Macoupin County
Macoupin County, Illinois: solar permitting grade B (score 38/100, 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 38/100 |
| Population | 44,926 |
| 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
Macoupin 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
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Macoupin County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Benld city
- Bunker Hill city
- Carlinville city
- Gillespie city
- Girard city
- Mount Olive city
- Staunton city
- Virden city
- Nilwood town
- Shipman town
- Brighton villagepartly in this county
- Chesterfield village
- Dorchester village
- Eagarville village
- East Gillespie village
- Hettick village
- Lake Ka-Ho village
- Medora villagepartly in this county
- Modesto village
- Mount Clare village
- Palmyra village
- Royal Lakes village
- Sawyerville village
- Scottville village
Show all
- Standard City village
- White City village
- Wilsonville village
- Barr township
- Bird township
- Brighton township
- Brushy Mound township
- Bunker Hill township
- Cahokia township
- Carlinville township
- Chesterfield township
- Dorchester township
- Gillespie township
- Girard township
- Hillyard township
- Honey Point township
- Mount Olive township
- Nilwood township
- North Otter township
- North Palmyra township
- Polk township
- Scottville township
- Shaws Point township
- Shipman township
- South Otter township
- South Palmyra township
- Staunton township
- Virden township
- Western Mound township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Montgomery County · ≈24 miD61—
- Greene County · ≈25 miB38—
- Jersey County · ≈27 miB39—
- Madison County · ≈30 miC44—
- Morgan County · ≈34 miD58—
- Sangamon County · ≈37 miD62—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Macoupin County ranks #22 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.