50 Interesting & Fun Facts About Illinois State to Know Visual Story

By Gabrielle T

Introduction

50 Interesting & Fun Facts About Illinois State to Know Visual Story

There are hundreds of interesting and fun facts about Illinois state that many people don't...

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Illinois Fun Facts

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It was the 21st state

One of the first state facts about Illinois you need to know is when it...

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It's where Abraham Lincoln got into politics

Illinois is known as the "Land of Lincoln", yet he only lived in the state...

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Chicago O'Hare International Airport is a major hub

O'Hare International Airport is the more popular of the 2 major airports in the Chicago...

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Explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were the first Europeans

Like most US states, before settlements began in Illinois, it needed to be explored. Marquette...

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Chicago is the largest city in the state

Chicago is the largest city in Illinois. However, it might be surprising to learn that...

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Lincoln gave a speech at the old State Capitol

History fans are likely aware that Abraham Lincoln was one of the most ethical and...

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You can find the Walt Disney birthplace home

One of the least well-known fun facts about Illinois is that it's the state where...

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It's the location of the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home

Before Ronald Reagan was president and a Hollywood star, he was just a young boy...

wasppics/Depositphotos.com

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Downers Grove is a hub of DIY homes

Though its popularity has greatly decreased, Sears used to be a major supplier of everything...

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The population has decreased

The number of Chicago's population has been steady over the years, but the same can't...

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Robert Pershing Wadlow was born here

Though there are many tall people in the world today, none have ever managed to...

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It was the birthplace of First Lady Michelle Obama

While Reagan may have been the only US president born in Illinois, the same can't...

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Hillary Clinton called Illinois home

Here is another first lady-related entry on this list of facts about the state of...

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The Home Insurance Building was an early skyscraper

Though it's no longer standing, the Home Insurance Building in Chicago was, at the time...

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The ice cream sundae legal loophole

Some people like to say that Illinois is the birthplace of the ice cream sundae...

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Interesting Facts About Illinois

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The Chicago metropolitan area covers 14 counties

Typically, when people talk about Chicago's counties they are referring to Cook County. That's where...

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It has renowned resources to learn world history

Chicago is a cultural hub for art and history. The city takes so much pride...

bloodua/Depositphotos.com

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The Chicago Public Library has 81 locations

The Chicago Public Library contains 10 million books spread out around its 81 branches. If...

jbyard/Depositphotos.com

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It's where Dairy Queen started

One of the little-known interesting facts of Illinois is that it's the birthplace of Dairy...

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It's covered by Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is a beloved place for many Illinois locals. As a major body of...

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No Civil War battles were fought

As part of the Union, Illinois was deeply involved in the Civil War. Yet, you...

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Native Americans created a confederation

Before settlers came to Illinois, 13 Native American tribes were located in the state's territory...

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It's bordered by the Ohio River

Southern Illinois is bordered by the Ohio River. It's also the starting place of the...

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You can find gold in the rivers

If you find yourself on the banks of the Mississippi or Ohio rivers in Illinois...

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The Illinois River flows into the Mississippi

One of the most interesting facts on Illinois involves two of the state's rivers. Both...

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It's also called the "Prairie State"

Most people are familiar with the Illinois state nickname the "Land of Lincoln". However, it's...

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Many African American ex-slaves moved here

After the Civil War, many former slaves left the south to find a better life...

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Illinois has the most of the Mississippi River

The Mississippi River flows through 10 different states. Its flow starts in Minnesota and ends...

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The Chicago River turns green annually

The Chicago River is one of the most popular landmarks in the city. Once a...

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Don't call it Willis Tower

For 28 years, the Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world. Since 1998...

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Facts About Illinois History

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The capital is Springfield

Chicago might be the largest city in the state, but its capital is found in...

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Galena was the biggest city

Galena, Illinois is known for being a quaint, picturesque town in the western corner of...

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It has a historic post office

Galena isn't just known for its mining history. It's also home to one of the...

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It's had 3 state seals

Every state in the USA has a state seal that is used on official documents...

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Artifacts date back 10 thousand years

Europeans have only been in Illinois for the last 300 years, but populations in the...

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Creepy Facts About Illinois

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H. H. Holmes terrorized Chicago

In 1893, Chicago was swarmed with visitors who were attending the World's Fair. At that...

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Galena has been haunted since the 1800s

Most lists of Illinois facts and history seem to forget that Galena is one of...

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There's an abandoned asylum still standing

Stories of the Peoria State Hospital have swirled around the city since its construction in...

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Floods created ghost towns

Every state has its ghost towns, but Illinois has a particularly large collection. Since the...

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It could be scary to get your mail

For a few weeks in 2002, if you lived in the Midwest, getting your mail...

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Weird Facts About Illinois

demerzel21/Depositphotos.com

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Illinois produces a lot of nuclear energy

Many people don't think about where their energy comes from. While different sources allow people...

demerzel21/Depositphotos.com

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It has the world's largest cookie factory

If you've ever been in a grocery store cookie aisle, you're probably familiar with Nabisco...

demerzel21/Depositphotos.com

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A metal bean is a landmark

One of the weird facts about Illinois is that one of Chicago's biggest tourist sites...

Ffooter/Depositphotos.com

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Chicago railroad tracks are set on fire

As a big city, public transportation is a necessity to get around Chicago. Many people...

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There are a lot of personalized license plates

Getting a personalized license plate for your car is a unique way to set yourself...

demerzel21/Depositphotos.com

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Cool Facts About Illinois

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Three-quarters of the state is farmland

The Midwest is known for its farmland, and Illinois is no different. It might be...

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Illinois means "men" and "warriors"

Illinois gets its name from 2 languages. The current spelling and pronunciation come from the...

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Aurora is the "City of Lights"

Aurora is an often unknown city to most people outside of Illinois. It gained some...

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It's the starting point of Route 66

As far as cool facts about Illinois are concerned, its relationship with historic Route 66...

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It was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment

In 1865, the US government passed a law to amend the constitution for the 13th...

Conclusion

In Summary

Now that you're done, how many of those facts about Illinois state did you already...

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