Illinois is a state in the Midwestern United States. Chicago is its largest city, and the state’s capital is Springfield; other major metropolitan areas include Metro East (of Greater St. Louis), Peoria and Rockford. Of the fifty U.S. states, Illinois has the fifth largest gross domestic product, the sixth largest population, and the 25th largest land area.
Illinois has a highly diverse economy, with the global city of Chicago in the northeast, major industrial and agricultural hubs in the north and center, and natural resources such as coal, timber, and petroleum in the south.
Owing to its central location and favorable geography, the state is a major transportation hub: the Port of Chicago has access to the Atlantic Ocean through the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway, and to the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River via the Illinois Waterway.
Additionally, the Mississippi, Ohio, and Wabash rivers form parts of the state’s boundaries. Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport has been among the world’s ten busiest airports for decades.
Chicago became a leading cultural, economic, and population center, and is today one of the world’s major commercial centers; its metropolitan area of Chicagoland encompasses about 65% of the state’s 12.8 million residents.
Flag
Flag of Illinois
Seal
Seal of Illinois
List of facts
The state capital of Illinois is Springfield
Chicago is the largest city in Illinois
Illinois has the sixth largest population, and the 25th largest land area in the US
In 1818, Illinois became the 21st U.S. state, The capital was at Kaskaskia
In 1819, Vandalia became the capital of Illinois
The word “Illinois” comes from the French version of an Indian word which means “men” or “warriors.”
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, located in Illinois, is one of the world’s busiest airports.
chicago
By population, Chicago, Illinois is the third largest city in the U.S
The Seven Years War of 1756 to 1763 led to France giving up Illinois to Britain
Illinois has 102 counties
The population of Illinois was 12,812,508 in the 2020 United States census
Illinois became one of the biggest supporters of the Union during the American Civil War.
The state Amphibian of Illinois is the Eastern tiger salamander
The state Bird of Illinois is the Northern cardinal
The state Butterfly of Illinois is the Monarch butterfly
The state Fish of Illinois is the Bluegill
The state Flower of Illinois is the Violet
The state Grass of Illinois is Big bluestem
The state Mammal of Illinois is the White-tailed deer
The state Reptile of Illinois is the Painted turtle
The state Tree of Illinois is the White oak
The state Dance of Illinois is the Square dance
The state Food of Illinois is the Gold Rush Apple and popcorn
The state Fossil of Illinois is Tully monster
The state Mineral of Illinois is Fluorite
The state Rock of Illinois is Dolostone
The state Slogan is “Land of Lincoln”
The state Soil of Illinois is Drummer silty clay loam
Native Americans built the pre-colonial city of Cahokia in Illinois
On April 15, 1955, the first McDonald’s franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, was opened
The world’s first Skyscraper was built in Chicago, 1885.
Ronald Reagan was born and raised in the state
Three U.S. presidents have been elected while living in Illinois: Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Barack Obama
The state is the site of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield
Almost 33% of the population of the state have a bachelor’s degree or higher
Six governors of the state have been charged with crimes and four of these were sent to prison
The Highest point is Charles Mound at 1,235 feet
The Lowest point is the Mississippi River at 279 feet
The Great Chicago Fire lasted for three days, from October 8 to 10 of 1871, 17000 buildings were destroyed.
The first Dairy Queen opened in 1940 in the city of Joliet
The world’s largest cookie factory is located in Chicago.
The ice cream sundae was invented in Evanston, Illinois.
Illinois averages about 11.64 million tons of soybean production a year
Illinois is the second-biggest corn producer in the USA, at around 750000 tons per year.
40% of all the corn grown in Illinois gets used as raw material to produce ethanol (biofuel).
More than 85% of packaged pumpkins come from Morton, Illinois.
Illinois has eleven nuclear power reactors, more than any other state
The first Aquarium opened in Chicago, 1893.
The Willis Tower is now the second-tallest building in North America at 1450 feet
Michael Jordan helped make the Chicago Bulls succesful during the 1990s, winning six championships in eight seasons
The Chicago Bears have won nine NFL championships
The NFL’s Chicago Bears were first known as the “Staley Bears”
The Chicago Blackhawks have won six Stanley Cups, most recently in 2015.
Two Major League Baseball teams are located in the state, The Chicago Cubs and The Chicago White Sox.
The state has hosted 13 editions of the U.S. Open and the 2012 Ryder Cup.
The all-time high temperature was 117 °F (47 °C), recorded on July 14, 1954, at East St. Louis
The all-time low temperature was −38 °F (−39 °C), recorded on January 31, 2019
The city of Aurora gained a nickname as “the city of lights” after it became one of the first to install street lighting, in 1881
Carlyle is the home of the largest man-made lake in Illinois.
The Chicago Post Office at 433 West Van Buren is the only postal facility in the world you can drive a car through.
The tallest man in the world was born in Alton, Illinois, on 22 February 1918. When last measured on 27 June 1940, he was found to be 2.72 m tall.
Chicago, Illinois, was the starting point of Route 66, it was opened in 1926
Boeing, the world’s largest commercial aerospace company, is headquartered in Chicago
Several nicknames of Illinois include “The Land of Lincoln”, “The Prairie State”, “The Inland Empire State”
In 1865, Illinois became the first state to ratify the 13th amendment abolishing slavery.
IL is the Two-letter or Postal Abbreviation and Ill. is the Traditional or Standard Abbreviation for the State of Illinois.
The world’s largest public library can be found in Chicago. The Chicago Public Library holds over 2 million books
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