Illinois Travel Guide

Illinois is a state in the Midwest of the United States of America.

Illinois Travel Guide - Regions

* Northern Illinois
* Chicagoland -- The Windy City and environs
* Central Illinois
* Western Illinois
* Saint Louis Metro East
* Southern Illinois

Illinois Travel Guide - Cities

These are a few of the main cities in the state that travellers will be looking for. Smaller cities can be found in the smaller region or county articles.

* Chicago The Unofficial Capital of the Midwest!
* Springfield The Capital!
* Naperville
* Champaign-Urbana, Home of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
* Carbondale
* Rockford
* Belleville
* Bloomington-Normal
* Quad Cities
* Peoria

Illinois Travel Guide - Recreation

Illinois has numerous museums. For example, the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford which features the dinosaur fossil Jane the Rockford T-Rex. The state of the art Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield is the largest presidential library in the country. And numerous museums in the city of Chicago are considered some of the best in the world.

The Illinois state park system began in 1908 with what is now Fort Massac State Park becoming the first park in a system encompassing over 60 parks and about the same number of recreational and wildlife areas.

Areas under the protection and control of the National Park Service include:

* Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor near Lockport
* Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
* Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield
* Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail
* Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

Illinois Travel Guide - Transportation

Because of its central location and its proximity to the Rust Belt and Grain Belt, Illinois is a national crossroads and transportation hub, with Chicago being the economic center of it all (air, road, rail, and water transport).

AIR - O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is one of the busiest airports in the world and is a major airport serving numerous domestic and international destinations. It is a hub for United Airlines and American Airlines, and a major airport expansion project is currently underway. Midway Airport (MDW) is the secondary airport serving metro Chicago. Bellville Mid-America Airport (BLV) serves the St Louis metro area (metro-east suburbs in Illinois).

RAIL - Illinois has an extensive rail network transporting both passengers and freight. Chicago is a national Amtrak hub and in-state passengers are served by Amtrak's Illinois Service featuring the Chicago to Carbondale Illini and Chicago to Quincy Illinois Zephyr.

ROAD - Major U.S. Interstate highways crossing the state include: I-24, I-39, I-55, I-57, I-64, I-70, I-72, I-74, I-80, I-88, I-90, and I-94. Illinois carries the distinction of having the most primary (2-digit) Interstates pass through it among the 50 states. In 2005, there were 1,355 traffic deaths on Illinois roadways, the lowest in more than 60 years.

WATER - In addition to the states rail lines, the Mississippi River and Illinois River provide major routes for the states agricultural interests. Lake Michigan connects Chicago & the rest of Illinois to all waterways east.

Illinois Travel Guide - Largest Cities

Chicago is the largest city in the state and the third most populous city in the United States. Cities over 100,000 include: Aurora, the largest suburb of Chicago and second largest city in Illinois. Rockford, the third largest city in Illinois, located in north-central Illinois. Naperville, a Chicago suburb and fourth largest city in the state. Elgin, a suburb northwest of Chicago. Joliet, a city southwest of Chicago. Peoria, the largest city on the Illinois river and Springfield, the state capital of Illinois.

Illinois Travel Guide - Stay Safe

Illinois has a high occurrence of tornados. You might want to check the Tornado safety page if you are visiting Illinois. In March of 2006, Springfield was hit with a tornado and the city was apparently affected in every area.

Article Source: Wikipedia