Adams County was created on January 13, 1825 and was formed from Pike County and Unorganized land . The County was named for John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States, and not for John Adams, second President, as is sometimes stated. The County Seat is Quincy .

Date for courthouse records is the earliest record known to exist in that county. It does not indicate that there are numerous records for that year and certainly does not indicate that all such events that year were actually registered. Deed records usually coincide with the beginning of a county, so earlier dates in the land sales column usually indicate transcribed records from a parent county, or land patent records that contain information on original land sales from the public domain.
The Official County website is located at http://www.co.adams.il.us/. All departments below at located at the Adams County Courthouse, 507 Vermont, Box 1169, Quincy, IL 62306, unless a dfiferent address is listed below.
NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Adams County Circuit Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1826 and Court Records from 1825 and is located at 521 Vermont Street, Quincy, Illinois 62301-2934; Phone: 217/277-2100, Fax: 217/277-2116
Adams County Recorder has Land Records from 1817 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (217) 277-2126
Adams County Clerk has Birth / Death Records from 1877 and Marriage Records from 1825 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (217) 277-2150
County Treasurer’s responsibilities include the statutory duties required as County Treasurer and as Ex-Officio County Collector of Real Estate Property Taxes and Drainage District Taxes for the entire county.
Below is a list of online resources for Adams County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Adams County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.
Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 605 W. Jefferson St., Springfield, IL 62702-5097. It can take up to 6 weeks to get a vital record from Illinois.
A number of resources are available for individuals doing genealogical research using vital records filed in the state of Illinois. Births and deaths before January 1, 1916 and marriages before January 1, 1962 are recorded only in the office of the county clerk where the event occurred. Most county clerks have indexes to the records that are prior to 1916 that are available for the purpose of genealogical research. These indexes generally provide the name, date and place of occurrence and are located in county courthouses located throughout the state. Although self-service access to the indexes is generally permitted, the law limits physical access to the individual records to the clerk's staff. When you locate a record from the index, it will be necessary for the clerk to pull the record for you once you have paid the appropriate search fee. Please check with the county clerk for fees and policies on reviewing indexes.
Below is a list of online resources for Adams County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Adams County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Adams County, Illinois are 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1910, 1920 and 1940.Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Adams County, Illinois are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.
The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.
Below is a list of online resources for Adams County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Adams County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Below is a list of online resources for Adams County Maps. Email us with websites containing Adams County Maps by clicking the link below:
Below is a list of online resources for Adams County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Adams County Military Records by clicking the link below:
There are many churches and cemeteries in Adams County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Adams County Tombstone Transcription Project.
Below is a list of online resources for Adams County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Adams County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Below is a list of online resources for Adams County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Adams County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below: