Near Collinsville, Illinois there lies the remains of an ancient city known as Cahokia that thrived from about 650-1400 CE – centuries before the arrival of Europeans. 109 man-made mounds arranged in a diamond configuration across a 2,200-acre site form the outline of a city whose population grew to more than 40,000 and whose residents marked important astronomical events with a ring of wooden posts dubbed Woodhenge after Great Britain’s Stonehenge. The largest of the man-made mounds at Cahokia, Monk’s Mound, has been called the largest pyramid in the world and measures 92 feet high.
Illinois enjoys a diverse and balanced economy that churns out a gross state product of over $600 billion a year ranking it 5th in America. Income in the state is taxed at a flat rate of 3% and in 2004 that income per capita was $34,721. The Land of Lincoln produces corn, wheat, hogs, cattle, and leads the nation in production of soybeans. Other important industries include chemical manufacturing, food manufacturing, and machinery manufacturing. Though the state imports fuels for energy, it produces enough electricity to be a net exporter and is the world’s leading producer of ethanol from corn. Illinois has the most primary Interstates pass through it of any of the 50 states.
Roads
Interstate 24: Its southern terminus in Tennessee and a northern one in Illinois, I - 24 spends 36 miles in southern Illinois.
Interstate 39: Spending 139 miles in Illinois, I-39 travels from Wisconsin to Illinois passing through the cities of Normal and Rockford.
Interstate 55: A major north/south route through America’s heartland, I-55 spans the girth from Louisiana to Chicago where it is known as the Adlai Stevenson Expressway. Its journey through the Land of Lincoln includes 313 Illinois miles.
Interstate 57: While most of I-57 (358 miles) is contained within Illinois, its entire route travels from Missouri to Chicago.
Interstate 64: A significant east/west route, I-64 spans the distance from Missouri to Virginia spending 131 miles in Illinois where it travels contiguous with I-55 and I-70 through East St. Louis.
Interstate 70: A nearly continent-wide behemoth, I-70 travels from Utah to Baltimore spending 156 miles in Illinois where it intersects I-57 in Effingham.
Interstate 72: From Mark Twain’s beloved Hannibal, Missouri to Champaign, Illinois, I-72 is an important regional route. Its 182 Illinois miles include the cities of Springfield and Decatur.
Interstate 74: A key route linking Iowa farmland to cities such as Cincinnati to the east, I-74 spends 221 miles in Illinois where it passes through the cities of Peoria, Champaign, Normal and Bloomington.
Interstate 80: America’s second longest highway, I-80 spans our midsection from San Francisco to New Jersey. Its 111 Illinois miles include Chicago's southern suburbs, including the city of Joliet.
Interstate 88: I-88 is a 143-mile route running from Chicago to Moline.
Interstate 90: The longest of America’s Interstates, stretches from Seattle to Boston. Its 123 miles in Illinois pass through Chicago, Elgin and Rockford where it is known variously as the Kennedy and Dan Ryan Expressways, the Northwest Tollway, and the Chicago Skyway.
Interstate 94: I-94 is a vital link between America’s Great Lakes and Intermountain regions from Michigan to Montana. Its 61 miles in Illinois swing near the Chicago suburbs of Skokie, Waukegan, Calumet City and Highland Park.