The state of Illinois is often described as a microcosm of the United States due to its rich cultural, social, and political history and diverse economy. It is even famous as the “Land of Lincoln” and the home of one of the world’s biggest cities.
Located in the Midwestern part of the U.S. and the Great Lakes region, this state offers many fun and interesting facts.
So, in this article, we will now discuss some of the interesting facts about Illinois.
- Lake Michigan covers Illinois
Many Illinois locals love Lake Michigan. As a vital body of water near Chicago, it is a very popular weekend getaway spot for people all over the state. As one of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan covers thousands of square miles.
The size of this lake is so great that it greatly affects the weather in much of the northern part of Illinois.
- The Chicago metropolitan area covers 14 counties
Generally, when people talk about the counties of Chicago, they mainly refer to Cook County. This is where the city center is situated. The metropolitan area of Chicago spans a much larger area of more than 10 thousand miles.
That amount of area is much larger than just one county can manage. Fourteen counties are considered part of the Chicago metropolitan area, also known as Chicagoland.
- It is where the Dairy Queen started
Illinois is Dairy Queen’s birthplace, also famous as DQ. It is a beloved nationwide fast-food chain but had humble beginnings. The very first location of Dairy Queen opened in Jolliet, Illinois, in 1940. Though the chain is famous for its malts and shakes, they weren’t included on the menu until 1949.
- The Chicago Public Library has 81 locations
The Chicago Public Library has 10 million books around 81 branches. If you can count the number of volumes it has, it will turn out to be the second-largest library in the city after the University of Chicago.
Also, if you can count size by the number of locations, the Chicago Public Library will be the largest public library in the Midwest. Moreover, if you can count the number of books, that honor will go to the Detroit Public Library, while Chicago is a close second.
- It has famous resources for learning world history
Chicago is a cultural hub for history and art. This city takes a lot of pride because it has created many places where tourists and locals can easily learn about world history.
The Field Museum of Natural History is famous for its vital artifacts that showcase biological and geological history. Also, the Art Institute showcases art history, among many other kinds of history.
- It is bordered by the Ohio River
The Ohio River borders the southern part of Illinois. It is even the starting point of the river’s path.
Though the Ohio River shares its name with a state, it technically flows through six different states. Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia are all in the path of this river.
- Native Americans created a confederation
Prior to settlers coming to Illinois, 13 tribes of Native Americans were located in the territory of this state. These tribes lived along the Mississippi River because of its fresh water and fertile land.
To maintain peace, these tribes joined together to form the Illinois Confederation, also known as Illini or Illiniwek. According to records, this confederation was made up of more than 20 thousand women, men, and children.
- Here, no Civil War battles were fought
As a vital part of the Union, Illinois was involved in the Civil War to a great extent, yet, you might be amazed to know that not a single battle was fought in this state.
Rather than being the site of actual fighting, Illinois was the location of some crucial supply bases. Moreover, the state even supplied its fair share of brave soldiers, including General Ulysses S. Grant.
- One can find gold in rivers
One must keep his eyes peeled while walking along the banks of the Ohio or Mississippi rivers in Illinois, as he might find some gold dust. Gold panning for recreational purposes has been a staple for tourists visiting the river shores’ of this state.
However, though one might get some small bits of gold, he cannot become rich because Illinois doesn’t have any known gold deposits worth mining.
- Illinois is also known as the “Prairie State”
Many people around the world are aware of the nickname of the state of Illinois, which is the “Land of Lincoln.” However, Illinois is also famous as the “Prairie State.”
Illinois is full of sprawling fields of grasses in the center of the great planes. Though you will see hills in Illinois’ northern parts, much of its territory is still relatively flat, which helped earn the state this interesting nickname.
- The Illinois River flows into the Mississippi River
Another interesting fact about Illinois is associated with two of the state’s rivers. Both the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers are vital bodies of water within the state.
