, it was discovered that there was already a Bethel, Illinois. There is a general consensus that the name "Bethalto" came from the first four letters of Bethel and the first four letters of nearby Alton, Illinois. It is believed that Bethalto is the only town of that name anywhere because of this unusual naming strategy. Bethalto was incorporated on April 19, 1869.^[3]

Demographics

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 9,454 people, 3,810 households, and 2,647 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,437.3 people per square mile (554.7/km²). There were 4,007 housing units at an average density of 609.2/sq mi (235.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.84% White, 0.76% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.33% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.

There were 3,810 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the village the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $42,201, and the median income for a family was $50,764. Males had a median income of $41,512 versus $22,981 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,697. About 6.5% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Business and industry

As a bedroom community, Bethalto is not an industrial powerhouse. Nevertheless, it is home to a thriving cottage industry that includes Specialty Stands, the world's leading manufacturer of slot machine stands, which is actually located in Moro, a community north of Bethalto; RF Technologies, North America's largest independent service center for drive-thru communication systems; and Denny's Seat Cover and Upholstery. Major governmental institutions include St. Louis Regional Airport and Civic Memorial High School. Local restaurants include Geno's 140 Club, Airport Restaurant, and Roma's Pizza.

In late October 2006, the segment of four-lane, controlled-access Illinois Route 255 (an extension of Interstate 255) between Illinois Route 143 and Fosterburg Road was opened.^[5] This highway provides Bethalto residents with convenient access to the area's freeway system.

Parks

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Bethalto Arboretum

Entrance to the arboretum

The Bethalto Arboretum is an arboretum on the east end of town that was developed in 1966 after the demise of the railroad era in Bethalto. It is one of the few arboretums in the area. A directory of trees and bushes contained in the arboretum may be viewed in the mayor and clerk's offices.^[6]

Culp Lane Park

Culp Lane Park is a large park on the northwest end of town that was established in 2005. Among its many features are a lake, a children's play area, and a new arboretum.^[7] It has become a popular site for Bethalto residents to come for exercise as well as leisure.

Schools

• Bethalto Community Unit School District 8
• Civic Memorial High School
• Trimpe Middle School
• Bethalto East Primary School
• Parkside Primary School
• Bethalto West Intermediate School
• Meadowbrook Intermediate School
• Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic School
• Zion Lutheran School

References

External links

• Official Website
• History of Bethalto
• St. Louis Regional Airport

• Bethalto, Illinois is at coordinates 38°54′15″N 90°02′48″W / 38.904197, -90.046579 (Bethalto, Illinois)Coordinates: 38°54′15″N 90°02′48″W / 38.904197, -90.046579 (Bethalto, Illinois)

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