Akashic
1892–2024
Akashic
Ottawa, IL
presidential margin
2008D+10.02012R+0.22016R+15.92020R+16.22024R+19.9
full record · 1892 → 2024
R+19.9
2024
median income$72,296U.S. $80,734 · IL $83,390
median age42.8U.S. 39.1 · IL 39.1
poverty rate13.0%U.S. 12.5% · IL 11.8%
bachelor’s+ (25+)20.9%U.S. 35.6% · IL 37.9%
non-english7.6%U.S. 22.3% · IL 24.1%
race · ethnicity · ancestry
German25.1%
Irish15.4%
English10.3%
Mexican9.4%
Puerto Rican0.4%
African American†1.7%
religion
other traditions
Mainline9.1%
Other Christian0.7%
Latter-day Saints0.4%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents, unaffiliated is the unclaimed remainder.

Ottawa, IL, Illinois

Akashic
Ottawa, ILTrumpR+19.9
—
2024 presidential margin by county for Ottawa, IL, ILA map of the constituent counties of Ottawa, IL, IL, each outlined and filled by its 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), seated within the faint outlines of the surrounding states.Bureau County, IL · R+24.3LaSalle County, IL · R+18.5Putnam County, IL · R+22.8
How it voted
Share of the 2024 vote
Donald Trump ✓Republican59.2%42,515
Kamala HarrisDemocratic39.2%28,183
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Independent1.6%1,143
D+60
R+60
3 counties, each filled by 2024 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
County-level results (3 counties) — table
2024 presidential result by county for Ottawa, IL, IL — winner and D-vs-R margin.
CountyWinnerMargin
Bureau County, ILRepublicanR+24.3
LaSalle County, ILRepublicanR+18.5
Putnam County, ILRepublicanR+22.8
34 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
YearWonDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
R
39.2%Harris28,183
59.2%Trump42,515
1.6%Kennedy1,143
−19.9%
71,841
R
40.8%Biden30,449
57.0%Trump42,517
2.2%Jorgensen1,610
−16.2%
74,576
R
38.5%Clinton26,719
54.4%Trump37,737
7.2%Johnson4,970
−15.9%
69,426
R
48.7%Obama32,766
49.0%Romney32,922
2.3%Johnson1,546
−0.2%
67,234
D
54.1%Obama38,232
44.1%McCain31,161
1.8%Nader1,242
+10.0%
70,635
R
47.1%Kerry33,928
52.2%Bush37,546
0.7%Badnarik509
−5.0%
71,983
D
49.6%Gore32,766
47.3%Bush31,239
3.0%Nader2,004
+2.3%
66,009
D
50.1%Clinton30,719
37.2%Dole22,814
12.7%Perot7,795
+12.9%
61,328
D
45.5%Clinton32,401
33.6%Bush23,883
20.9%Perot14,862
+12.0%
71,146
R
48.7%Dukakis31,226
50.8%Bush32,578
0.5%Paul336
−2.1%
64,140
R
41.2%Mondale28,944
58.4%Reagan41,041
0.5%Bergland332
−17.2%
70,317
R
34.0%Carter23,729
58.4%Reagan40,766
7.6%Anderson5,341
−24.4%
69,836
R
45.4%Carter32,015
53.3%Ford37,540
1.3%McCarthy917
−7.8%
70,472
R
38.5%McGovern28,650
61.3%Nixon45,641
0.2%Schmitz135
−22.8%
74,426
R
41.5%Humphrey30,232
53.0%Nixon38,621
5.4%Wallace3,965
−11.5%
72,818
D
56.5%Johnson41,368
43.5%Goldwater31,899
0.0%
+12.9%
73,267
R
46.7%Kennedy36,478
53.2%Nixon41,606
0.1%Byrd67
−6.6%
78,151
R
33.7%Stevenson25,012
66.2%Eisenhower49,094
0.1%Andrews108
−32.4%
74,214
R
36.8%Stevenson28,504
63.0%Eisenhower48,848
0.2%Hallinan126
−26.3%
77,478
R
41.9%Truman27,034
57.4%Dewey37,065
0.7%Thurmond425
−15.5%
64,524
R
40.1%Roosevelt29,330
56.8%Dewey41,502
3.1%Thomas2,271
−16.7%
73,103
R
49.0%Roosevelt39,173
50.4%Willkie40,332
0.6%Thomas486
−1.4%
79,991
D
50.9%Roosevelt37,879
45.9%Landon34,137
3.2%Lemke2,408
+5.0%
74,424
D
56.6%Roosevelt39,363
41.6%Hoover28,950
1.7%Thomas1,205
+15.0%
69,518
R
42.9%Smith28,162
56.3%Hoover36,983
0.7%Thomas486
−13.4%
65,631
R
15.9%Davis8,471
60.5%Coolidge32,238
23.6%La Follette12,589
−44.6%
53,298
R
19.5%Cox9,342
73.7%Harding35,342
6.8%Debs3,244
−54.2%
47,928
R
39.7%Wilson21,203
56.8%Hughes30,319
3.4%Benson1,838
−17.1%
53,360
O
33.8%Wilson10,260
23.3%Taft7,077
43.0%Roosevelt13,062
Roosevelt +9.2
30,399
R
35.6%Bryan10,873
56.5%Taft17,273
8.0%Debs2,438
−20.9%
30,584
R
27.2%Parker7,900
63.3%Roosevelt18,344
9.5%Debs2,754
−36.0%
28,998
R
39.8%Bryan12,644
56.6%McKinley17,997
3.7%Woolley1,166
−16.8%
31,807
R
40.5%Bryan12,548
57.2%McKinley17,728
2.3%Palmer709
−16.7%
30,985
D
49.1%Cleveland13,434
45.5%Harrison12,442
5.4%Weaver1,482
+3.6%
27,358
presidential history
Presidential margin, 1892–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over timeDemocratic-minus-Republican presidential margin from 1892 to 2024. Most recent: −19.9% in 2024.flipped R · 2012−19.9%DR18922024
Presidential margin over time
YearMargin (D minus R)
1892+3.6%
1896−16.7%
1900−16.8%
1904−36.0%
1908−20.9%
1912+10.5%
1916−17.1%
1920−54.2%
1924−44.6%
1928−13.4%
1932+15.0%
1936+5.0%
1940−1.4%
1944−16.7%
1948−15.5%
1952−26.3%
1956−32.4%
1960−6.6%
1964+12.9%
1968−11.5%
1972−22.8%
1976−7.8%
1980−24.4%
1984−17.2%
1988−2.1%
1992+12.0%
1996+12.9%
2000+2.3%
2004−5.0%
2008+10.0%
2012−0.2%
2016−15.9%
2020−16.2%
2024−19.9%
DemocraticRepublican
voter registration
Registered voters
Total registered voters, over time
Voter registration in Ottawa, ILTotal registered voters, 2016–2024. Latest 103,303 in 2024.28.1K56.2K84.4K112.5K103.3K20162024
Registered voters
Voter registration in Ottawa, IL
YearTotal registered
2016112,472
2018109,709
2020110,012
202298,575
2024103,303
Source: U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAVS)

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

counties3
Bureau CountyLaSalle CountyPutnam County

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.