HarrisDemocratic39.2%28,183TrumpRepublican59.2%42,515OtherAll other candidates1.6%1,143
R+19.9- Lead
- 14,332
- Total
- 71,841
- vs nation
- R+18.5
Akashicmetro area
Ottawa, IL
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
3 counties by 2024 margin · County returns · MIT Election Lab
President results by year
Vote totals, margins, and source status
BidenDemocratic40.8%30,449TrumpRepublican57.0%42,517OtherAll other candidates2.2%1,610
R+16.2- Lead
- 12,068
- Total
- 74,576
- vs nation
- R+20.6
ClintonDemocratic38.5%26,719TrumpRepublican54.4%37,737OtherAll other candidates7.2%4,970
R+15.9- Lead
- 11,018
- Total
- 69,426
- vs nation
- R+18.0
ObamaDemocratic48.7%32,766RomneyRepublican49.0%32,922OtherAll other candidates2.3%1,546
R+0.2- Lead
- 156
- Total
- 67,234
- vs nation
- R+4.1
ObamaDemocratic54.1%38,232McCainRepublican44.1%31,161OtherAll other candidates1.8%1,242
D+10.0- Lead
- 7,071
- Total
- 70,635
- vs nation
- D+2.7
KerryDemocratic47.1%33,928BushRepublican52.2%37,546OtherAll other candidates0.7%509
R+5.0- Lead
- 3,618
- Total
- 71,983
- vs nation
- R+2.6
GoreDemocratic49.6%32,766BushRepublican47.3%31,239OtherAll other candidates3.0%2,004
D+2.3- Lead
- 1,527
- Total
- 66,009
- vs nation
- D+1.8
ClintonDemocratic50.1%30,719DoleRepublican37.2%22,814OtherAll other candidates12.7%7,795
D+12.9- Lead
- 7,905
- Total
- 61,328
- vs nation
- D+4.4
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+19.9MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 147,1812024 5-year
- Population density
- 68 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 2,164 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $72,2962024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 82.9%2024 5-year
- Black
- 2.0%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 10.8%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+15.0 in 1932MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+54.2 in 1920MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Michigan City-La Porte, IN · twin score 85.4
presidential history
Party record book
Ottawa, IL · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 34 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt1932
56.6%
39,363 votes · D+15.0
Runner-up · Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964 · 56.5%
Republican
Warren G. Harding1920
73.7%
35,342 votes · R+54.2
Runner-up · Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1956 · 66.2%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Lyndon B. Johnson1964
41,368votes
56.5% of the vote · D+12.9
Runner-up · Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932 · 39,363 votes
Republican
Dwight D. Eisenhower1956
49,094votes
66.2% of the vote · R+32.4
Runner-up · Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1952 · 48,848 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
Bill Clinton1992
+6.4pts D vs U.S.
Place D+12.0 · U.S. D+5.6
Runner-up · Michael Dukakis, 1988 · +5.6 pts
Republican
Warren G. Harding1920
+28.1pts R vs U.S.
Place R+54.2 · U.S. R+26.2
Runner-up · Thomas E. Dewey, 1944 · +24.1 pts
U.S. House elections · 2 House
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
Each row shows U.S. House votes counted inside this Place. “Vote lead” is the local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
| Year | Vote lead | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 33.6%22,652 | 66.4%44,671 | 67,323 |
| 2020 | R | 37.0%26,900 | 63.0%45,888 | 72,788 |
voter registration
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
Registered voters
| Year | Total registered |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 112,472 |
| 2018 | 109,709 |
| 2020 | 110,012 |
| 2022 | 98,575 |
| 2024 | 103,303 |
domestic migration
Who moves in and out
Net domestic migration over time
+238 net domestic migration · 2025
20112025
Net −7,471 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | −597 |
| 2012 | −831 |
| 2013 | −624 |
| 2014 | −987 |
| 2015 | −1,033 |
| 2016 | −855 |
| 2017 | −724 |
| 2018 | −390 |
| 2019 | −658 |
| 2021 | −544 |
| 2022 | −609 |
| 2023 | +235 |
| 2024 | −92 |
| 2025 | +238 |
Ottawa anchors the La Salle County micropolitan area, where a historically unionized industrial base has shifted alongside broader rural realignment, producing notable swings in presidential margins over the past three election cycles.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 15.0 points in 1932 and a Republican high of 54.2 points in 1920. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved 3.8 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 19.9 points.
A population of 147,181, a 83% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $72,296 describe the metro. The metro's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Michigan City-La Porte, IN and Auburn, NY.
Political twins — metros
The metros whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Michigan City-La Porte, IN
85.4twin score
2000–2008 trajectoryelasticity≠ Italian ancestry
Auburn, NY
81.7twin score
2000–2008 trajectory12-yr trend≠ % Catholic
Kenosha, WI
77.9twin score
2000–2008 trajectory12-yr trend% Evangelical≠ college share
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Ottawa, IL, Illinois. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/36837/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
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Places within Ottawa, IL
Frequently asked questions
How did Ottawa, IL, Illinois vote in 2024?
In 2024, Ottawa, IL, Illinois voted Republican by 19.9 points (R+19.9), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 71,841 votes cast, 28,183 went Democratic and 42,515 went Republican.
When did Ottawa, IL, Illinois last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Ottawa, IL, Illinois voted Democratic was 2008.
How many people live in Ottawa, IL, Illinois?
Ottawa, IL, Illinois has a population of 147,181 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Ottawa, IL, Illinois?
Median household income in Ottawa, IL, Illinois is $72,296 — below the national median of $80,734. The Illinois state median is $83,390.
What is the political history of Ottawa, IL, Illinois?
Akashic tracks 34 presidential elections in Ottawa, IL, Illinois from 1892 to 2024. Of those, 8 went Democratic and 25 went Republican.