To keep the flow of the Mississippi River consistent, it requires tributaries, or its water level might drop. One of the main secondary water sources of the Mississippi River is the Illinois River.
- Illinois has a major part of the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River flows through ten different states, and its path starts in Minnesota and ends in Louisiana by meeting the Gulf.
However, this river is shared by 10 states of the country, and more of its path goes through Illinois than any other state of the United States. Between Cairo and East Dubuque, 575 out of the river’s 2340 miles run through Illinois.
- Its capital is Springfield
Though Chicago is the state’s largest city, its capital is still found in central Illinois. A very important fact about Illinois is that Springfield is actually the seat of the state’s government. Due to its central location, Springfield was named the capital in 1839.
Chicago had incorporated into the state for just two years, so its importance and population hadn’t yet grown into prominence.
- Annually, the Chicago River turns green
The Chicago River is one of the most popular landmarks in the city, and even once a year, the river is made extra special.
The Chicago River is dyed green on St. Patrick’s Day. For over 60 years, this tradition has been ongoing. The green color lasts between 24 and 48 hours to celebrate the holiday. The color used here is food-grade coloring; hence, it is completely safe.
- Galena was the biggest city
Galena, located in Illinois, is famous for being a picturesque, quaint town in the western part of the state. However, once, its size even surpassed Chicago.
In the 1800s, Galena was a mining town because of the presence of lead in the area. To mine this vital natural resource, numerous people came to Galena. Eventually, the mining boom reached its end, and the population dispersed.
- Illinois has three state seals
Like all other states in the United States, Illinois also has its own state seal used on official buildings and documents. However, Illinois doesn’t have only one state seal. It’s had three seals throughout its history.
Since 1867, the current seal has been in use, meaning Illinois has changed its state seal three times in less than 50 years.
- Galena has a historic post office
Galena is not only famous for its mining history. It is also home to one of the country’s oldest constantly running post offices.
The post office was built in the year 1858, and it is still in its original form. Due to its historical significance, it is also named a “Great American Post Office” by the Smithsonian Institute.
- Since the 1800s, Galena has been haunted
Another interesting fact about Galena is that it is one of the most haunted towns in Illinois. This is because many of Galena’s buildings date back to the early 1900s or even earlier.
The ghost sightings in Galena aren’t a new phenomenon, as they date back to the 1800s. So, you may take several ghost tours throughout the city.
- Artifacts date back almost ten thousand years
Though Europeans have only been in Illinois for the last 300 years, their populations in the area date back much further. Several historical artifacts discovered in the state show that people have lived in its area for about ten thousand years.
Spears found along the Illinois River were an item of 6000 B.C. These ancient people were nomadic but stuck around the river.
- Illinois has a large collection of ghost towns
Though every state has ghost towns, Illinois still has many of these towns. As the state has multiple river valleys, many towns were often built nearby to capitalize on the water source.
In southern Illinois, many towns were built too close to rivers or had very low elevations, so they suffered flooding. Also, after years of continuous rebuilding, these towns were finally largely abandoned.
- Illinois produces a good amount of nuclear energy
While various sources allow people to use electricity, nuclear energy is definitely the main energy source.
Though nuclear energy is produced nationwide, Illinois is one of the largest contributors. Almost one-eighth of America’s nuclear power comes from Illinois.
- Three-quarters of Illinois is farmland
The Midwest is famous for its farmland, and Illinois is the same. Though this state is home to one of the United States’ biggest metropolitan areas, most of this state is dedicated to agriculture.
Recently, there have been 72000 farms in the Prairie State. Also, this huge farmland covers 27 million acres of Illinois’ territory, which comes out to almost ¾ of its total area.
So, Illinois a state of the United States that has rich and interesting history, beautiful rivers and farmland, amazing stories that can attract many tourists.
At the end of this article, we learned 22 interesting facts that offer us a clear picture of this state, Illinois. You can see our website if you want to know some additional facts.
I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my Next startup Cledemy.Com)
