Tazewell County is part of the Peoria metropolitan area.

The majority of the population lives along the county's western border.

The consensus appears to be that it was named in honor of Littleton Tazewell, who served in the U.S. Senate, and who became Governor of Virginia in 1834.

[3][4] It was moved temporarily from Mackinaw to Pekin in June 1831, with the county court proceedings in the Snell schoolhouse.

[9] The following public-use airports are located in Tazewell County:[10] Bus and paratransit service in Tazewell County is provided by Peoria's “CityLink” system, operating six routes (four originating from Peoria) seven days a week.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 135,394 people, 54,146 households, and 37,163 families living in the county.

[19] Tazewell County is divided into these townships: Tazewell County has been solidly Republican on the national level, voting for the Republican candidate for U.S. president since 1996 and in all but two elections since 1952.