Hamilton County
Hamilton County, Illinois: solar permitting grade B (score 39/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | B · Moderate Risk · Score 39/100 |
| Population | 7,754 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Hamilton County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. Illinois's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive.
Local intel
No energy-related meetings, PSC dockets, or named opposition tracked for this county yet. See indexed calendar →
Nearby counties where SitePath is tracking energy activity: Jefferson County (≈26 mi) · Posey County (≈37 mi) · Wabash County (≈45 mi)
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Hamilton County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- McLeansboro city
- Belle Prairie City town
- Broughton village
- Dahlgren village
- Macedonia villagepartly in this county
- Beaver Creek township
- Crook township
- Crouch township
- Dahlgren township
- Flannigan township
- Knight Prairie township
- Mayberry township
- McLeansboro township
- South Crouch township
- South Flannigan township
- South Twigg township
- Twigg township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- White County · ≈20 miC49—
- Franklin County · ≈22 miC45—
- Saline County · ≈23 miC51—
- Wayne County · ≈25 miB37—
- Jefferson County · ≈26 miD58—
- Gallatin County · ≈28 miC42—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Hamilton County ranks #25 of 102 ranked Illinois counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Illinois: DeWitt County (A · 26), Bureau County (A · 26), Edgar County (A · 28). See all Illinois county grades →
Want the full record?
Setback distances, board vote histories, source documents, and ordinance amendments are available in the full county profile. The map is free; a walkthrough shows you the underlying record.
About this score
Every U.S. county is scored 0–100 on solar permitting risk (lower is friendlier to development). The grade is a weighted composite of compliance stringency, market saturation, regulatory trajectory, and data uncertainty. Every figure traces back to a primary government document. Read the full methodology →
Related reading
SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.