Sangamon County become the 21st county in Illinois on January 30, 1821. Before 1821 it was a part of Madison and Bond Counties.

Sangamon County was named after the Sangamon River which flows through the county. The name Sangamon is derived from the Pottawatomie Indian word "Sain-guee-mon" - pronounced "sang-ga-mun" (the "a" has a two dots above it), which means "where there is plenty to eat" or "the land of milk and honey". Sangamon County was regarded to the Indians as the "Happy Hunting Grounds", they called it Sangamon Country.

Sangamon County is the home of two out of the last nine covered bridges in the state of Illinois. Sugar Creek Covered Bridge was built about 1829. It was renovated in 1965. The other one was built in 1833 and is located about nine miles west of Springfield, off of Washington Street Road.

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