Central Illinois is a region of theU.S. state ofIllinois that consists of the entire central third of the state, divided from north to south. Also known as theHeart of Illinois, it is characterized by small towns and mid-sized cities. Agriculture, particularlycorn andsoybeans, as well as educational institutions and manufacturing centers, figure prominently.
A total of 45 counties are typically considered to be within Central Illinois, with a population of 1,874,635 as of the2020 U.S. census[update]. Major cities includePeoria,Springfield (the statecapital),Decatur,Quincy,Champaign–Urbana,Bloomington–Normal,Galesburg, andDanville.[1]
Historicallyprairie, Central Illinois is generally flat and includesDouglas County, the state's flattest.[2][3] The region also hosts a variety of man-made lakes, includingLake Shelbyville,Lake Springfield,Clinton Lake andLake Decatur.[4] Major rivers in the region include theIllinois,Middle Fork of the Vermilion,Kaskaskia,Sangamon andMississippi rivers.[5]
Central Illinois is home to many protected areas, many related toAbraham Lincoln. TheLincoln's New Salem State Historic Site showcases the town where Lincoln started his life as a politician.[6] TheLincoln Home National Historic Site operated by theNational Park Service is a national park featuring Lincoln's Springfield home.[7]Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area where thousands ofwaterfowl andshorebirds live. There are many otherstate parks andNational Wildlife Refuges in the region.[8]
The climate of central Illinois ishumid continental and the area experiences all four seasons.Snow is common in the winter months and while the counties vary in snowfall rate, most receive about twenty inches of snow annually.[9] With allprecipitation combined, most counties receive about 38 inches of rain and snow annually.[9]Severe weather, includingtornadoes, is common during the spring and summer months.[10] Rareblizzards can happen in parts of central Illinois inwinter. The weather of central Illinois affects the crop season as well;droughts can sometimes happen in the summer and fall causing harm to thesoybean andcorn crops.
Central Illinois has a diverseeconomy consisting of a variety ofindustries.Agriculture is the most significant industry in the region and ranges in scope fromfamily farms to mass-production farms. Most counties in Central Illinois have an agriculture-based economy. The most common crops aresoybeans andcorn.[11][12][13]County fairs and theIllinois State Fair help to promote agriculture in the region and also offer entertainment. Themanufacturing andservice industries are also significant.Caterpillar Inc. employs more than 15,000 workers in the region and was formerly headquartered inPeoria.[14] Major insurance providerState Farm Insurance is headquartered inBloomington. The Illinois government inSpringfield is also a major employer of people in the region. Popular tourist sites include theLincoln Home National Historic Site, theOld State Capitol, and theAbraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.[15] Military makes up a smaller part of the economy, but was much larger until the closingChanute Air Force Base in 1993.
Central Illinois is culturally and demographically similar to much of theRust Belt andMidwestern United States. The southern part of the region shares much in common withSouthern Illinois and northern areas of theUpland South, while the northern part has a more distinctly Midwestern character.
West-Central Illinois is also known asForgottonia.
The area is also at the heart of one the most famous rivalries in American sports, theCardinals–Cubs rivalry.
Transportation in central Illinois is provided by an assortment ofairports,railroads,interstate highways,bus networks and therivers. Airports with commercial service in the region includeCentral Illinois Regional Airport (serving Bloomington-Normal),General Wayne Downing Peoria International Airport (serving the Peoria area),Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield,University of Illinois Willard Airport south ofSavoy,Decatur Airport, andBaldwin Field in Quincy. MultipleAmtrak lines run through the region with stops in major regional cities.[16] There are nineinterstate highways located in central Illinois, six of which areprimary.[17][18][19]
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