McLean County, Illinois

McLean County is the largest county by land area in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 169,572. Its county seat is Bloomington.McLean County is included in the Bloomington–Normal, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.PronunciationLocally, the second syllable of McLean is pronounced with a 'long a' sound , not with a 'long e' sound .HistoryMcLean County was formed late in 1830 out of Tazewell County. It was named for John McLean, United States Senator for Illinois, who died in 1830.GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.2%) is water. It is the largest county in Illinois by land area and third-largest by total area. McLean County is actually larger than the land area of Rhode Island (1045 sq mi).Climate and weatherIn recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Bloomington have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in May.