Significant episodes in the state's early history include the influx of settlers following the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825; the Black Hawk War, which virtually ended the Indian troubles in the area; and the rise of Abraham Lincoln from farm laborer to president. Today, Illinois stands high in manufacturing, coal mining, agriculture, and oil production. The state's manufactures include food and agricultural products, transportation equipment, chemicals, industrial machinery, and computer equipment. The sprawling Chicago district (including a slice of Indiana) is a great iron and steel producer, meat packer, grain exchange, and railroad center. Chicago is also famous as a Great Lakes port. Illinois is a leading producer of soybeans, corn, and hogs. Other agricultural commodities include cattle, wheat, oats, sorghum, and hay. Central Illinois is noted for shrines and memorials associated with the life of Abraham Lincoln. In Springfield are the Lincoln Home, the Lincoln Tomb, and the restored Old State Capitol. Other points of interest are the home of Mormon leader Joseph Smith in Nauvoo and, in Chicago: the Art Institute, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Merchandise Mart, and Chicago Portage National Historic Site.
Illinois presents a rich variety of cultural programs for education and entertainment. Performance centers and theatres present the world’s finest operas, ballets, and plays, and auditoriums host popular performers of music and shows. Great museums, lectures, and presentations by the world’s top scholars enrich both the campus and the community.
Illinois, IL, gets 37 inches of rain per year. The US average is 37. Snowfall is 22 inches. The average US city gets 25 inches of snow per year. The number of days with any measurable precipitation is 104. On average, there are 198 sunny days per year in Illinois, IL. The July high is around 87 degrees. The January low is 17. Our comfort index, which is based on humidity during the hot months, is a 42 out of 100, where higher is more comfortable. The US average on the comfort index is 44.
Chicago: Chicago is one of those great American cities that almost defies any sort of description you try to attach to it. Sure, it's a major hub in the Midwest.
Springfield: The lone 30-story skyscraper may look a bit out of place, jutting out from hundreds of miles of surrounding farmland. But that's because this is a city that doesn't try to be pretentious.
Schaumburg: Although still listed as the "Village of Schaumburg" this sprawing developed major suburb of Chicago in Illinois has a population of 75,386 as of the year 2000.
Rockford: Rockford was founded in 1834 by Germanicus Kent as the village of Midway because it was approximately midway between his home of Galena and the city of Chicago.
Champaign: Champaign is a small city in the central Illinois; however it's one of the most important towns in the state as the home of the University of Illinois.
Bloomington: Bloomington, neighbor to Normal, Illinois, is home to Illinois Wesleyan University. (Illinois State University is in Normal). The city, one of the largest in Illinois.
Waukegan: Waukegan is about 40 miles north of Chicago, and only 8 miles from the border of Wisconsin, which makes it roughly the halfway point between Chicago and Milwaukee.
Gurnee: Depending on traffic, Gurnee is about an hours drive from downtown Chicago. Gurnees three main attractions are: 1) the amusement park Six Flags Great America, 2) Gurnee Mills shopping center.
Springfield: The lone 30-story skyscraper may look a bit out of place, jutting out from hundreds of miles of surrounding farmland. But that's because this is a city that doesn't try to be pretentious.
Schaumburg: Although still listed as the "Village of Schaumburg" this sprawing developed major suburb of Chicago in Illinois has a population of 75,386 as of the year 2000.
Rockford: Rockford was founded in 1834 by Germanicus Kent as the village of Midway because it was approximately midway between his home of Galena and the city of Chicago.
Champaign: Champaign is a small city in the central Illinois; however it's one of the most important towns in the state as the home of the University of Illinois.
Bloomington: Bloomington, neighbor to Normal, Illinois, is home to Illinois Wesleyan University. (Illinois State University is in Normal). The city, one of the largest in Illinois.
Waukegan: Waukegan is about 40 miles north of Chicago, and only 8 miles from the border of Wisconsin, which makes it roughly the halfway point between Chicago and Milwaukee.
Gurnee: Depending on traffic, Gurnee is about an hours drive from downtown Chicago. Gurnees three main attractions are: 1) the amusement park Six Flags Great America, 2) Gurnee Mills shopping center.
