| Official Name: | Cartwright Township |
| Settlement Type: | Township |
| Image Map1: | Map of Illinois highlighting Sangamon County.svg |
| Mapsize1: | 150px |
| Map Caption1: | Sangamon County's location in Illinois |
| Coordinates: | 39.8389°N -89.9092°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Illinois |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Sangamon |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | November 6, 1860 |
| Leader Title: | Supervisor |
| Leader Name: | Dan Kern |
| Leader Title1: | Highway Commissioner |
| Leader Name1: | Dan McCafferty |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 72.04 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 72 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.04 |
| Area Water Percent: | 0.06 |
| Population As Of: | 2010 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 20.6 |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2016 |
| Pop Est Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Est: | 1470 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 17-167-11579 |
Cartwright Township is located in Sangamon County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,482 and it contained 615 housing units.[2] The township is named after pioneer missionary and Methodist minister Peter Cartwright, who lived in the township and is buried there. A United Methodist congregation within the limits of Pleasant Plains also bears his name. The most populated area of Cartwright Township is the town of Pleasant Plains, Illinois. Pleasant Plains has approximately 800 residents within its boundaries. The rest of the township is dotted with farmsteads and crop fields. Cartwright Township is known for its rich, fertile land and its agricultural roots. It is also the original home of Brandt Professional Agriculture now located in Springfield, IL. Brandts is a worldwide corporation that was a pioneer in agricultural fertilizer and is still the leader today.
As well as Pleasant Plains, Cartwright Township is also the home of Clayville, Illinois, an Illinois frontier ghost town (1824). The former settlement's brick tavern has been preserved by the township historical society.
According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of, of which (or 99.94%) is land and (or 0.06%) is water.[2]