Illinois

Understand

Illinois is a mostly flat plains state, with the majority being farmland except for the river valleys and the south, which are hilly and forested. Traditionally, Illinois is subdivided into three culturally distinct regions: Northern, Central and Southern Illinois. Northern Illinois is considered anything north of I-80 and includes the majority of Chicagoland as well as the Quad Cities and Rockford. Central Illinois includes all areas between I-80 and I-70 including Peoria, Springfield and Urbana-Champaign with Southern Illinois occupying all areas south of I-70 including Carbondale. Chicagoland and Metro-East (suburban St. Louis area) may be considered regions within regions and tend to be culturally different than the rest of their area.

Northern Illinois is by far the most diverse area of the state and has some of the largest population centers including Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Naperville and Elgin. The area benefits from a unique mixture of factors including its location next to Lake Michigan; the concentration of highways, rail and airports in the Chicagoland area and the numerous tourism opportunities in areas such as the Chain O Lakes and Galena Driftless Zone.

Central Illinois is the seat of state government and home to the State's flagship university - the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Small urban areas dot the entire area including Urbana-Champaign, Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Springfield, Quincy and Decatur. Outside of these cities, the area is largely rural and depends on agriculture as its primary economic engine. Central Illinois has played a unique role in US history as being the home of Nauvoo, an original Church of Latter Day Saints settlement. It also encompasses the region of Illinois informally named Forgotonia which had briefly captured national attention when residents began a mock campaign to either secede from Illinois or the US due to lack of attention in the early 1970s.

Southern Illinois includes the cities of Carbondale, Marion, Mount Vernon and portions of Metro-East. It is noticeably different from the rest of Illinois in that it shares more in common culturally with neighboring Kentucky and Missouri than with the rest of the state and may be informally considered part of the Upland South. The region has been called "Little Egypt," a nickname that may be an inside joke referring to the town of Cairo, which sits at the confluence of Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

People

The Chicago metropolitan area is culturally diverse, with its population being roughly evenly divided among European, African-Americans, and Hispanic/Latin American.

Chicagoland is a global city and home to many communities from all over the world. African Americans largely from the American South, Polish Americans, Mexican Americans, and Irish Americans are among the largest and most established groups but you’ll find thriving communities from almost every country on the globe represented somewhere in the city. The rest of the state, on the other hand, tends to adhere to the classic American makeup of a European majority with African-American and Hispanic minorities. Political affiliations reflect much of the rest of the country being more liberal in urban areas and college towns and being more conservative in rural parts though there are of course exceptions.

Southern Illinois maintains a unique landscape and identity with locals often feeling separate from the rest of the state especially the Chicago area. Attitudes run not deeply as conservative as in rural central Illinois but there tends to be resentment of being overlooked in favor of Chicagoland in terms of news, issues, and politics.

Tourist information

• Illinois website

Regions

Cities

• Springfield – the capital and administrative center of the state. Abraham Lincoln resided here for many years, and many buildings in the city are dedicated to him.
• Bloomington-Normal – home of Illinois State University, Illinois Weslyan University and the grave site of Adlai Stevenson
• Carbondale – home of Southern Illinois University
• Champaign-Urbana – home of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the state's flagship university
• Chicago – the largest city in the Midwest and third-largest in the U.S., a center for theatre, jazz, and railroads, with a complex history and staggering skyscrapers.
• Galena – charming historical town along the Mississippi River
• Joliet – with casinos, a speedway and the state's most infamous prison
• Peoria – a classic Midwestern "Everytown"
• Rockford – home to the beautifully-landscaped Anderson Japanese Garden.

Other destinations

• Cahokia Mounds – is a surprising find in Illinois - the center of a prehistoric Native American city and one of only 20 UNESCO World Heritage sites in the U.S.
• Lewis and Clark Trail – Between May 1804 and September 1806, 32 men, one woman, and a baby traveled from the plains of the Midwest to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. They called themselves the Corps of Discovery.
• Casino Queen and the
• Gateway Geyser – Both are located on the Mississippi River in East St. Louis, IL
• Shawnee National Forest
• Starved Rock State Park
• Ferne Clyffe State Park
• Kickapoo State Park
• Pere Marquette State Park
• Anna – located along Shawnee Hills Wine Trail

Get in

By car

Illinois is accessed through interstates 39, 90, & 94 through Wisconsin, 74 and 80 through Iowa, 55, 57, 64, 70, and 72 through Missouri, 24 through Kentucky, and 64, 70, 74, 80, 90, and 94 through Indiana.

By train

Amtrak serves many different areas of Illinois. Chicago is the main hub of Amtrak's long-distance routes, and a coast-to-coast rail trip will usually require you to change trains in Chicago. You can get into Chicago from virtually all directions, east coast and west coast, north and south. There are numerous daily trains to and from Milwaukee and it is reasonably fast and reliable. There is daily service (the Empire Builder) from Seattle/Portland, Oregon by way of Milwaukee. You can also get in from Washington D.C., New York, and Boston on various daily trains. There are many local trains that serve downstate and southern Illinois that also serve long distance locations. Those routes are as follows:

The UP line from Chicago-St. Louis serves Summit, Joliet, Dwight, Pontiac, Bloomington-Normal, Lincoln, Springfield, Carlinville, Alton, and finally St. Louis. There are 4 trains each day, each way. One of those trains that serves this route is the Texas Eagle, and it will bring you into Illinois from San Antonio, Dallas, Arkansas, and Missouri.

