| Official Name: | Sullivant Township |
| Settlement Type: | Township |
| Image Map1: | Map of Illinois highlighting Ford County.svg |
| Mapsize1: | 150px |
| Map Caption1: | Ford County's location in Illinois |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Illinois |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Ford |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | September 9, 1867 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 47.39 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 47.28 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.11 |
| Area Water Percent: | 0.22 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 479 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Elevation M: | 248 |
| Elevation Ft: | 814 |
| Coordinates: | 40.5753°N -88.3839°W |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
| Postal Code: | 61720, 61731, 61773 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 17-053-73521 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
Sullivant Township is one of twelve townships in Ford County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2020 census, its population was 479 and it contained 231 housing units.[1]
The township was formed from Dix Township on September 9, 1867. It is named for Michael L. Sullivant, who in the 1860s was reputedly "the world's most successful farmer." Sullivant owned 80000acres in Champaign, Ford, Piatt, and Livingston counties and used his land to raise corn and to graze large herds of cattle; he was one of a select group of wealthy men who dominated the state's booming livestock industry in the middle to late 19th century. An 1876 map of Ford County by Warner and Beers of the Union Atlas Co. shows Sullivant owning 42000acres in Ford County, including all of Sullivant Township.
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Sullivant Township has a total area of 47.39sqmi, of which 47.28sqmi (or 99.78%) is land and 0.11sqmi (or 0.22%) is water.[2] The township is the headwaters of four major Illinois rivers - Sangamon, Mackinaw, Vermillion North, and Vermillion South.[3]
The township contains Mount Hope Cemetery.
As of the 2020 census there were 479 people, 167 households, and 91 families residing in the township. The population density was 10.11PD/sqmi. There were 231 housing units at an average density of 4.87/sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 91.65% White, 0.42% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 5.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.71% of the population.
There were 167 households, out of which 16.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.31% were married couples living together, 3.59% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 45.51% were non-families. 37.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.76.
The township's age distribution consisted of 19.5% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 15.7% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 27.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 118.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $58,125, and the median income for a family was $78,661. Males had a median income of $52,560 versus $30,833 for females. The per capita income for the township was $28,712. About 5.5% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.