伊利诺伊州 以印第安人伊利诺伊部落之名命名。1673年，法国探险家路易·若利埃和雅克·马凯特首先探测了密西西比河和伊利诺伊河。1763年，英国取得密西西比河以东地区的统治权。1784年划归美国。1809年2月3日，伊利诺伊领地成立。1818年，伊利诺成为美国第21州。因1834年 林肯 当选为州议员开始其政治生涯，该州也被称为“林肯之地”。 ^[2-3] 首府是位于伊州中部的 春田市 ，是伊州的政治中心。芝加哥是伊州最大城市，为仅次于纽约和洛杉矶的美国第三大城市。芝加哥及周围6县构成大芝加哥地区。

重要城市：芝加哥、 埃文斯顿 、 埃尔金 、 奥克朗 、乔利矣特、奥罗拉、沃其根、 罗克福德 、 迪卡尔布 、 罗克艾兰 、盖尔斯堡、 皮奥里亚 、诺黙尔、 厄巴纳 -香槟、丹维尓、特雷霍持，印第安纳州、斯普林菲尔德州府、 布卢明顿 、迪凯持、奥尔顿、东圣路易斯、森特勒利亚、卡本代尔、帕度卡，肯塔基州。

County	FIPS code	County seat	Established	Origin	Etymology	Population	Area	Map
Adams County	001	Quincy	1825	Pike County	John Quincy Adams(1767–1848), sixthPresident of the United States	67,103	857sqmi (2,220km)
Alexander County	003	Cairo	1819	Union County	William M. Alexander, a settler and state representative in theIllinois General Assembly	8,238	236sqmi (611km)
Bond County	005	Greenville	1817	Crawford County, Edwards County, and Madison County	Shadrach Bond(1773–1832), FirstGovernor of Illinois	17,768	380sqmi (984km)
Boone County	007	Belvidere	1837	Winnebago County	Daniel Boone (1734-1820), trailblazer of the Wilderness Road in Kentucky	54,165	281sqmi (728km)
Brown County	009	Mount Sterling	1839	Schuyler County	Jacob Brown (1775–1828), a successfulAmerican Revolutionarmy officer responsible for Great Lakes defenses	6,937	306sqmi (793km)
Bureau County	011	Princeton	1837	Putnam County	Pierre de Bureo, Frenchman,North American fur trader	34,978	869sqmi (2,251km)
Calhoun County	013	Hardin	1825	Pike County	John C. Calhoun(1782–1850),South Carolinasenator and seventhVice President of the United States	5,089	254sqmi (658km)
Carroll County	015	Mount Carroll	1839	Jo Daviess	Charles Carroll of Carrollton(1737–1832), signed theDeclaration of Independenceon behalf of Maryland	15,387	444sqmi (1,150km)
Cass County	017	Virginia	1837	Morgan County	Lewis Cass (1782–1866), second governor ofMichigan Territory, fourteenthUnited States Secretary of War	13,642	376sqmi (974km)
Champaign County	019	Urbana	1833	Vermilion County	Champaign County, Ohio, which took its name from the French for "open level country"	201,081	997sqmi (2,582km)
Christian County	021	Taylorville	1839	Sangamon County	Christian County, Kentucky, which was itself named afterColonel William Christian	34,800	709sqmi (1,836km)
Clark County	023	Marshall	1819	Crawford County	George Rogers Clark(1752–1818), highest-ranking officer in the Northwest Territory during theAmerican Revolution	16,335	502sqmi (1,300km)
Clay County	025	Louisville	1824	Wayne, Lawrence, Fayette, and Crawford County	Henry Clay (1777–1852), Kentucky legislator who negotiated theMissouri Compromise	13,815	469sqmi (1,215km)
Clinton County	027	Carlyle	1824	Washington, Bond, and Fayette County	DeWitt Clinton(1769–1828),Governor of New York, responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal	37,762	474sqmi (1,228km)
Coles County	029	Charleston	1830	Clark and Edgar County	Edward Coles(1786–1868), secondGovernor of Illinois, responsible for the abolition of slavery in Illinois	53,873	508sqmi (1,316km)
Cook County	031	Chicago	1831	Putnam County	Daniel Pope Cook(1794–1827), politician and firstAttorney General of Illinois	5,194,675	946sqmi (2,450km)
Crawford County	033	Robinson	1816	Edwards County	William H. Crawford(1772–1834), ninthUnited States Secretary of War, seventhSecretary of the Treasury	19,817	444sqmi (1,150km)
Cumberland County	035	Toledo	1843	Coles County	Disputed :Cumberland Road, which entered the county;Cumberland, Maryland; orCumberland Riverin Kentucky	11,048	346sqmi (896km)
DeKalb County	037	Sycamore	1837	Kane County	Johann de Kalb(1721–80), German soldier in theContinental Armywho fought alongsideGilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette	105,160	634sqmi (1,642km)
