Central Illinois is a region of the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
that consists of the entire central section of the state, divided in thirds from north to south. It is an area of mostly flat
prairiePrairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
. The western section (west of the
Illinois RiverThe Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . The river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water...
) was originally part of the
Military Tract of 1812In May 1812, an act of Congress was passed which set aside bounty lands as payment to volunteer soldiers for the War against the British...
and forms the distinctive western bulge of the state. Known as the
Heart of Illinois, it is characterized by small towns and mid-sized cities.
Central Illinois is a region of the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
that consists of the entire central section of the state, divided in thirds from north to south. It is an area of mostly flat
prairiePrairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
. The western section (west of the
Illinois RiverThe Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . The river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water...
) was originally part of the
Military Tract of 1812In May 1812, an act of Congress was passed which set aside bounty lands as payment to volunteer soldiers for the War against the British...
and forms the distinctive western bulge of the state. Known as the
Heart of Illinois, it is characterized by small towns and mid-sized cities. Agriculture, particularly
cornMaize , is a herbaceous plant domesticated in Mesoamerica and subsequently spread throughout the American continents...
and
soybeanThe soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years to primarily add nitrogen into the soil as part of crop rotation...
s, as well as educational institutions and manufacturing centers, figure prominently. Major cities include
PeoriaPeoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city was the fifth-largest in Illinois, with a population of 112,936; by 2007 it was the sixth-largest city and had population of 113,546...
–the third largest metropolitan area in Illinois at 370,000,
SpringfieldSpringfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 116,482 . Over 200,000 residents live in the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Sangamon County and adjacent Menard County...
(the state capital),
DecaturDecatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World," was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500...
,
QuincyQuincy, Illinois, known as the "Gem City", is a city on the Mississippi River and county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census the city had 40,366 people. The community is a river city and was built on top of the bluffs...
, Bloomington-Normal,
ChampaignChampaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
-
UrbanaUrbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2007 population estimates, the population was 39,484. The city was named after Urbana, Ohio.-Geography:Urbana is located at ....
,
GalesburgGalesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 33,706. It is the county seat of Knox County....
and
DanvilleDanville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the 'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 33,904...
.
Geography
Geographically, Central Illinois is generally flat prarie and
farmlandIn geography, arable land is an agricultural term, meaning land that can be used for growing crops. It is distinct from cultivated land and includes jungles that are not currently used for human purposes. Arable land covers an area of approximately 12 million square miles...
, and includes
Douglas CountyDouglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 19,922. The county seat is Tuscola.-History:...
, the state's flattest. The region also hosts a variety of man-made lakes, including
Lake ShelbyvilleLake Shelbyville is a reservoir located in Shelby County, Illinois and Moultrie County, Illinois created by damming the Kaskaskia River at Shelbyville, Illinois. The lake's normal surface pool is at an elevation of . The area that surrounds the lake is the Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area...
,
Lake SpringfieldLake Springfield is a 4,260 acre reservoir located in the city of Springfield, Illinois, southeast of downtown. It is 561 feet above sea level...
,
Clinton LakeClinton Lake is a reservoir located near Clinton, Illinois. The lake is a part of the Clinton Lake State Recreation Area, which encompasses . Clinton Lake is located in the central part of the state. It was built in the 1970s as a cooling source for Clinton Nuclear Generating Station. The lake...
and
Lake DecaturLake Decatur is a reservoir located in the city of Decatur, Illinois, east of downtown. The city and lake both share the name of U.S. Navy captain Stephen Decatur. The lake is above sea level. Lake Decatur has a watershed of 925 square miles spanning 7 counties...
. Major rivers in the region include the
Illinois RiverThe Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . The river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water...
,
Middle Fork Vermilion RiverThe Middle Fork of the Vermilion River is a tributary of the Vermilion River . The Middle Fork arises in Ford County, Illinois and flows southeast to join the Vermilion near Danville, Illinois....
,
Kaskaskia RiverThe Kaskaskia River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 320 miles long, in central and southern Illinois in the United States...
,
Sangamon RiverThe Sangamon River is a principal tributary of the Illinois River, approximately 250 miles long, in central Illinois in the United States. It drains a mostly rural agricultural area between Peoria and Springfield...
and the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
.
Protected areas
Central Illinois is home to many protected areas, a number of which have to do with
Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery...
. The Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site showcases the town where Lincoln started his life as a politician. The
Lincoln Home National Historic SiteLincoln Home National Historic Site preserves the Springfield, Illinois home Abraham Lincoln lived in from 1844 to 1861, before becoming the 16th President of the United States...
operated by the
National Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
is a national park featuring Lincoln's Springfield home.
Chautauqua National Wildlife RefugeThe Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge is located on the Illinois River in Mason County northeast of Havana, Illinois. It is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as one of the four Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges....
is a protected area where thousands of
waterfowlWaterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans.They are strong swimmers with medium to large bodies. They have historically been an important food source, and continue to be hunted as game, or raised as...
and shorebirds live. There are many other
state parkState parks are parks or other protected areas of the United States and in Mexico for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreation, or other reason, and under the administration of the government of a U.S. state or one of the states of Mexico. State...
s and National Wildlife Refuges in the region. Dwindling in population over the last seven months has been the Gruelog.
