Illinois State Overview

Capital: Springfield

Estimated 2004 population: 12,713,634

Change from 2000: + 294,341

2004 housing units: 5,094,186

Housing units change from 2000-2004: + 197,051

Top Illinois Cities

Decatur | Charleston | Jacksonville | Joliet | Harrisburg | Lincoln | Mount Vernon | Rockford | Springfield | Sterling

Illinois Economy

illinois consistently ranks among the top states in the production of corn and soybeans. Hogs and cattle are also principal sources of farm income. Other major crops include hay, wheat, and sorghum.

Beneath the fertile topsoil lies mineral wealth, including flouorspar, bituminous coal, and oil. Illinoise ranks high among the states in the production of coral, and its reserves are greater than any other state east of the Rocky Mts.

Leading Illinois manufacturers include electrical and nonelectrical machinery, food products, fabricated and primary metal products, and chemicals; printed and published materials are also important. Metropolitan Chicago, the country's leading rail center, is also a major industrial, as well as a commercial and financial, center.

Suburbs of Chicago such as Schaumburg and Oak Brook have become important business centers. Scattered across the northern half of the state are cities with specialized industries - Elgin, Peoria, Rock Island, Moline, and Rockford. Industrially important cities in central Illinois include Springfield and Decatur.

Top Illinois Attractions

Field Museum, Chicago

Millennium Park, Chicago

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago

Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

Chicago History Museum, Chicago

Shedd Aquarium, Chicago

Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago

Sears Tower, Chicago

Magnificent Mile, Chicago

Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago

Thank you for reviewing the overview of the state of Illinois