DeWitt County	039	Clinton	1839	Macon and McLean County	DeWitt Clinton(1769–1828),Governor of New York, responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal	16,561	398sqmi (1,031km)
Douglas County	041	Tuscola	1859	Coles County	Stephen A. Douglas(1813–61), prominent Illinois Democrat whoengaged in debateswithAbraham Lincoln	19,980	417sqmi (1,080km)
DuPage County	043	Wheaton	1839	Cook County	DuPage River	916,924	334sqmi (865km)
Edgar County	045	Paris	1823	Clark County	John Edgar (c. 1750–1832), Illinois delegate to the Northwest Territory legislature; at time, wealthiest man in Illinois	18,576	624sqmi (1,616km)
Edwards County	047	Albion	1814	Gallatin County and Madison County	Ninian Edwards(1775–1833), thirdGovernor of the State of Illinoisand only governor of theIllinois Territory	6,721	222sqmi (575km)
Effingham County	049	Effingham	1831	Fayette and Crawford County	Lord Thomas Effingham, military officer who resigned from theBritish Armyto avoid fighting the American colonies	34,242	479sqmi (1,241km)
Fayette County	051	Vandalia	1821	Bond, Wayne, Clark, Jefferson, and Crawford County	Marquis de la Fayette(1757–1834), French military officer who was a key factor in the American andFrench Revolutions.	22,140	716sqmi (1,854km)
Ford County	053	Paxton	1859	Vermilion County	Thomas Ford (1800–50), eighthGovernor of Illinois; served during theIllinois Mormon War	14,081	486sqmi (1,259km)
Franklin County	055	Benton	1818	White County and Gallatin County	Benjamin Franklin (1706–90), prolific writer, inventor, and politician; key factor in theAmerican Revolution	39,561	412sqmi (1,067km)
Fulton County	057	Lewistown	1823	Pike County	Robert Fulton (1765–1815), inventor of the steamboat	37,069	866sqmi (2,243km)
Gallatin County	059	Shawneetown	1812	Randolph County	Albert Gallatin(1761–1849), fourth and longest-servingUnited States Secretary of the Treasury	5,589	324sqmi (839km)
Greene County	061	Carrollton	1821	Madison County	Nathanael Greene(1742–86), major general in theContinental Army	13,886	543sqmi (1,406km)
Grundy County	063	Morris	1841	LaSalle County	Felix Grundy(1777–1840), Tennessean senator that served as the thirteenthUnited States Attorney General	50,063	420sqmi (1,088km)
Hamilton County	065	McLeansboro	1821	White County	Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804), firstUnited States Secretary of the Treasury	8,457	435sqmi (1,127km)
Hancock County	067	Carthage	1825	Adams County	John Hancock (1737–93), first governor of theMassachusetts colonyand president of theSecond Continental Congress	19,104	795sqmi (2,059km)
Hardin County	069	Elizabethtown	1839	Pope County	Hardin County, Kentucky, which was itself named afterJohn Hardin	4,320	178sqmi (461km)
Henderson County	071	Oquawka	1841	Warren County	Henderson County, Kentucky, which was itself named after Richard Henderson	7,331	379sqmi (982km)
Henry County	073	Cambridge	1825	Fulton County	Patrick Henry (1736-99),American Revolutionary Warfigure and first and sixthGovernor of Virginia	50,486	823sqmi (2,132km)
Iroquois County	075	Watseka	1833	Vermilion County	Iroquois Native Americans	29,718	1,116sqmi (2,890km)
Jackson County	077	Murphysboro	1816	Randolph County and Johnson County	Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), seventhPresident of the United States, United States Senator from Tennessee , and general in the War of 1812	60,218	588sqmi (1,523km)
Jasper County	079	Newton	1831	Clay and Crawford County	Sgt.William Jasper(c. 1750-79),American Revolutionary Warsoldier popularized byParson Weems	9,698	494sqmi (1,279km)
