Illinois Facts


ADVERTISEMENTS


Illinois Location In The US Illinois State Map

Illinois is known for:

  • Farmlands
  • Corn
  • Land of Trainss
  • Nuclear power plants
  • Architecture
  • The first McDonald's


Geography & Demographics

State Abbreviation IL
State Capital Springfield
State Size Total (Land + Water): 57,914 sq miles; Land Only: 55,584 sq miles
Number of Counties 102
Time Zone Central Time Zone
Bordering States Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin
Highest PointCharles Mound, 1,235 feet
Tallest Building Willis Tower in Chicago, 1,451 feet
Largest StadiumSoldier Field in Chicago, capacity 61,500
National ParksNone
State Population (2020)12,812,508
State Population Density230.5 people / square mile
Area Codes 217, 224, 309, 312, 331, 447, 464, 618, 630, 708, 730, 773, 779, 815, 847, 872
Top 5 Cities (2020 population) Chicago (2,677,643)
Aurora (196,383)
Naperville (147,986)
Joliet (146,673)
Rockford (144,835)

Government & Legislature

Statehood December 3, 1818
Electoral Votes19
State Flag Illinois State Flag
GovernorOfficial Illinois Governor Website
U. S. SenatorsList of U. S. Senators From Illinois
U. S. RepresentativesList of U. S. Representatives From Illinois
State SenatorsList of Illinois State Senators
State RepresentativesList of Illinois State Representatives
State GovernmentOfficial Site
State ConstitutionIllinois State Constitution
Same-Sex Marriage Legalization DateJune 1, 2014
Road ConditionsIllinois Road Conditions
State Quarter Issue Date January 2, 2003

State Symbols

State AmphibianEastern tiger salamander
State AnimalWhite-tailed deer
State Bird Cardinal
State DanceSquare dance
State FishBluegill
State Flower Violet
State FossilTully monster
State InsectMonarch butterfly
State MineralFluorite
State Motto State sovereignty, national union
State Nickname Prairie State
State Prarie GrassBig bluestem
State ReptilePainted turtle
State Snack FoodPopcorn
State SoilDrummer silty clay loam
State Tree White oak

Sports Teams

Major Sports Teams MLB: Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox
NFL: Chicago Bears
NBA: Chicago Bulls
NHL: Chicago Blackhawks
MLS: Chicago Fire FC
NCAA Division I Schools Bradley University (Missouri Valley)
Chicago State University (WAC)
DePaul University (Big East)
Eastern Illinois University (Ohio Valley)
University of Illinois at Chicago (Horizon)
Illinois State University (Missouri Valley)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Big Ten)
Loyola University Chicago (Missouri Valley)
Northern Illinois University (Mid-American)
Northwestern University (Big Ten)
Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Missouri Valley)
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Ohio Valley)
Western Illinois University (The Summit League)

Table Tennis Clubs in Illinois

City Table Tennis Club
AddisonExperior Table Tennis Club
ChampaignChampaign County Table Tennis Club
ChicagoChicago Slam Table Tennis Club
ChicagoNet & Paddle Club
ChicagoSpin Chicago
WoodstockMcHenry County Table Tennis Club

Popular Tourist Attractions

UNESCO Heritage Sites

Festivals and Events

Top festivals and events in Illinois. They are listed in approximate order of when they take place during the year.

Festival / Event When Location
Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade On or around St. Patrick's Day Chicago
Chicago Blues Festival Early June Chicago
Chicago Gospel Music Festival Summer Chicago
Taste of Chicago Early to mid-July Chicago
Balloons Over Vermilion July Danville
Galesburg Balloon Race July Galesburg
Lollapalooza Late July or early August Chicago
Balloons Over 66 August Lincoln
Centralia Balloon Fest August Centralia
Chicago Air and Water Show August Chicago
Illinois State Fair August Springfield
Chicago Jazz Festival Late August to early September Chicago
Champaign County Balloon Festival September Champaign
Chicago Gourmet September Chicago
Macomb Balloon Rally September Macomb
Sandwich Fair September Sandwich
Lake Shelbyville Balloon Fest October Shelbyville

Popular Iconic Illinois Foods

Illinois is famous for the following foods:

  • Deep Dish Pizza
  • Chicago-Style Hot Dog
  • Italian Beef Sandwich
  • Horseshoe Sandwich
  • Rainbow Cone Ice Cream
  • Pierogi
  • Gyros
  • Maxwell Street Polish
  • Jibarito
  • Butter Toffee

Three-Star Michelin Restaurants

Illinois has 1 three-star Michelin restaurant:

Restaurant City Cuisine
Alinea Chicago Contemporary, Creative

Two-Star Michelin Restaurants

Illinois has 4 two-star Michelin restaurants:

Restaurant City Cuisine
Ever Chicago Contemporary, Modern
Moody Tongue Chicago Contemporary, American
Oriole Chicago Contemporary, American
Smyth Chicago Contemporary, Modern

Famous People Born In Illinois

Nobel Prize Winners

United States Presidents

  • Ronald Reagan (40th President)

Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members

  • George Halas (Offensive End, Coach, Team Owner, NFL co-organizer. Inducted in 1963)
  • George Trafton (Center. Inducted in 1964)
  • John "Paddy" Driscoll (Quarterback. Inducted in 1965)
  • Otto Graham (Quarterback. Inducted in 1965)
  • Hugh "Shorty" Ray (Technical Advisor on the Rules, Supervisor of Officials. Inducted in 1966)
  • Charles Bidwill (Team Owner. Inducted in 1967)
  • George Connor (Linebacker. Inducted in 1975)
  • Ray Nitschke (Linebacker. Inducted in 1978)
  • Dick Butkus (Linebacker. Inducted in 1979)
  • George Musso (Offensive Guard, Offensive Tackle. Inducted in 1982)
  • Mike McCormack (Offensive Tackle. Inducted in 1984)
  • Marv Levy (Coach. Inducted in 2001)
  • Ron Yary (Offensive Tackle. Inducted in 2001)
  • Hank Stram (Coach. Inducted in 2003)
  • Fritz Pollard (Halfback, Coach. Inducted in 2005)
  • Shannon Sharpe (Tight End. Inducted in 2011)
  • Steve Atwater (Safety. Inducted in 2020)
  • Duke Slater (Offensive Tackle. Inducted in 2020)
  • Mac Speedie (Wide Receiver. Inducted in 2020)
  • Ed Sprinkle (Linebacker / Defensive End. Inducted in 2020)
  • John Lynch (Safety. Inducted in 2021)
  • Bryant Young (Defensive Tackle. Inducted in 2022)

Baseball Hall Of Fame Players

  • Joe McGinnity (Pitcher. Inducted in 1946)
  • Ray Schalk (Catcher. Inducted in 1955)
  • Red Ruffing (Pitcher. Inducted in 1967)
  • Lou Boudreau (Shortstop. Inducted in 1970)
  • Jim Bottomley (First Baseman. Inducted in 1974)
  • Freddie Lindstrom (Third Baseman. Inducted in 1976)
  • Robin Roberts (Pitcher. Inducted in 1976)
  • Red Schoendienst (Second Baseman. Inducted in 1989)
  • Robin Yount (Shortstop. Inducted in 1999)
  • Kirby Puckett (Center Fielder. Inducted in 2001)
  • Rickey Henderson (Left Fielder. Inducted in 2009)
  • Jim Thome (First Baseman. Inducted in 2018)

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players

  • George Mikan (Center. Inducted in 1959)
  • John Schommer (Guard. Inducted in 1959)
  • Andy Phillip (Guard-Forward. Inducted in 1961)
  • Pat Page (Guard. Inducted in 1962)
  • Robert Gruenig (Center. Inducted in 1963)
  • Ed Krause (Center. Inducted in 1976)
  • Harry Gallatin (Center-Forward. Inducted in 1991)
  • Dan Issel (Center-Forward. Inducted in 1993)
  • Isiah Thomas (Guard. Inducted in 2000)
  • Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (Guard. Inducted in 2010)
  • Maurice Cheeks (Guard. Inducted in 2018)
  • Jack Sikma (Center-Forward. Inducted in 2019)
  • Yolanda Griffith (Center. Inducted in 2021)
  • Tim Hardaway (Guard. Inducted in 2022)
  • Inman Jackson (Player. Inducted in 2022)
  • Dwayne Wade (Guard. Inducted in 2023)

Hockey Hall Of Fame Members

  • Cammi Granato (Center. Inducted in 2010)
  • Chris Chelios (Defense. Inducted in 2013)

Famous Actors And Actresses

  • Amitabh Bachchan
  • Harrison Ford
  • Charlton Heston
  • William Holden
  • Marlee Matlin
  • Melissa McCarthy
  • Frances McDormand
  • George Wendt
  • Robin Williams

Famous Singers

  • Billy Corgan
  • R. Kelly
  • Chaka Khan
  • Minnie Riperton
  • Grace Slick
  • Patti Smith
  • Eddie Vedder

Illinois Fun Facts

  • The name "Illinois" comes from a Native American word meaning "tribe of superior men."
  • The world's first skyscraper, the ten-story Home Insurance Building, was built in Chicago in 1885.
  • The IATA airport code "ORD" for Chicago's O'Hare Airport comes from its original name, Orchard Field. O'Hare Airport was named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare.
  • The first all-color TV station, WMAQ-TV, debuted in Chicago on April 15, 1956.
  • Illinois is home to the world's largest bottle of catsup, a 170-feet tall water tower located south of downtown Collinsville, Illinois.
  • Carol Moseley Braun became the first female African-American Senator when she was elected to the U.S. Senate in Illinois in 1992.
  • Illinois is the largest producer of pumpkins in the United States, and Morton is the self-proclaimed "Pumpkin Capitol of the World."
  • In Illinois, the legal drinking age is 21. Those under 21 can drink legally provided that they are participating in a culinary arts, food service, or restaurant management degree program of which a portion of the program includes instruction on responsible alcoholic beverage serving methods.
  • The official State Snack Food in Illinois is popcorn. A group of elementary school students, with help from their teacher, Fran Hollister, at Cunningham Elementary School in Joliet petitioned Illinois legistrators to make popcorn the official snack food of Illinois, and State Senator Larry Walsh sponsored the bill. The bill was passed in 2003.

This page was last updated on October 14, 2023.

ADVERTISEMENTS





Copyright © 2024   1keydata.com   All Rights Reserved     Privacy Policy