View Community Listings

The State of Illinois is a state of the United States of America and the 21st state admitted to the Union. Illinois is the most populous state in the Midwest and the fifth most populous in the nation, and has a large and cosmopolitan population. Its balance of vast suburbs and the great metropolis of Chicago in the northeast, rural areas, small industrial cities, and renowned agricultural productivity in central and western Illinois, and the coal mines of the south give it a highly diverse economic base. Its central location, connecting the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River via the Illinois River, made it a transportation hub for 150 years. It is this mixture of factory and farm, of urban and rural, that makes Illinois a microcosm of the United States.
About 2,000 Native American hunters and a small number of French villagers inhabited the area at the time of the American Revolution. American settlers began arriving from Kentucky in the 1810s; they achieved statehood in 1818. Yankees arrived a little later and dominated the north, founding the future metropolis of Chicago in the 1830s. The coming of the railroads in the 1850s made highly profitable the rich prairie farmlands in central Illinois, attracting large numbers of immigrant farmers from Germany and Sweden. Northern Illinois provided major support for Illinoisans Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War. By 1900, factories were being rapidly built in the northern cities, along with coal mines in central and southern areas. This industrialization attracted large numbers of immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe, and also led to the state's material contribution as a major arsenal in both world wars. In addition to immigrants from Europe, large numbers of blacks left the cotton fields of the South to come to Chicago, where they developed a famous jazz culture.

Of Interest

News from The Chigago Tribune

Naperville extends downtown food cart permits

May 22, 2013 6:53 pm

Two food cart vendors can continue cooking for people on the go in downtown Naperville at least until the end of the year.    

Tinley settles overtime lawsuit with cop for $40,000

May 22, 2013 6:34 pm

The Village of Tinley Park has settled a federal lawsuit filed by the village's K-9 handler in 2011, court records show.    

Sandburg Muslim students combat stereotypes

May 22, 2013 1:11 pm

When Muslim students at Sandburg High School were brainstorming ways last year to combat negative thinking about Islam, they came up with the idea of an informal group that would nourish their culture...

Eagle Scout project helps temple

May 22, 2013 1:10 pm

Highland Park teen builds pergolaJeremy Jarger said two of the biggest influences on his life have been scouting and his faith. That made it pretty easy to select a community-minded Eagle Scout projec...

Trinity students help spruce up Palos Heights

May 22, 2013 1:10 pm

Students at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights recently banded together to spruce up the community as a way to give thanks to their neighbors.    

Short Story Theatre to perform at Cellar Gate Winemarket

May 22, 2013 1:09 pm

Group hopes to make Highwood facility its permanent homeFour storytellers will bring their personal stories Thursday to Cellar Gate Winemarket in Highwood.    

Downers Grove, Westmont, Woodridge police blotter: May 22

May 22, 2013 1:08 pm

The following items were taken from police reports:    

Summer athletic training carries risks

May 22, 2013 1:08 pm

Parents, kids need to exercise cautionAs the school year comes to a close, parents all over the Naperville area are signing kids up for summer athletic training with hopes of giving them an edge in hi...

Business profile: SoShee Boutique

May 22, 2013 1:07 pm

Partners share passion for fashionNames: Michelle Burden and Wendy Banks    

Deerfield firefighters mark centennial

May 22, 2013 1:05 pm

Fires only 3% of calls todayOne hundred years ago, volunteer firefighters in Deerfield had two ways of hauling their "fire cart" to a blaze. They could attach the two-wheeled cart to a horse...

Illinois News from BigNewsNetwork.com

12-year-old Mass. boy wins National Geographic Bee

May 22, 2013 6:09 pm

David Lyle, CEO of the National Geographic Channel, has seen enough of the letters to know how they go. The writer is typically a longtime reader of the magazine, who perhaps recalls the times he leaf...

Protesters to school closures storm meetings

May 22, 2013 5:51 pm

CHICAGO (AP) -- Protesters of Mayor Rahm Emmanuel's plan to close dozens of city schools have been removed from a school board meeting in Chicago and from the State Capitol in ...

Man Accused of Stealing Car With Salesman Inside

May 22, 2013 5:47 pm

A test drive turned into a brief hostage situation over the weekend when a Chicago man allegedly stole a vehicle with the car salesman still inside, police ...

Urlachers End Was Bitter But Soon Well Forget

May 22, 2013 5:47 pm

It wasn't a great end to a great career, but it's not the ending we will remember. When you think of Michael Jordan's career, do you think about the stop with the Washington...

Baffoe Urlacher Makes The Right Call

May 22, 2013 5:40 pm

(CBS) I often get a student who has been able to slip through the primary years of his educational career without being able to read. By that I don't mean illiterate necessarily; rather, he ...

Brian Urlacher retires from NFL after 13 seasons with Chicago Bears

May 22, 2013 5:36 pm

Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, shown before a game last September, on Wednesday anounced his retirement form the NFL. UPI/Brian ...

Larry Drew interviews with Bucks MAY 22

May 22, 2013 5:31 pm

Milwaukee Bucks ' head coaching vacancy recently. Even though he's still under contract with Atlanta, the team gave Drew no assurances that he'll remain on board for next se...

Police reports from May 21 2013

May 22, 2013 4:55 pm

Tweet Widget Here is a roundup of reports of activity for Champaign, Urbana and University of Illinois police departments. Here is the report of activity for Champaign police ...

Chicago Board of Ed to vote on 53 school closings

May 22, 2013 4:55 pm

The Pembroke Pines Charter school system has a stellar reputation, top-notch students and well-maintained buildings. But it needs more money to keep going, school officials ...

Heat Set For Game 1 Of Eastern Conference Finals

May 22, 2013 4:45 pm

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – It’s becoming almost an annual occurrence, the Miami Heat are in the Eastern Conference Finals again. Since 2005, the Heat have played in five of the nine Easter...

See more articles

New search

To view related LOCATIONS, choose from the list below:

• Southern Illinois
• Central Illinois
• Northern Illinois and Rockford
• Chicago Metro

To change LIFESTYLE, choose from the list below:

• Senior Housing
• Continuing-Care (CCRCs)
• Assisted Living
• Independent Living
• Nursing Homes