Jefferson County	081	Mount Vernon	1819	Edwards and White County	Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), thirdPresident of the United States, secondVice President of the United States,Governor of Virginia, and one of the foremostFounding Fathers of the United States	38,827	571sqmi (1,479km)
Jersey County	083	Jerseyville	1839	Greene County	State ofNew Jersey, from which many early settlers hailed	22,985	369sqmi (956km)
Jo Daviess County	085	Galena	1827	Henry, Mercer, and Putnam County	Joseph Hamilton Daveiss(1774-1811), commander of the Indiana Dragoons at theBattle of Tippecanoe	22,678	601sqmi (1,557km)
Johnson County	087	Vienna	1812	Randolph County	Richard Mentor Johnson(abt. 1780-1850), ninthVice President of the United Statesand United States Senator form Kentucky	12,582	346sqmi (896km)
Kane County	089	Geneva	1836	LaSalle County	Elias Kane(1794-1835), United States Senator from Illinois	515,269	521sqmi (1,349km)
Kankakee County	091	Kankakee	1853	Iroquois and Will County	Kankakee River	113,449	678sqmi (1,756km)
Kendall County	093	Yorkville	1841	LaSalle and Kane County	Amos Kendall(1789-1869),United States Postmaster Generalunder Presidents Andrew Jackson andMartin Van Buren	114,736	321sqmi (831km)
Knox County	095	Galesburg	1825	Fulton County	Gen.Henry Knox(1750-1806),American Revolutionary Wargeneral and firstUnited States Secretary of War	52,919	716sqmi (1,854km)
Lake County	097	Waukegan	1839	McHenry County	Lake Michigan	703,462	448sqmi (1,160km)
LaSalle County	099	Ottawa	1831	Putnam and Tazewell County	Sieur de la Salle(1643-87), French explorer of the Great Lakes .	113,924	1,135sqmi (2,940km)
Lawrence County	101	Lawrenceville	1821	Crawford and Edwards County	Capt. James Lawrence (1781-1813), commander of the USS Chesapeake in the War of 1812 . Famous for his command "Don't give up the ship!"	16,833	372sqmi (963km)
Lee County	103	Dixon	1839	Ogle County	"Light Horse"Henry Lee III(1756-1818),American Revolutionary Warofficer and ninthGovernor of Virginia	36,031	725sqmi (1,878km)
Livingston County	105	Pontiac	1837	LaSalle and McLean County	Edward Livingston(1764-1836), prominent jurist, Congressman from New York and Louisiana , andU.S. Secretary of Statefrom 1831-33.	38,950	1,044sqmi (2,704km)
Logan County	107	Lincoln	1839	Sangamon County	John Logan, a country doctor and early settler, and the father ofJohn A. Logan.	30,305	618sqmi (1,601km)
Macon County	115	Decatur	1829	Shelby County	Nathaniel Macon(1758-1837), sixthSpeaker of the United States House of RepresentativesandUnited States Senatorfrom North Carolina .	110,768	581sqmi (1,505km)
Macoupin County	117	Carlinville	1829	Greene County	Native American word Macoupin , meaningAmerican lotus	47,765	864sqmi (2,238km)
Madison County	119	Edwardsville	1812	St. Clair County and Randolph County	James Madison (1751-1836), fourthPresident of the United Statesand principal author of theConstitution of the United States.	269,282	725sqmi (1,878km)
Marion County	121	Salem	1823	Fayette and Jefferson County	Francis Marion (c. 1732-95), general in theAmerican Revolutionary Warknown as "The Swamp Fox"	39,437	572sqmi (1,481km)
Marshall County	123	Lacon	1839	Putnam County	John Marshall (1755-1835), fourth and longest-servingChief Justice of the United States, wrote opinion inMarbury v. Madisonestablishing the principle ofjudicial review	12,640	386sqmi (1,000km)
Mason County	125	Havana	1841	Tazewell and Menard County	Named afterMason County, Kentucky, itself named after George Mason	14,666	539sqmi (1,396km)