The BNSF route from Chicago-Galesburg-Quincy. Only local service serves the Quincy portion of the line. The other service is provided by 2 daily long distance trains coming from either Los Angeles (the Southwest Chief) or Emeryville (in the San Francisco Bay Area) via Salt Lake City and Denver (the California Zephyr).

The CN route from Chicago-Carbondale has 3 trains each way daily. One long distance train is provided each way daily and will take you to/from New Orleans via Jackson, Mississippi and Memphis.

Some trains have continuing service on certain days of the week to/from Washington D.C. There is regular daily service to/from Washington D.C. via Toledo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.

Chicago's commuter rail system also reaches into the neighboring states. The South Shore Line connects Chicago Millennium Station with South Bend, Indiana via Hammond, Gary and Michigan City, while Metra's Union Pacific North Line (UP-N) connects Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center with Kenosha, Wisconsin.

There are no direct trains to Illinois from Canada, but you can catch a VIA Rail train from Toronto to Windsor or Sarnia at the border, then transfer onto an Amtrak train to Chicago after crossing the border into Detroit or Port Huron respectively.

By plane

Chicago has two major airports, O'Hare and Midway. O'Hare is one of the main international gateways to the United States, while Midway is smaller and closer to the downtown. Some of the regional airports also serve a small number of flights from out of state, including in Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, Rockford, Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, and in St. Louis, across the river from Illinois.

By foot

• The American Discovery Trail connects Illinois with Iowa, Missouri, Indiana and both coasts.

Get around

By car

Car travel is best for the majority of the state, easily accessed by interstates. Numerous highways closer to Chicago are tollways, but the rest of the highways are free. EZ-Pass users from the eastern U.S. can use their transponders on the Illinois Tollway at all toll booths. Except for the Chicago Skyway to/from northern Indiana, Illinois has abolished toll payments by cash, and uses electronic tolling exclusively. If you do not have a transponder, you have up to 14 days to pay your tolls online, albeit at double the cost of tolls paid using a transponder. The Chicago Skyway accepts toll payments by cash and credit card, though I-Pass and E-ZPass transponders are accepted, albeit with a 3¢ surcharge for I-Pass or New York state-issued E-ZPass transponders.

By bus

Greyhound buses, Megabus discount buses and its sister bus company, Coach USA, serve many Illinois locales. Chicago and the nearby suburbs are served by the PACE bus system and many large Illinois cities have bus systems of their own. Information on transit can be found here.

By train

Train travel is another way to get around Illinois. Metra train lines serves Chicago and the surrounding suburbs and Amtrak serves significant portions of the rest of the state. While Metra trains usually run on time, Amtrak trains are more prone to running late. Check with Amtrak before making the trip.

By plane

There are flights from Chicago to regional centers in the state such as Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, Peoria and Bloomington-Normal, usually on United Airlines or American Airlines. These flights tend to be expensive compared to flights between major cities.

Stay safe

Crime

Generally speaking, Illinois is a safe state, but the only city of major concern is East St. Louis.

Although the crime rate of Chicago has dropped significantly, the overall crime rate is still well above the US average. In addition, the city has a long history of public corruption. You are of no interest to criminal gangs unless you give them a reason to be interested in you. Stay vigilant and use common sense; these two practices will most often aid you in avoiding bad situations. Do your research to find out which areas are most unsavory for the out-of-town traveler.

East St. Louis is widely regarded as the most dangerous city in the United States. You have absolutely no reason to be there unless you are an experienced traveller.

Severe weather

Tornadoes

The geographical position and characteristic of the state's western regions make them prone to having a high occurrence of tornadoes throughout the spring and summer seasons. Most of these tornadoes are small scale and short lived, however, this does not mean larger scale tornadoes are totally uncommon. In March of 2006, the city of Springfield was struck by two EF-2 tornadoes and experienced significant damage from this event.

If you plan to visit these regions of the state, keep yourself informed of the current weather conditions and update yourself regularly because the conditions can change in an instant. If you find yourself in a dangerous weather situation, seek shelter immediately.

Refer to the Tornado safety page for more information regarding this matter.

Winter

Northern Illinois can have severe cold weather in the winter, especially in January.

Respect

Politics

Illinois has a long history of political corruption, and this is one of many reasons why the state has a high emigration rate. Numerous political officials, including four former governors, have been convicted of corruption. Take care when discussing political issues.

Go next

• Wisconsin - "America's Dairyland" borders Illinois to the north.
• Iowa - Rural Iowa lies along Illinois' northwestern border and provides the opportunity to explore America's agricultural heartland.
• Missouri - The home of St. Louis, the gateway to the west, is just a short journey across Illinois' southwestern border.
• Kentucky - Located southeast of Illinois, Kentucky is known for its rolling hills, horses, and rural inhabitants, offering travelers a less-visited but tremendously beautiful destination.
• Indiana - Illinois' eastern neighbor is home to rich basketball tradition and the Indianapolis 500.