Regions in Illinois

7 regions

C

Some stops aren't on the map, but they're worth taking.

Central Illinois covers the broad agricultural plains in the geographic center of the state, the prairie-and-corn country running from the…

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Those moments tend to matter more than the planned ones.

The Chicago region centers on Cook County and the city of Chicago itself, the dominant urban anchor of Illinois and…

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Some places don't need much time, just the right moment.

Chicagoland covers the suburban ring around Chicago itself — the four counties (DuPage, Kane, Lake, Will) that hold the metro…

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The spaces in between are often the most memorable.

Northern Illinois covers the ring of counties west and north of Chicagoland, a stretch of working-class small cities and rural…

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Even slow progress opens up new places and perspectives.

Southern Illinois covers the country south of Carlyle Lake, a region geographically more like the Ozarks than the corn-belt prairie…

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Some places don't need much time, just the right moment.

Southwest Illinois covers the metro east country across the Mississippi from St. Louis, the urban-and-river corridor running from Alton south…

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The best days usually come without pressure or overplanning.

Western Illinois covers the broad agricultural country between the Illinois River and the Mississippi, a region of rolling till country,…

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