Massac County	127	Metropolis	1843	Pope and Johnson County	Fort Massac, a colonial-era fort on theOhio River	15,429	239sqmi (619km)
McDonough County	109	Macomb	1826	Schuyler County	CommodoreThomas Macdonough(1783-1825), commander of American naval forces at theBattle of Plattsburgh	32,612	589sqmi (1,526km)
McHenry County	111	Woodstock	1836	Cook and LaSalle County	MajorWilliam McHenry(c. 1771-1835), officer in during several campaigns againstNative Americansand member of the Illinois legislature	308,760	604sqmi (1,564km)
McLean County	113	Bloomington	1830	Tazewell County	John McLean (1791-1830),United States RepresentativeandUnited States Senatorfrom Illinois (the latter from 1824-25 and 1829-30)	169,572	1,184sqmi (3,067km)
Menard County	129	Petersburg	1839	Sangamon County	Pierre Menard(1766-1844), prominent early settler and firstLieutenant Governor of Illinois	12,705	314sqmi (813km)
Mercer County	131	Aledo	1825	Schuyler County	Hugh Mercer(1726-77), British officer in theSeven Years' Warand general in theContinental Armyduring theAmerican Revolutionary War	16,434	561sqmi (1,453km)
Monroe County	133	Waterloo	1816	Randolph County and St. Clair County	James Monroe (1758-1831), seventhUnited States Secretary of State, eighthUnited States Secretary of War,Governor of Virginia, and fifthPresident of the United States	32,957	388sqmi (1,005km)
Montgomery County	135	Hillsboro	1821	Bond and Madison County	Gen. Richard Montgomery (1738-75), brigadier-general in theContinental Armywho led the unsuccessfulinvasion of Canada	30,104	704sqmi (1,823km)
Morgan County	137	Jacksonville	1823	Sangamon County	Gen. Daniel Morgan (1736-1802), successful tactician in theAmerican Revolutionary Warand laterUnited States Representativefrom Virginia	35,547	569sqmi (1,474km)
Moultrie County	139	Sullivan	1843	Shelby and Macon County	Gen.William Moultrie(1730-1805),American Revolutionary Wargeneral andGovernor of South Carolina	14,846	336sqmi (870km)
Ogle County	141	Oregon	1836	Jo Daviess	Joseph Ogle(1737-1821), early settler in southwest Illinois, who helped found the first Methodist church in Illinois	53,497	759sqmi (1,966km)
Peoria County	143	Peoria	1825	Fulton County	ThePeoriaNative American tribe	186,494	620sqmi (1,606km)
Perry County	145	Pinckneyville	1827	Randolph and Jackson County	CommodoreOliver Hazard Perry(1785-1819), American naval officer who led the victorious American forces at theBattle of Lake Erie	22,350	441sqmi (1,142km)
Piatt County	147	Monticello	1841	DeWitt and Macon County	John Piatt, the patriarch of a prominent settler family in the early history of the county	16,729	440sqmi (1,140km)
Pike County	149	Pittsfield	1821	Madison, Bond, and Clark County	Zebulon Pike(1779-1813), early explorer of theAmerican Southwest, namesake ofPikes Peak	16,430	830sqmi (2,150km)
Pope County	151	Golconda	1816	Gallatin and Johnson County	Nathaniel Pope(1784-1850), early Delegate fromIllinois Territoryto Congress and judge on theUnited States District Court for the District of Illinois	4,470	371sqmi (961km)
Pulaski County	153	Mound City	1843	Alexander and Johnson County	Gen.Casimir Pulaski(1745-79),Polish Americangeneral of cavalry in theAmerican Revolutionary War	6,161	201sqmi (521km)
Putnam County	155	Hennepin	1825	Fulton County	Gen.Israel Putnam(1718-90), commander of American forces at theBattle of Bunker Hill	6,006	160sqmi (414km)
Randolph County	157	Chester	1795	St. Clair County	Edmund Randolph(1753-1813), firstAttorney General of the United States, and brieflyUnited States Secretary of State	33,476	578sqmi (1,497km)