Climate
The climate of Central Illinois is
humid continentalThe humid continental climate is a climate found over large areas of landmasses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between polar and tropical air masses. The humid continental climate is marked by variable weather patterns and a large seasonal...
and the area experiences all four seasons.
SnowSnow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by external pressure. Snowflakes...
is common in the winter months and while the counties vary in snowfall rate, most receive about twenty inches of snow annually. With all
precipitationIn meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that is deposited on the Earth's surface. The main forms of precipitation include rain, snow, ice pellets, and graupel...
combined, most counties receive about 38 inches of rain and snow annually.
Severe weatherSevere weather phenomena are weather conditions that are hazardous to human life and property.- Examples Include :Severe weather can occur under a variety of situations, but three characteristics are generally needed: a temperature or moisture boundary, moisture, and , instability in the...
is common in the region and
tornadosA tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud...
are common during the spring and summer months. Rare blizzards can happen in parts of Central Illinois in
WinterWinter is the coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring.-Meteorology:Meteorological winter is the season having the shortest days and the lowest average temperatures. This corresponds to the months of December, January and February, which have the coldest weather and, especially in the...
. The
weatherWeather is a set of all the phenomena occurring in a given atmosphere at a given time. Weather phenomena lie in the troposphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate is the term for the average atmospheric conditions over longer periods...
of Central Illinois affects the crop season as well, droughts can sometimes happen in summer and fall causing harm to the
soybeanThe soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years to primarily add nitrogen into the soil as part of crop rotation...
and
cornA maze is a complex tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth...
crops in the region.
Economy
Central Illinois has a diverse economy consisting of a variety of
industriesAn industry is the manufacturing of a good or service within a category. Although industry is a broad term for any kind of economic production, in economics and urban planning industry is a synonym for the secondary sector, which is a type of economic activity involved in the manufacturing of raw...
.
AgricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
is the most significant industry in the region and ranges in scope from
small farmsA farm is an area of land, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibers and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single individual, family, community, corporation...
to mass-production farms. Most counties in Central Illinois have an agriculture-based economy. Common crops grown are
soybeansThe soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years to primarily add nitrogen into the soil as part of crop rotation...
,
cornMaize , is a herbaceous plant domesticated in Mesoamerica and subsequently spread throughout the American continents...
,
grainGRAIN is an international non-governmental organization based in Barcelona, Spain, which works toward sustainable agriculture. It was formed upon the realization that the genetic diversity of the world's food crops are being drastically eliminated...
and the newly-emerging
watermelonWatermelon refers to both fruit and plant of a vine-like herb originally from southern Africa and one of the most common types of melon...
.
County fair"County Fair" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American pop band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1962 album Surfin' Safari...
s and the
Illinois State FairThe Illinois State fair is an annual festival, centering on the theme of agriculture, hosted by the U.S. state of Illinois in the state capital, Springfield. The fair has been celebrated almost every year since 1853. In 2008 there were more than 700,000 visits, up five percent from 2005, making it...
help to promote agriculture in the region and also offer entertainment. The
manufacturingManufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
industry is also significant.
Caterpillar Inc.Caterpillar Inc. is a United States-based corporation headquartered in Peoria, Illinois. Caterpillar is, according to their corporate website, "the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines."Famous for their...
employs 4000 workers in the region and is headquartered in
PeoriaPeoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city was the fifth-largest in Illinois, with a population of 112,936; by 2007 it was the sixth-largest city and had population of 113,546...
. The Illinois government in
SpringfieldSpringfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 116,482 . Over 200,000 residents live in the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Sangamon County and adjacent Menard County...
is also a major employer of people in the region. Popular tourist sites include the
Lincoln Home National Historic SiteLincoln Home National Historic Site preserves the Springfield, Illinois home Abraham Lincoln lived in from 1844 to 1861, before becoming the 16th President of the United States...
, the
Old State CapitolThe Illinois State Capitol, located in Springfield, Illinois, is the capitol and seat of government of the U.S. state of Illinois. The current building is the sixth capitol to serve the state since its entry into the United States in 1818. The current capitol is in the architectural style of the...
, and the
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and MuseumThe Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum documents the life of the 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln, and the course of the American Civil War. Combining traditional scholarship with 21st century showmanship techniques, the popular museum continues to rank as one of the most visited...
. Military makes up a smaller part of the economy, but used to be much larger until the closing of bases like
Chanute Air Force BaseChanute Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located south of and adjacent to Rantoul, Illinois, about south of Chicago...
.
Transportation
Transportation in Central Illinois is provided by an assortment of
regional airportsAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
,
railroadsRail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways or railroads. Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth...
,
Interstate HighwaysThe Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System , is a network of limited-access highways in the United States that is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who championed its formation...
and
bus networksA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
. Airports with commercial service in the region include
Central Illinois Regional AirportCentral Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal is a public use airport located three nautical miles east of the central business district of the city of Bloomington and southeast of the town of Normal, in McLean County, Illinois, United States. It is owned by the Bloomington-Normal...
