Bureau Junction, Illinois

{{Use American English|date=January 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Bureau Junction, Illinois | other_name = Bureau | settlement_type = Village | image_skyline = 20160827 05 Iowa Interstate RR, Bureau Jct., Illinois.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = An Iowa Interstate train at the railroad junction. | motto = | image_map = File:Bureau County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Bureau Junction Highlighted.svg | mapsize = | map_caption = Location of Bureau Junction in Bureau County, Illinois.  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = US | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = Illinois | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name2 = Bureau | subdivision_type3 = Township | subdivision_name3 = Leepertown  | established_title = Incorporated as a town | established_date = 1874 | founder = | named_for = | government_footnotes = | government_type = | governing_body = | leader_party = | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = | leader_title1 = Village president | leader_name1 = Thomas Hollingsworth<ref>{{Cite book |title=Illinois Blue Book |edition=2021-2022 |location=Springfield |chapter=Incorporated Cities, Towns & Villages of Illinois |issn=0191-104X |oclc=1645571|url=https://www.ilsos.gov/publications/illinois_bluebook/home.html|chapter-url=https://www.ilsos.gov/publications/illinois_bluebook/incorporated.pdf}}</ref>  | unit_pref = Imperial | area_footnotes = <ref name="gaz2021" /> | area_total_sq_mi = 1.51 | area_land_sq_mi = 1.45 | area_water_sq_mi = 0.07  | population_as_of = 2020 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 281 | pop_est_as_of = 2024 | population_est = 278 {{loss}} | pop_est_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |website=United States Census Bureau |publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce |date=March 2025 |access-date=September 2, 2025}}</ref> | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym =  | timezone = CST | utc_offset = -6 | timezone_DST = CDT | utc_offset_DST = -5 | elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/> | elevation_ft = 528 | coordinates = {{coord|41|17|21|N|89|22|4|W|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>  | postal_code_type = ZIP codes | postal_code = 61315, 61356 | area_code = 815 | blank_name = FIPS code | blank_info = 17-09681 | blank1_name = GNIS feature ID | blank1_info = 2397497<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2397497}}</ref> | website = | footnotes = }}

'''Bureau Junction''', usually called '''Bureau''', is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 281 at the 2020 census. The village name is shown as both "Bureau Junction"<ref>{{gnis|2397497}}</ref> and "Bureau" on federal maps,<ref>{{gnis|405211|Bureau, Illinois}}, retrieved September 6, 2008</ref> and is commonly called "Bureau", including by phone companies<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.localcallingguide.com/lca_exch.php?exch=047280 | title = Rate centre information: Bureau, IL | work = Local Calling Guide | accessdate = September 6, 2008 }}</ref> and the United States Post Office.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/zcl_3_results.jsp?zip5=61315 | title = Find a City by ZIP Code Results | publisher = United States Postal Service | accessdate = September 6, 2008 }}</ref> It is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area. Bureau Junction was the point where the Rock Island Line railroad's branch line to Peoria split. Track west and south of Bureau is operated by Iowa Interstate, while tracks east to Chicago were formerly operated by CSX but are currently leased to Iowa Interstate.

==History== The village is named for Michel or Pierre Bureau. Their original surname was probably Belleau, but local aboriginals may have had difficulty pronouncing the "l" sound. One or both of the brothers ran a trading post near where Big Bureau Creek empties into the Illinois River from 1776 until 1780 or 1790.<ref name=beuro>[https://books.google.com/books?id=w50A7fpMDF8C&q=%22pierre+de+beuro%2C+an+indian+trader+in%22&pg=PA229 Pierre de Beuro, an Indian trader] ''Pioneers of Illinois'' by Nehemiah Matson, 1882, p. 229</ref><ref name=belleau>[http://www.earlychicago.com/essays.php?essay=7 Jean Baptiste Point de Sable : the founder of modern Chicago] by John F. Swenson, 1999- . Retrieved November 11, 2010.</ref> A man named Buero, of mixed French and Native American descent, and possibly a descendant of one of the earlier Bureau brothers, was operating in this area as a fur trader in 1821.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/historyofbureauc00brad#page/82/mode/2up History of Bureau County, Illinois]</ref>

In 1874 Bureau Junction had a sizeable railroad operation as the halfway point on the railroad between Chicago and Rock Island.<ref>[http://genealogytrails.com/ill/bureau/Villages/BureauJunction.html collection of 1870s newspaper articles on Bureau Junction]</ref> The former Rock Island depot still exists today, albeit abandoned.

==Geography== According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Bureau Junction has a total area of {{convert|1.51|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|1.45|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 95.51%) is land and {{convert|0.07|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 4.49%) is water, mostly from Lake Rawson.<ref name="gaz2021">{{Cite web |publisher=United States Census Bureau |title=Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |access-date=June 29, 2022 |website=Census.gov}}</ref>

==Demographics== {{US Census population |1880= 240 |1890= 363 |1900= 545 |1910= 534 |1920= 682 |1930= 552 |1940= 483 |1950= 480 |1960= 401 |1970= 466 |1980= 455 |1990= 350 |2000= 368 |2010= 322 |2020= 281 |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref> }} As of the 2020 census<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1709681 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> there were 281 people, 82 households, and 56 families residing in the village. The population density was {{Convert|185.60|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 141 housing units at an average density of {{Convert|93.13|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the village was 86.12% White, 0.36% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 1.42% from other races, and 11.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.61% of the population.

There were 82 households, out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.12% were married couples living together, 7.32% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.71% were non-families. 15.85% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.41% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 2.68.

The village's age distribution consisted of 16.4% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 37.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $67,500, and the median income for a family was $75,000. Males had a median income of $50,417 versus $23,000 for females. The per capita income for the village was $29,969. About 0.0% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20131016132024/http://bureaucounty-il.us/Bureau/Bureau-Junction.html Bureau, Illinois], at Bureau County website

{{Bureau County, Illinois}} {{Geographic location|Center=Bureau Junction|West=Tiskilwa|East=DePue|South=Putnam}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Villages in Bureau County, Illinois Category:Ronald Reagan Trail Category:Ottawa micropolitan area, Illinois Category:Villages in Illinois