Richland County	159	Olney	1841	Clay and Lawrence County	Richland County, Ohio, itself named for its rich soil	16,233	360sqmi (932km)
Rock Island County	161	Rock Island	1831	Jo Daviess County	Rock Island	147,546	427sqmi (1,106km)
Saline County	165	Harrisburg	1847	Gallatin County	Salt springs within the county	24,913	383sqmi (992km)
Sangamon County	167	Springfield	1821	Madison and Bond County	Sangamon River	197,465	868sqmi (2,248km)
Schuyler County	169	Rushville	1825	Pike and Fulton County	Gen.Philip Schuyler(1733-1804),American Revolutionary Wargeneral andUnited States Senatorfrom New York	7,544	437sqmi (1,132km)
Scott County	171	Winchester	1839	Morgan County	Scott County, Kentucky, itself named after Charles Scott	5,355	251sqmi (650km)
Shelby County	173	Shelbyville	1827	Fayette County	Isaac Shelby(1750-1826), soldier in theAmerican Revolutionary Warand War of 1812 , and first and fifthGovernor of Kentucky	22,363	759sqmi (1,966km)
St. Clair County	163	Belleville	1790	original two counties	Arthur St. Clair(1737-1818), major general in theAmerican Revolutionary Warand first Governor of the Northwest Territory	270,056	664sqmi (1,720km)
Stark County	175	Toulon	1839	Knox and Putnam County	Gen. John Stark (1728-1822), general in theAmerican Revolutionary War, called the "Hero of Bennington "	5,994	288sqmi (746km)
Stephenson County	177	Freeport	1837	Jo Daviess and Winnebago County	Benjamin Stephenson(1769-1822), representative ofIllinois Territoryin theUnited States Congressfrom 1814 to 1816	47,711	564sqmi (1,461km)
Tazewell County	179	Pekin	1827	Sangamon County	Littleton Waller Tazewell(1774-1860), United States Senator from (and later governor of)Virginia	135,394	649sqmi (1,681km)
Union County	181	Jonesboro	1818	Johnson County	The federal union of the states	17,808	416sqmi (1,077km)
Vermilion County	183	Danville	1826	Edgar County	TheVermilion River	81,625	899sqmi (2,328km)
Wabash County	185	Mount Carmel	1824	Edwards County	TheWabash River	11,947	224sqmi (580km)
Warren County	187	Monmouth	1825	Schuyler County	Joseph Warren (1741-75), played a role inAmerican Patriotmovements, a prominent early fatality in theAmerican Revolutionary War	17,707	543sqmi (1,406km)
Washington County	189	Nashville	1818	St. Clair County	George Washington (1732-99), commander-in-chief of American forces in theAmerican Revolutionary Warand firstPresident of the United States	14,716	563sqmi (1,458km)
Wayne County	191	Fairfield	1819	Edwards County	Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne (1745-96),major generalin the United States Army in theAmerican Revolutionary Warand theNorthwest Indian War	16,760	714sqmi (1,849km)
White County	193	Carmi	1815	Gallatin County	Isaac White (1776-1811), resident of Illinois who enlisted in the Indiana militia and was killed at theBattle of Tippecanoe	14,665	495sqmi (1,282km)
Whiteside County	195	Morrison	1836	Jo Daviess and Henry County	Samuel Whiteside(1783-1868), state legislator and militia leader	58,498	685sqmi (1,774km)
Will County	197	Joliet	1836	Cook and Iroquois County	Conrad Will(1779-1835),physician, local businessman and longtime member of the state legislature	677,560	837sqmi (2,168km)
Williamson County	199	Marion	1839	Franklin County	Hugh Williamson(1735-1819), delegate from North Carolina to thePhiladelphia Convention	66,357	424sqmi (1,098km)
Winnebago County	201	Rockford	1836	Jo Daviess	Winnebago Native Americans	295,266	514sqmi (1,331km)
Woodford County	203	Eureka	1841	Tazewell and McLean County	Gen.William Woodford(1734-80), brigadier general in theAmerican Revolutionary Warwho died while a British prisoner	38,664	528sqmi (1,368km)