, Peoria Regional Airport,
Abraham Lincoln Capital AirportAbraham Lincoln Capital Airport also known simply as Capital Airport, is a joint civil-military public airport located 3 miles northwest of the city of Springfield in Sangamon County, Illinois, United States.-Airport services:...
,
University of Illinois Willard AirportUniversity of Illinois Willard Airport is an airport owned and operated by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign located south of Savoy in Tolono Township, Champaign County, Illinois. It serves the greater Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area in East Central Illinois...
and Baldwin Field. Multiple
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a blend of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union Station...
lines run through the region with stops in major regional cities. The most common mode of travel is on one of the many expressways, that cross the region. There are nine
Interstate HighwaysThe Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System , is a network of limited-access highways in the United States that is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who championed its formation...
located in Central Illinois, six of which are primary.
Interstates
-
Interstate 39In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 39 is a north-south expressway that runs from its southern terminus at Interstate 55 in Normal to the Wisconsin state line in South Beloit. This is a length of ....
-
Interstate 55In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 55 is a major north-south Interstate Highway that connects the Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan areas. It runs from the Poplar Street Bridge in East St. Louis to U.S. Route 41 near downtown Chicago...
-
Interstate 57Interstate 57 is an Interstate Highway in the midwestern United States. It goes from Miner, Missouri, at Interstate 55 to Chicago, Illinois, at Interstate 94. Interstate 57 essentially serves as a route for travelers headed between the south and Chicago using Interstate 55 to bypass St. Louis,...
-
Interstate 70Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway Project started in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the...
-
Interstate 72In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 72 is an east-west Interstate Highway that runs from the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River with U.S. Route 36 east to the city limits of Champaign. This is a distance of...
-
Interstate 74Interstate 74 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an intersection with Interstate 80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an intersection with Interstate 75 in Cincinnati, Ohio...
-
Interstate 155
-
Interstate 172
-
Interstate 474
Colleges
- Blackburn College
Blackburn College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Carlinville, Illinois. It was established in 1837 and named for the Rev. Gideon Blackburn. It is one of only seven work colleges in the United States, and Blackburn has the only student-managed work program,...
- Eureka College
Eureka College is a liberal arts college in Eureka, Illinois related by covenant to the Christian Church and founded in 1855. It has a strong focus on history, political science, and the fine and performing arts. Enrollment is about 750 students.The college was founded by a group of abolitionists...
- Illinois Central College
Illinois Central College, often called ICC, is a large Illinois community college with its main campus in northern East Peoria, Illinois. Its district, Illinois Community College District 514, is a area across most of 4 counties and parts of 6 others., ICC had an enrollment of 11,804 students,...
- Illinois College
Illinois College is a private, liberal arts college, affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church , and located in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is the oldest college in Illinois, founded in 1829 by one of the famous Yale Bands — students from Yale University that traveled...
- Knox College
- Lincoln College
Lincoln College may refer to:in Australia:* Lincoln College , a residential College of the University of Adelaidein New Zealand:* Lincoln University, New Zealand, formerly called Lincoln College...
- Lincoln Christian College
- MacMurray College
MacMurray College is a liberal arts college located in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is situated from Springfield and from Chicago. The campus covers , with approximately half of all students choosing to live on campus. -History:...
- Monmouth College
Monmouth College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Illinois, United States.-History:Monmouth College was founded on April 18, 1853 by the Second Presbytery of Illinois, a frontier arm of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church...
- Springfield College
Springfield College in Illinois , sometimes called Springfield College, is a junior college in Springfield. The school was founded in 1929 by the Ursuline Sisters and was called Springfield Junior College until 1968...
Universities
- Bradley University
Bradley University is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a medium-sized institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students.-History:...
- Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University is a state university located in Charleston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a comprehensive university with a...
- Illinois State University
Illinois State University is a public university in Normal, Illinois, United States. Most commonly referred to as ISU, the school was founded in 1857 by Jesse W. Fell ; Abraham Lincoln drew up the legal documents to establish the university...
- Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University is an independent undergraduate university located in Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856...
- Millikin University
Millikin University is an American co-educational, comprehensive, independent, 4-year university, with traditional undergraduate programs in Arts & Sciences, Business, Fine Arts, and Professional Studies, as well as non-traditional, adult degree-completion programs and graduate programs in...
- Quincy University
Quincy University a private liberal arts Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition. It is located in Quincy, Illinois and currently enrolls around 1,300 students.-History:...
- University of Illinois at Springfield
The University of Illinois at Springfield is a liberal arts university in Springfield, Illinois. The University was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois system on July 1, 1995.The University of Illinois...
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public research university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the oldest and largest campus in the University of Illinois system....
- Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...
See also
- Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois is a region generally covering the northern third of the U.S. state of Illinois.-Economics:Northern Illinois is dominated by the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Rockford, and the Quad Cities, which contain a majority of Illinois' population and economic activity, including...
- Southern Illinois