Traveling to the state of Illinois gives you great many possibilities in the way of sightseeing or activities. From north to south, the state has many exciting places to go - and some great places just to get away from it, too, if you prefer that kind of a vacation. One of the most popular places to see - if you are looking for excitement, is Chicago. This large city has just about every form of activity you can think of - and then a few more. Getting around the downtown area is made easier with free trolley service that runs between Memorial Day and Labor Day. They run every day at 30 minutes apart, and make pick-ups at designated signs. Over in Springfield, Illinois, you will find The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. Unlike other presidential museums, this totally immersive museum does not use the traditional method of static displays, but instead uses every modern means available. This means there is story-telling, holographic displays, museum guides, plays, and more that bring out the history and significant events of Abraham Lincoln's life and how it effected our nation today.
Because of its central location and its proximity to the Rust Belt and Grain Belt, Illinois is a national crossroads for air, auto, rail and truck traffic.
Airports: From 1962 until 1998, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was the busiest airport in the world, measured both in terms of total flights and passengers. While it was surpassed by Atlanta's Hartsfield in 1998, with 59.3 million domestic passengers annually, along with 11.4 million international passengers in 2008, O'Hare remains one of the two or three busiest airports in the world, and some years still ranks number one in total flights. It is a major hub for United Airlines and American Airlines, and a major airport expansion project is currently underway. Chicago Midway International Airport, which had been the busiest airport in the world until supplanted by O'Hare in 1962, is now the secondary airport in the Chicago metropolitan area. For a time in the late 1960s and 1970s, Midway was nearly vacant except for general aviation, but growth in the area, combined with political deadlock over the building of a new major airport in the region, has caused resurgence for Midway. It is now a major hub for Southwest Airlines, and services many other airlines as well. Midway served 17.3 million domestic and international passengers in 2008.
Rail: Illinois has an extensive passenger and freight rail transportation network. Chicago is a national Amtrak hub and in-state passengers are served by Amtrak's Illinois Service, featuring the Chicago to Carbondale Illini and Saluki, the Chicago to Quincy Carl Sandburg and Illinois Zephyr, and the Chicago to St. Louis Lincoln Service. Currently there is track work on the Chicago-St. Louis line to bring the maximum speed up to 110 mph which would reduce the trip time by an hour and a half. Nearly every North American railway meets at Chicago, making it the largest and most active rail hub in the country. Extensive commuter rail is provided in the city proper and some immediate suburbs by the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system. The largest suburban commuter rail system in the United States, operated by Metro, uses existing rail lines to provide direct commuter rail access for hundreds of suburbs to the city and beyond. In addition to the state's rail lines, the Mississippi River and Illinois River provide major transportation routes for the state's agricultural interests. Lake Michigan gives Illinois access to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
Airports: From 1962 until 1998, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was the busiest airport in the world, measured both in terms of total flights and passengers. While it was surpassed by Atlanta's Hartsfield in 1998, with 59.3 million domestic passengers annually, along with 11.4 million international passengers in 2008, O'Hare remains one of the two or three busiest airports in the world, and some years still ranks number one in total flights. It is a major hub for United Airlines and American Airlines, and a major airport expansion project is currently underway. Chicago Midway International Airport, which had been the busiest airport in the world until supplanted by O'Hare in 1962, is now the secondary airport in the Chicago metropolitan area. For a time in the late 1960s and 1970s, Midway was nearly vacant except for general aviation, but growth in the area, combined with political deadlock over the building of a new major airport in the region, has caused resurgence for Midway. It is now a major hub for Southwest Airlines, and services many other airlines as well. Midway served 17.3 million domestic and international passengers in 2008.
Rail: Illinois has an extensive passenger and freight rail transportation network. Chicago is a national Amtrak hub and in-state passengers are served by Amtrak's Illinois Service, featuring the Chicago to Carbondale Illini and Saluki, the Chicago to Quincy Carl Sandburg and Illinois Zephyr, and the Chicago to St. Louis Lincoln Service. Currently there is track work on the Chicago-St. Louis line to bring the maximum speed up to 110 mph which would reduce the trip time by an hour and a half. Nearly every North American railway meets at Chicago, making it the largest and most active rail hub in the country. Extensive commuter rail is provided in the city proper and some immediate suburbs by the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system. The largest suburban commuter rail system in the United States, operated by Metro, uses existing rail lines to provide direct commuter rail access for hundreds of suburbs to the city and beyond. In addition to the state's rail lines, the Mississippi River and Illinois River provide major transportation routes for the state's agricultural interests. Lake Michigan gives Illinois access to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
Illinois Featured Properties
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