伊利诺伊州地势平坦，平均海拔182米，自北向南倾斜。西北部较高，有起伏平缓的丘陵。全境最高点海拔378米，为西北角有 查尔斯 丘。北部和中部的黑土非常肥沃，为世界上最佳耕地之一。地表有厚层冰川沉积，叫做 冰碛层 。第四纪内，北美洲北部及中部出现 大陆冰川 。冰川向南推进时，把全州大部分地面蚀平，好似平锅的锅底。冰川融化后消失，把冰内夹带的泥砂石块堆积在地面上，成为冰碛物，似一张圆饼摊在锅底的平面上。冰川避开了州西北角及州境南端两个丘陵区，这一带未遭受大陆冰川的破坏。南部 马里恩 附近小丘区是大陆冰川南进的限界。南端河岸港 开罗 以南未受冰川的刨蚀。除上述西北角及南端大丘陵区外，都遭受大陆 冰川 覆盖数千年到数万年之久。

伊利诺伊州 气候

伊利诺伊州属 温带气候 ，冬季寒冷多雪，夏炎热。冬季平均气温，北部为－6℃，南部为3℃；夏季平均气温分别为21和25℃。年平均降水，北部为800～1200毫米，南部为1200～1600毫米。南部生长期为210天，最北部仅有160天。 伊利诺伊州主要矿产有煤、石油、 铅 、锌、石灰石和 玻璃砂 。煤产量居全国第四位，石油居第八位。煤炭主要分布于州的中部和南部，石油分布于南部。其他矿产资源有铅、锌、石灰石和玻璃砂等。

伊利诺伊州 农业经济

该州是全国主要的农业州之一。全州80%的土地为 农业用地 。每个农户平均耕种140公顷（约2100亩）农田。大豆产量居全国首位；玉米产量有时占第一位，有时居第二位；猪肉和牛肉产量亦均名列前茅。

伊利诺伊州 工业经济

伊利诺伊工业主要集中在芝加哥。由于靠近铁矿产地，交通方便， 钢铁工业 发展迅速，芝加哥已取代钢都 匹兹堡 成为全国最大的钢铁工业中心。农业机械、建筑机械和金属制品产量居各州之冠；电机产量名列第三；汽车工业也很重要，有55万职工从事机动车辆的制造和装配。食品工业仅次于 加利福尼亚州 。印刷业和出版业仅次于 纽约州 ，居全国第二位。

伊利诺伊州 服务业

伊州是美国传统制造业中心，也是美国交通运输及物流配送中心。建筑机械、农业器具、通讯设备、生物技术及金融、保险、咨询和批发零售等服务业发达。全州有2300多家商业银行，1000家储蓄银行，2000多家保险机构，并有11200多个金融从业公司。芝加哥商业交易所（集团）是世界最大的期货交易所。

