Sterling, IL Micro Area
The Sterling, IL micro area is one county in Illinois: Whiteside County. About 54,121 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 2.8% fewer than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 54,121 2.8% fewer than in April 2020
- Type
- Micropolitan statistical area
- County
- Whiteside County
- Land area
- 684 sq mi (1,772 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Illinois
- Combined statistical area
- Dixon-Sterling, IL
- CBSA code
- 44580
The county in the Sterling, IL micro area
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Whiteside County | Central | 54,121 |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of 10,000 to 49,999 people. This area has no outlying counties: no neighboring county sends enough commuters to join it. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Sterling14,717 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Dixon-Sterling, IL combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other area in this one is
- Dixon, IL Micro Area32,914 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Dixon, IL Micro Area12 mi east
- Clinton, IA Micro Area28 mi west
- Rochelle, IL Micro Area34 mi east
- Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Metro Area50 mi west
- Ottawa, IL Micro Area55 mi southeast
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
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