Bridgeport, Illinois

Bridgeport is a city in Lawrence County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bridgeport had a population of 1,800.^[3]

Bridgeport was established in the mid-1850s as a stop along the Ohio and Mississippi Railway. It was named by a railroad official for the bridge that spanned Indian Creek, in the southern part of the city. Bridgeport incorporated in 1896.^[4]

Bridgeport lies southwest of Lawrenceville along Illinois State Route 250.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Bridgeport has a total area of 1.10 square miles (2.85 km²), of which 1.07 square miles (2.77 km²) (or 97.72%) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) (or 2.28%) is water.^[5]

As of the 2020 census^[7] there were 1,800 people, 882 households, and 489 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,640.84 inhabitants per square mile (633.53/km²). There were 812 housing units at an average density of 740.20 per square mile (285.79/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.00% White, 1.61% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 3.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.

There were 882 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.37% were married couples living together, 14.97% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.56% were non-families. 15.31% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.82% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 2.18.

The city's age distribution consisted of 30.1% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 31.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 138.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $58,085, and the median income for a family was $48,958. Males had a median income of $50,712 versus $27,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,074. About 12.9% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

The Red Hill Junior/Senior High School is located in Bridgeport. The school mascot is the Saluki (Red Hill Salukis). Prior to the 1970s, the local high school was named Bridgeport High School. Its mascot was the Bulldogs. Bridgeport High School then consolidated with the neighboring town of Sumner, and the mascot for the new consolidated school became the Salukis. There is also an elementary school in Bridgeport called BGS, or Bridgeport Grade School.

The Red Hill Junior High School Lady Salukis 2008 softball team went to the Illinois state championship and placed second.^[8]

In 1960, Bridgeport High School had a total school enrollment of only 385. That year the boys basketball team advanced to the State of Illinois IHSA basketball tournament finals to face a much larger Chicago team, John Marshall. At the time, Illinois, like Indiana in the movie Hoosiers, held a single-class tournament where all schools competed for the same championship. Chicago Marshall's enrollment was listed at 2,333, more than six times that of Bridgeport. Unlike the Indiana team in Hoosiers, Bridgeport lost the championship game, finishing its season with a 33–2 record.^[9]

• John Lankston, tenor with the New York City Opera and actor in Broadway musicals
• Gary Wagner, a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox, was born in Bridgeport.