▁do ▁not ▁generally ▁correspond ▁with ▁the ▁survey ' s ▁town ships . ▁ ▁Geography ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁county ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁ ▁( 0 . 1 %) ▁is ▁water . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁fourth - small est ▁county ▁in ▁Illinois ▁by ▁area . ▁ ▁When ▁Edwards ▁County ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 4 , ▁it ▁compr ised ▁nearly ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Illinois . ▁New ▁count ies ▁were ▁formed ▁from ▁it ▁until , ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 4 , ▁it ▁assumed ▁its ▁present ▁form ▁from ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁W ab ash ▁County . ▁The ▁two ▁are ▁the ▁fourth ▁and ▁fifth ▁smallest ▁count ies ▁in ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁Cl imate ▁and ▁weather ▁ ▁In ▁recent ▁years , ▁average ▁temper atures ▁in ▁the ▁county ▁seat ▁of ▁Alb ion ▁have ▁r anged ▁from ▁a ▁low ▁of ▁ ▁in ▁January ▁to ▁a ▁high ▁of ▁ ▁in ▁July , ▁although ▁a ▁record ▁low ▁of ▁ ▁was ▁recorded ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁and ▁a ▁record ▁high ▁of ▁ ▁was ▁recorded ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁ ▁A verage ▁month ly ▁precip itation ▁r anged ▁from ▁ ▁in ▁January ▁to ▁ ▁in ▁April . ▁ ▁Major ▁high ways ▁▁ ▁Illinois ▁Route ▁ 1 ▁▁ ▁Illinois ▁Route ▁ 1 5 ▁▁ ▁Illinois ▁Route ▁ 1 3 0 ▁ ▁Ad j acent ▁count ies ▁ ▁Rich land ▁County ▁( n orth ) ▁ ▁W ab