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Geographically, the county is the sixth-largest in Illinois by land area and the largest by total area. County government is overseen by the Cook County Board, and countywide state government offices include the Circuit Court of Cook County, the Cook County State's Attorney, the Cook County Sheriff, and the Cook County Assessor. Evanston Township was formerly coterminous with the City of Evanston but was abolished in 2014. Townships within Chicago were abolished in 1902 but are retained for real estate assessment purposes. The part of the county outside of the Chicago and Evanston city limits is divided into 29 townships these often divide or share governmental services with local municipalities. The city is home to approximately 54% of the entire county's population. There are more than 800 local governmental units and nearly 130 municipalities located wholly or partially within Cook County, the largest of which is Chicago. During the first half of the 20th century it had the absolute majority of Illinois's population.
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Within one hundred years, the county recorded explosive population growth going from a trading post village with a little over 600 residents to four million citizens, rivalling Paris by the Great Depression. It achieved its present boundaries in 1839. Its county seat is Chicago, the most populous city in Illinois and the third-most-populous city in the United States.Ĭook County was incorporated in 1831 and named for Daniel Pope Cook, an early Illinois statesman. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S.