Stark and Tazewell counties had the state’s top average corn and soybean yields, respectively, in 2025.

County yields and production estimates in Illinois were recently released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Corn

Stark County returned to the top with the state’s highest average corn yield, producing 253.6 bushels per acre in 2025 across 85,000 harvested acres.

The county held the distinction in 2022, with 240.6 bushels per acre, and in 2023, with 234.1 bushels per acre, before being edged out by Sangamon, with 248.2 bushels per acre, in 2024. Sangamon averaged 224.3 last year.

DeKalb County hit an average of 244.4 bushels per acre, and McLean’s corn averaged 243.1.

Counties with yield averages in the 230s were: Marshall, 239.9; Carroll, 239.2; Tazewell, 239; Macon, 238.6; Peoria, 238.2; Rock Island, 236.7; Knox, 236.4; Woodford, 235.1; Vermilion, 235; Piatt, 234.9; and Lee, 233.1.

Prairie State counties averaging in the 220s were: Whiteside, 229.8; Menard, 229.2; Douglas, 228.3; Stephenson, 227.9; Bureau, 225.9; Boone, 225.2; McHenry, 224.9; Sangamon 224.3; and Ogle, 221.8.

McLean and Livingston counties continue to lead Illinois in corn production. McLean’s 243.1 yield average produced 77.31 million bushels from 318,000 harvested corn acres.

Livingston County averaged 217.7 bushels per acre, producing 62.915 million bushels on 289,000 harvested acres.

La Salle County rounded out the top three with farmers hauling in 61.294 million bushels from 279,500 harvested acres averaging 219.2 bushels per acre.

Illinois harvested 11 million acres of grain and averaged 214 bushels per acre for a total production of 2.354 billion bushels.

Soybeans

For the second straight year, 16 Illinois counties hit the 70-plus bushel per acre plateau last year, topped by Tazewell’s 76.3 bushels per acre from 121,800 harvested acres.

Macon averaged 75.9 on 136,200 harvest acres after leading the field last year with a 77.8 average.

Other counties in the 70s range according to NASS were: Stark, 74.7; McLean, 74; Marshall, 73.5; Piatt, 72.9; Woodford, 72.4; Bureau, 71.8; Whiteside, 71.7; Stephenson, 71.7; Peoria, 71.6; Sangamon, 71.5; DeKalb, 71.2; Carroll, 71; La Salle, 71; and Rock Island, 70.4.

Counties averaging in the 60s were: Livingston, 69.8; Douglas, 69.7; Henderson, 69.6; Vermilion, 69.4; Knox, 69; Greene, 68.6; Mason, 68.5; Iroquois, 67.1; Moultrie, 66.5; Boone, 66.2; McHenry, 66; Winnebago, 65.9; Macoupin, 64.7; Kane, 64.6; Putnam, 64.5; Jo Daviess, 63.6; Fulton, 62.7; Clark, 61.3; Madison, 60.3; and Lake, 60.

McLean was Illinois’ leading soybean producing, harvesting 294,000 acres for a total of 21.742 million bushels. Livingston County farmers harvested 19.614 million bushels from 281,000 acres.

Rounding out the top three soybean-producing counties was Iroquois, hitting 19.056 million bushels across 284,000 harvested acres.

The Land of Lincoln’s soybeans averaged 62.5 bushels per acre in 2025, producing 639.375 million bushels from 10.23 million harvested acres, according to NASS.