Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Illinois
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Facts & Stats
Images & Videos
Illinois: first flag Illinois state seal The cardinal is the state bird of Illinois. The purple violet is the state flower of Illinois. Illinois state map Illinois cornfield Illinois
Illinois: The history and demographics of the Prairie State
Chicago Illinois
For Students
Chicago
Illinois summary
Quizzes
Texas State Capitol building in Austin, Texas. United States
U.S. State Capitals Quiz
Extruded map of the United States of America with states borders on national flag background. (3-d rendering)
Guess the U.S. State by Its Neighbors
USA, United States watercolor map Illustration in rainbow colors
50 States, 50 Fun Facts Quiz
State capitol building in Austin, Texas.
USA Capitals and Nicknames Quiz
Color map of United States. Color USA map. Color USA map. Color dot USA map. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery
Anywhere USA
Related Questions
Read Next
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
United States Presidential Election of 2012. Mitt Romney. Official portrait of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Dec. 6, 2012 after his reelection Nov. 6, 2012. Official portrait Obama
10 Democrats Who Made History
US Marines firing at Fallujah, Iraq, during the Second Battle of Fallujah in November 2004. Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq War.
Timeline of the 2000s
The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C., April 14th, 1865; from a lithograph by Currier and Ives.
9 Infamous Assassins and the World Leaders They Dispatched
Abraham Lincoln, photograph by Alexander Gardner, 1863.
Was Abraham Lincoln a Wrestler?
Discover
Cathedrale St.Jean in Lyon, France has a 14th-century astronomical clock that shows religious feast days till the year 2019; Perpetual Calendar
Ten Days That Vanished: The Switch to the Gregorian Calendar
Illustration for Demystified "How Dangerous is Quicksand"
How Deadly Is Quicksand?
Figure 13: A Maxim machine gun, belt-fed and water-cooled, operated by German infantrymen, World War I.
7 Deadliest Weapons in History
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
Poker game. Card game. Royal Flush in poker. Hearts suit gambling
Poker Hands Ranked
Drinking water is poured into a glass.
Water Fluoridation: Just the Facts
King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)
9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes

Illinois: Facts & Stats

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/Illinois-state
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
More storms take aim at central US, where many are digging out from tornado damage • May 19, 2025, 1:12 PM ET (AP)
Severe weather leaves at least 27 dead, including 18 in Kentucky • May 17, 2025, 10:57 PM ET (AP)
20 Democratic attorneys general sue Trump administration over conditions placed on federal funds • May 13, 2025, 8:18 PM ET (AP)
Illinois governor is first in US to block federal access to personal data on autism • May 12, 2025, 5:06 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As Prairie State
Capital Springfield
Population1 (2020) 12,812,508; (2024 est.) 12,710,158
Governor J.B. Pritzker (Democrat)
Date Of Admission December 3, 1818
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (Democrat) • Tammy Duckworth (Democrat)
State Nickname Prairie State • Land of Lincoln
State Motto "State Sovereignty, National Union"
State Bird northern cardinal
State Flower2 violet
State Song “Illinois”
Seats In U.S. House Of Representatives 18 (of 435)
Time Zone Central (GMT − 6 hours)
Total Area (Sq Km) 149,996
Total Area (Sq Mi) 57,914
1Excluding military abroad.2Species not designated.

Photos and Videos

Illinois: first flag
Illinois state seal
The cardinal is the state bird of Illinois.
The purple violet is the state flower of Illinois.
Illinois state map
Illinois cornfield
Illinois
Chicago
Illinois
United States: The Midwest
Illinois: The history and demographics of the Prairie State
Tour a Deere & Company assembly line to see how John Deere combines are manufactured in East Moline, Illinois
Examine Abraham Lincoln's career in Springfield as a lawyer, politician, and woman's suffrage advocate
See how Lincoln's state was home to Camp Douglas and both Confederate and Union soldiers fighting major battles
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
president of United States
Abraham Lincoln portrait
Abraham Lincoln
president of United States
J.B. Pritzker
J.B. Pritzker
American politician
Adlai E. Stevenson
Adlai E. Stevenson
American statesman
Carol Moseley Braun
Carol Moseley Braun
United States senator
Robert Michel
American politician
John Peter Altgeld
John Peter Altgeld
governor of Illinois, United States
Juliette Augusta Magill Kinzie
American pioneer and author
Lowden, Frank Orren
Frank Orren Lowden
American politician
Oglesby, Richard James
Richard James Oglesby
United States senator and governor of Illinois
“Father of Chicago”
Jean-Baptist-Point Du Sable
American pioneer
Alzina Parsons Stevens
American labor leader
Chase, Philander
Philander Chase
American clergyman
John J. Hopfield
John J. Hopfield
American physicist

Related Places

United States
United States
Chicago skyline
Chicago
Illinois, United States
Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Springfield, Illinois
Springfield
Illinois, United States
Bradley University
Peoria
Illinois, United States
Alice Millar Chapel and Religious Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Evanston
Illinois, United States
confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers
Cairo
Illinois, United States
Brandon Road Lock, Joliet, Illinois
Joliet
Illinois, United States
East Saint Louis, Illinois
East Saint Louis
Illinois, United States
Bayview Bridge
Quincy
Illinois, United States
Rockford: Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum
Rockford
Illinois, United States
Joseph Smith Mansion House, Nauvoo, Ill
Nauvoo
Illinois, United States
Decatur: Millikin University
Decatur
Illinois, United States
Kaskaskia: Church of the Immaculate Conception
Kaskaskia
Illinois, United States
Steeple Building, Bishop Hill State Historic Site, Illinois, U.S.
Bishop Hill State Historic Site
historical site, Illinois, United States
elevated train line in Chicago's Loop
the Loop
area, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Close-up of a weathered, old American flag of the United States of America, used as a patriotic decoration on Fourth of July (Independence Day), Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and other national holidays.
U.S. State Nicknames Quiz
USA, United States watercolor map Illustration in rainbow colors
50 States, 50 Fun Facts Quiz
State capitol building in Austin, Texas.
USA Capitals and Nicknames Quiz
Texas State Capitol building in Austin, Texas. United States
U.S. State Capitals Quiz
Extruded map of the United States of America with states borders on national flag background. (3-d rendering)
Guess the U.S. State by Its Neighbors
Color map of United States. Color USA map. Color USA map. Color dot USA map. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery
Anywhere USA