Pulaski County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 5,193.^[1] Its county seat is Mound City.^[2] Its largest city is Mounds. It is located along the Ohio River in the southwestern portion of the state, known locally as "Little Egypt".

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Pulaski County
County
Pulaski County Courthouse in Mound City
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°14′N 89°08′W
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Founded	1843
Named for	Casimir Pulaski
Seat	Mound City
Largest city	Mounds
Area
• Total	203 sq mi (530 km2)
• Land	199 sq mi (520 km2)
• Water	4.0 sq mi (10 km2)  2.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,193
• Estimate  (2023)	4,911
• Density	26/sq mi (9.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	12th
Website	www.pulaskicountyil.net

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Pulaski County was formed on March 3, 1843, out of parts of Alexander and Johnson counties. It was named in honor of Casimir Pułaski who was killed at the siege of Savannah in the Revolutionary War.^[3]

• Pulaski County at the time of its creation in 1843

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 203 square miles (530 km²), of which 199 square miles (520 km²) is land and 4.0 square miles (10 km²) (2.0%) is water.^[4] It is the third-smallest county in Illinois by area.

As of the 2010 census, there were 6,161 people, 2,642 households, and 1,658 families living in the county.^[13] The population density was 30.9 inhabitants per square mile (11.9/km²). There were 3,155 housing units at an average density of 15.8 per square mile (6.1/km²).^[4] The racial makeup of the county was 64.4% white, 32.4% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.6% of the population.^[13] In terms of ancestry, 15.1% were German, 6.8% were Irish, 6.6% were English, and 6.6% were American.^[14]

Of the 2,642 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.2% were non-families, and 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 43.2 years.^[13]

The median income for a household in the county was $31,173 and the median income for a family was $39,699. Males had a median income of $36,915 versus $29,007 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,444. About 16.7% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.0% of those under age 18 and 18.0% of those age 65 or over.^[15]

Pulaski County was often a swing county at the presidential level, but has voted for the Republican candidates for U.S. president since 2012.

This trend in Pulaski County has begun to affect down-ballot races as well. In the 2020 Senate election, longtime Democratic Senator Dick Durbin lost the county for the first time in his career, after winning it in his four prior elections.^[16]

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Pulaski County