伊利诺伊州 政府财政

二十一世纪初以来，评级机构一直在下调伊利诺伊州的信用评级，伊利诺伊州欠下了巨额养老金债务，此外还积欠了150亿美元的未付账单，且在州议员2015年听凭一项上调所得税的临时政策到期终止后，该州的财政收入出现下降。2017年6月，评级机构将该州的评级降至只比“垃圾”级高一级的水平。

伊利诺伊州被认为是美国的交通中心。芝加哥是世界最大的铁路枢纽，有30条铁路干线及其支线汇集于此。全州有铁路37000公里，居全国第二位。1848年开凿伊利诺伊—密歇根运河以后，沟通了东北部的 圣劳伦斯 水道和西部的密西西比水道，使本州与其他各州之间的水运更加便利。州内有几十个机场，最大的是芝加哥的奥黑尔菲尔德国际机场和 米德韦机场 。

重要机场： 芝加哥欧海尔国际机场、芝加哥 中途国际机场 。

重要高速公路： 55号 州际公路 、57号州际公路、70号州际公路、72号州际公路、74号州际公路、80号州际公路、88号州际公路（西段）、90号州际公路、94号州际公路、290号州际公路、294号州际公路、355号州际公路。

伊利诺伊州 教育事业

该州大专院校188所，数量居全美第5位，在校生75万人，每百人中就有6.4个大学生。著名的高等学府有芝加哥大学（1891年）、 西北大学 （1851年）、 伊利诺伊大学 。

主要大学： 西北大学、芝加哥大学、 伊利诺大学 厄巴纳 -香槟分校、伊利诺伊州立大学、伊利诺大学芝加哥分校、 南伊利诺伊大学 、 伊利诺理工学院 、 罗耀拉大学 、帝波大学、 芝加哥艺术学院 。

伊利诺伊州 友好城市

伊州与辽宁省（1982年）和台湾省（1992年）互为友好省州，芝加哥与沈阳（1985年）和上海（1985年）互为友城。此外，乔利埃特（Joliet）、洛克福特（Rockford）、柏林布鲁克（Bolingbrook）、佩里亚（Peoria）、盖利斯伯格（Galesburg）分别与辽宁省 辽阳市 、江苏省常州市、河南省 许昌市 、辽宁省本溪市和安徽省马鞍山市互为友城。 ^{芝加哥美术馆正门}

芝加哥美术馆 （Art Institute of Chicago）位于伊利诺伊州 芝加哥市 ，创建于1891年，因荟萃世界各地艺术珍品而负有盛名，它既是世界上最古老的美术展览馆之一，也是当今美国三大美术馆之一。

布鲁克菲尔德动物园 （Brookfield Zoo）正式名称芝加哥动物园（Chicago Zoological Park）。建于1934年，以其大规模的开放式场地出名。

菲尔德自然史博物馆（The Field Museum of Natural History）最早建立于1893年9月，至今该馆已收集有两千多万种生物及人文标本，每年组织有大量的展览、研究和教育项目，馆内的自然史图书馆藏书达25万册。

作家卡尔·山柏格(Carl Sandburg)、作家恩尼斯特·海明威(Ernest Hemingway)、广播电视喜剧演员克·班尼(Jack Benny)、女诗人关朵琳·布鲁克丝(GwendolynBrooks)、南京大屠杀时保护平民的美国传教士 明妮·魏特琳 ^{、创意动画家/迪士尼乐园创办人华德·迪士尼(Walt Disney)、以及美国第四十任总统隆纳·雷根(Ronald Reagan)。}

遭遇龙卷风

2021年12月10日夜间，美国中部包括伊利诺伊州等6个州遭遇至少30场龙卷风袭击。截至北京时间12日上午8时许，龙卷风灾害已造成超过百人死亡。

当地时间2021年12月13日，美国白宫发表声明称，总统 拜登 批准伊利诺伊州进入灾难状态，并下令联邦政府提供援助。