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Illinois Beyond Chicago
POPULATION: 12,419,293
AREA: 56,400 square miles, 26th in U.S., about the size of England and Wales
STATE CAPITAL: Springfield
NICKNAME: The Prairie State, due to its vast prairie lands,The Land of Lincoln, because Springfield is the birthplace of President Abraham Lincoln
STATE MOTTO: State Sovereignty—National Union
STATE FLOWER: Purple Violet
STATE BIRD: Cardinal
- Illinois, situated in the heart of the American Midwest, is bordered by water on three sides: the legendary Mississippi River to the west, Lake Michigan to the northeast; the Wabash River to the southeast and Ohio River to the south.
- Illinois has the nation’s third largest city, Chicago with 2,783,726 residents.
- Illinois has 4,300 miles of shoreline, 29 of which border Lake Michigan.
- Historic Route 66, Illinois’ ‘Mother Road’, starts in Chicago, Illinois, and stretches all the way to California. You can get your kicks on Illinois’ stretch of Route 66 which is said to be among the best preserved stretches of the legendary road which is 2448 miles long, crosses 8 states and 3 time zones.
What to see in Illinois
- Parks – There are 262 state parks and recreational sites located on more than 400,000 acres of land in Illinois. Little wonder that spending time outdoors is a huge recreational pastime.
- Eagles - Eagle watching is a popular along the Mississippi River, as Illinois is home to a large population of wintering eagles.
- Indian Mounds - Southern Illinois’ Cahokia Mounds is home to the remains of the only prehistoric Native American city north of Mexico. Cahokia Mounds has been designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization and is a sacred burial site.
- Lincoln History - Springfield, Illinois was the home of Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States. Springfield is home to the five most popular Lincoln sites in the country such as Lincoln Home and his final resting place, Lincoln Tomb.
- Frank Lloyd Wright - Oak Park, Illinois, near Chicago, has the largest collection of structures designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
- Stallions- Lake County, Illinois is home to the largest group of Lipizzan stallions outside of Austria. Renowned for their beauty and grace, these horses enthrall audiences with their dancing performances.
- Scenic Riverland- Illinois’ famed scenic drives include the Great River Road, which follows the Mississippi River, the quiet rural splendor of Knox County and the tree-covered rolling hills of the Spoon River Valley.
- Motor Racing- Madison, Illinois’ Gateway International Raceway is home to NASCAR and Indy car racing.
- The Chicago Motor Speedway in Cicero features both horse racing and auto racing.
- Joliet, Illinois’ Chicagoland Speedway sits on 930 acres of land and can accommodate 50,000 vehicles.
- Arlington Heights, Illinois’ Arlington Park is the Chicago area’s premiere thoroughbred racetrack, and was the home of the record-breaking 2002 Breeder’s Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.
- Golf- Illinois has more than 700 golf courses ideal for Tiger Woods wannabes to perfect their swing.
Fun Facts
- ‘Illinois’ derives from a Native American word meaning ‘tribe of superior men’.
- The creator of cartoon character Popeye, hails from Illinois, as does the real life voice behind Homer Simpson, Dan Castelleneta.
- Superman can be found in Metropolis, Illinois.
- The tallest man in the world at 8 feet, 11 inches was born in Alton, Illinois.
- Illinois boasts more personalized number plates than any other US states.
- Ten of America’s Top 500 Companies have world headquarters in Illinois, including Boeing, Motorola, McDonalds and Caterpillar.
- The Ferris Wheel was invented in Jacksonville, Illinois for the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.
ENDS
For more information or to obtain a brochure, call the Chicago & Illinois Tourist Office’s Freephone Brochure Line on +44 (0) 8700 503410 or visit online www.gochicago.com
For further information or photography, (media only) please contact Jackie Cooper PR:
Sarah Smith
Tel: 0207 208 7246
Email: sarah_smith@jcpr.com
Emma Howard
Tel: 0207 208 7216
Email: emma_howard@jcpr.com
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