Illinois
Buying Land in Mason County, Illinois
Mason County, seat Havana, occupies a sand-outwash plain between the Illinois and Sangamon Rivers -- soil so different from typical Illinois farmland that it turned the county into the state's top watermelon producer and a specialty-crop hub nicknamed "The Imperial Valley of the Midwest." A countywide zoning ordinance dating to 1975 covers the county's unincorporated townships, and roughly 20 miles of mostly private levees manage flood risk near the river.
Zoning: a countywide ordinance dating to 1975, with floodplain and airport overlays
Mason County adopted its Zoning Ordinance on June 10, 1975 and revised it in 2008; the county's Planning and Zoning Department administers it across the county's unincorporated townships -- Amber, Branch, Eden, Riverton, Summit, Sheridan, Sherman, Meade, Victory, Custer, and Logan -- under 55 ILCS 5 Division 5-12 authority. Land inside an incorporated city or village, including the county seat of Havana, falls under that municipality's own zoning instead. The department also administers a Mason County Airport Zoning Overlay Zone, FEMA-mapped floodplain management, a separate non-commercial Solar Energy System (SES) ordinance, and junk enforcement for townships and villages that are members of the Municipal Junk Authority of Mason County.
Because Mason County's zoning is countywide, Article 110 township zoning does not independently apply here -- the county's own ordinance, administered through Planning and Zoning, governs unincorporated land throughout every township.
The county's real distinctive: sand-outwash soil built a specialty-crop economy
Mason County sits on a substantial sand deposit -- wind-blown and glacial-outwash sand left behind during the Kankakee Torrent floods, extending from terraces into the uplands in a band running through Peoria, Tazewell, and Mason counties. Unlike the dark, heavy prairie soil common elsewhere in Illinois, this fast-draining, early-warming sandy soil is unusually well suited to melons and other specialty crops -- and paired with widespread irrigation, it has made Mason County the state's top watermelon-producing county and third for cantaloupe, alongside popcorn, sweet corn, snap and green beans, canning pumpkins, potatoes, and other row crops that don't dominate most of Illinois's farm economy. Local boosters have nicknamed the county "The Imperial Valley of the Midwest" for this specialty-crop concentration.
See our dedicated page on farmland in Mason County for what this means if you're evaluating agricultural land here specifically -- irrigation infrastructure, well-water availability for irrigation rather than just household use, and how sandy soil changes what a parcel can realistically grow compared to typical Illinois cropland.
Flood risk near the rivers: local, aging, mostly private levees
Mason County's location between the Illinois and Sangamon Rivers means flood risk is a real consideration for river-adjacent parcels, though the county's flood infrastructure is fragmented rather than centralized -- roughly 20 miles of levees, most of them privately owned or managed by small drainage districts (the Thompson Lake, Duncan Mills, and Big Lake levees among them) rather than a single county or Army Corps system. In 1992-93, the Havana area experienced an unusual rising-groundwater flood event -- driven by an exceptionally wet year (rainfall from July 1992 to September 1993 ran 157% of normal) combined with the Illinois River holding a high stage for months, which blocked normal groundwater drainage and created standing water in low-lying areas even away from the riverbank itself.
If you're evaluating a parcel near the Illinois or Sangamon River, check current FEMA flood maps for that specific location, ask Mason County Planning and Zoning about the status and maintenance history of any levee protecting it, and don't assume a levee's presence means the land is out of the floodplain -- a privately-maintained levee's condition can vary significantly from one drainage district to the next.
Septic, well, GIS, and other departments to know
The Mason County Health Department issues both septic (private sewage disposal) and well permits under the statewide IDPH Title 77 Part 905 framework; a septic application carries a $100 fee and typically requires a soil test before construction can begin. Both septic and well permits are handled through the same office -- call ahead to confirm current requirements for a specific parcel, especially given the county's unusual sandy soil, which can behave differently in a soil absorption test than the loam or clay soils IDPH's standard guidance more commonly addresses.
The Mason County Assessor and County Clerk & Recorder both operate out of the Mason County Courthouse at 125 North Plum Street in Havana -- the Recorder's office is where any easement, irrigation-related agreement, or levee-district assessment affecting a specific parcel would be filed. University of Illinois Extension serves Mason County jointly with Fulton, Peoria, and Tazewell Counties, with a local office in Havana -- a useful resource given the county's specialty-crop agricultural focus.
Who to Call Before Buying Land in Mason County
Direct WebFetch access to masoncountyil.gov and masoncohealth.com was blocked by a network egress restriction throughout this research pass, so several department details reflect search-indexed content rather than a full verbatim read -- confirm current staff, hours, fees, and zoning status directly before relying on this page for a specific parcel. A direct phone number for the Planning and Zoning Department could not be independently confirmed and is left blank rather than guessed.
Planning & Zoning
Mason County Planning and Zoning Department
Zoning verification for unincorporated Mason County; floodplain, airport-overlay, and non-commercial solar (SES) permitting.
Building & Permitting
Mason County Planning and Zoning Department
Building permits in unincorporated Mason County.
Environmental Health
Mason County Health Department
General environmental health questions for Mason County.
Septic / Onsite Wastewater
Mason County Health Department
Private sewage disposal permits under the statewide IDPH Title 77 Part 905 standard.
Wells / Private Water
Mason County Health Department
Water well permits, relevant to both household wells and irrigation wells on farmland.
Assessor / Property Tax
Mason County Assessment Office
Property valuation and assessment records.
Recorder / Clerk / Land Records
Mason County Clerk & Recorder
Recorded deeds, easements, irrigation agreements, and plats for a specific parcel.
Agricultural Extension
University of Illinois Extension -- Serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell Counties
Agricultural and specialty-crop guidance for Mason County.
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Get local guidanceTopics Specific to Mason County
Sources
- Zoning -- Mason County, IL — Mason County, Illinois Government (accessed 2026-09)
- Planning and Zoning -- Mason County — Mason County, Illinois Government (accessed 2026-09)
- Zoning Ordinance, Mason County, Illinois (adopted June 10, 1975, revised 2008) — Mason County, Illinois Government (accessed 2026-09)
- Mason County Solar Energy System (SES) Ordinance — Mason County, Illinois Government (accessed 2026-09)
- Vegetation of Wind-blown Glacial Sand Deposits along the Illinois River — Illinois State Academy of Science / illinoisplants.org (accessed 2026-09)
- Hard work, unique crops seen on Summer Ag Tour — FarmWeekNow / Illinois Farm Bureau (accessed 2026-09)
- Irrigation drives Illinois specialty crops forward — Farm Progress (accessed 2026-09)
- 1993 Ground-Water Flooding in the Havana Area — American Society of Civil Engineers (Conference Proceedings Database) (accessed 2026-09)
- Septic Permit | Mason County Health Department — Mason County Health Department (accessed 2026-09)
- Well Permit | Mason County Health Department — Mason County Health Department (accessed 2026-09)
- Assessment -- Mason County, IL — Mason County, Illinois Government (accessed 2026-09)
- County Clerk -- Mason County, IL — Mason County, Illinois Government (accessed 2026-09)
- Find Our Office | Serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell Counties — University of Illinois Extension (accessed 2026-09)
Last reviewed 2026-09