Illinois: State Profile

[@GeographyKing]

I apologize for missing Great Lakes Naval Training Center when mentioning the military facilities in the state. My dad did his Naval boot camp in San Diego and gave me the "I can't believe you missed that! It's now in Chicago!" He may have unsubscribed.

[@luisvelasco316]

I trained as a physician at Great Lakes and for years have cautioned friends selling their kids to Great Lakes to tell their kids NOT to lock their knees when standing in review.

[@chargindave70]

its actually the only boot camp for the navy now

[@glennso47]

I wish I could have missed Great Lakes in the 1960s but “Uncle Sam” wouldn’t let me. I was rated 1-A for the draft. I joined the navy only to avoid being cannon fodder. I got out as soon as I could when my 4 years was over.

[@luisvelasco316]

sending, not selling. Freudian?

[@glennso47]

I think there was another bootcamp in addition to Great Lakes and San Diego during the Cold War. Wasn’t there one in Florida also? If I am mistaken please tell me. Thanks.

[@Madaboutmada]

I moved to Chicago to escape Los Angeles, CA in 2008. As a 50-year-old, it's where I feel I grew as a person. Community engagement is HUGE and it's where so much history of the Labor Movement happened. Due to work I have had to live in Nashville, TN and now Toledo, OH. I miss Illinois and Chicago terribly and cannot wait to get back to where my heart is.

[@hakeemsd70m]

What a fascinating life, so many cool places you've lived. Out of curiosity, how is Toledo? Its the only major city in Ohio I haven't been to.

[@claytonhauck]

I'm from Illinois and I love it, tho I do wish we had some mountains or would even settle for more of the rolling hills found in the northwest corner. One takeaway I had from this video is how well positioning this state is should manufacturing return to the US in large numbers. Lots of old towns with plenty of capacity to grow and great existing infrastructure. Thanks for the video!

[@nygreenguy]

It's position is a big reason Chicago exists. At one time, Chicago was THE HUB of the US, it had so much commerce, manufacturing, and innovation.

[@glennso47]

@@nygreenguy But then along came JB Pritzker and Lori Lightfoot and fouled up everything.

[@timothykeith1367]

The lower wedge between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers is also hilly

[@glennso47]

@@nygreenguy I was told that Galena was once bigger than Chicago in the early 19th century. And where US 20 is now, there was a main trail between Chicago and Galena and Rockford was the place where horses and wagons “forded “ the Rock River. Hence the name “Rockford “

[@glennso47]

@@nygreenguy Chicago is still called “The Crossroads of America “ since it is the largest city in the middle of the country.

[@allison2360]

When I was a bit younger, I was also a self loathing illinoisan. But I've traveled to most of the other states, a handful of other countries, and I still call Northern Illinois home. I get my forests, lakes, music, and Northern and Southern cultures all playing together to create a place where I personally call home. I can't help it - the music and food and nature all make it a perfect place of refuge. Though I cannot deny that a certain...adaptability...is needed for the weather...

[@JustinWayneDawg]

Where tf do you get forests? 😂😂😂 Wisconsin doesn't count here.

[@allison2360]

@@JustinWayneDawg Everywhere. Look up Starved Rock

[@TimEric4d3d3d3]

Born, raised & still living in IL. I've been in just about every part of the state (except the Quad Cities & StL Metro) I really enjoy living here. There's a lot to do in the state, especially if you enjoy hiking & biking. It's a nice mix of one big city, many small cities and lots of rural land. You touched on so many nice aspects of our state, thank you.

[@arey721]

Great video, Kyle! I was hoping to see a mention of the importance of the railroads in Illinois. All of the Class I railroads in North America have major presences in Chicagoland. BNSF, UP, NS, CSX, CP, and CN all have yards in which intermodal and other commodities are exchanged to ship freight and goods from the west coast ports to east coast destinations, and vice versa. I hope to see that mentioned in your Chicago video. Thanks for all you do for our entertainment!

[@GeographyKing]

Thank you for the info. I'll have to look into the railroads of the state for sure

[@UxCANxDOxIT]

The four major time zones were actually created in Chicago in 1883 due to it being essentially the hub for all railroads in the country. Prior to that, there were hundreds of time zones in the country.

[@kylben]

Yeah, Chicago is trains, trains, and more trains. Also famous for the "L". I grew up in a two flat that had a beautiful view out the back of the railroad yard my dad worked in.

[@aaronw1997]

Been waiting for this video lol. I’m from southern Illinois (30 minutes from Cairo to be more specific) and it’s cool to at least hear about us. I’m glad you briefly mentioned Cairo’s past too. Too many people just talk about how run down it is but never really talk about the history and how it turned out that way. There’s a good documentary about it called “Between Two Rivers” that you can find here on KZbin too. There’s not a whole lot down here and I understand that Chicago deserves the spotlight, but it’s cool to be talked about every now and then.

[@AmberWool]

With half of my family from Harrisburg, where in Little Egypt do you live? AJ? Alto Pass? Energy?

[@aaronw1997]

@@AmberWool not really comfortable with posting that information but I will say I’m further south than that

[@PeakBagger999]

I was in Illinois in early August, 2021. At the time, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum was running a temporary exhibit called the State of Sound, which featured Illinois musicians and state musical history. I found it quite interesting.

[@kennethraisor981]

yea. and we killed disco in 79 lol

[@donnabasso4012]

We blew it up.

[@felipemitchell3]

They tried but we also rebirthed it as House Music ;-)

[@joebarrera334]

Was born in IL but raised in IN. Thanks for the honest, no-nonsense overview of my birth state. One last thing, you're right the deep dish is the more well known Chicago pizza, but you have to try Chicago thin crust pizza---it's what the locals generally eat.

[@jukebox_heroperson3994]

For me, it's St. Louis thin crust. Think Imos.

[@kennethraisor981]

Rosati's pizza is the go-to for most comparisons

[@bglrj]

Giordano's and Lou Malnati's have the best deep dish pizza. While it may be true that Pizza Hut and Dominos sells more pizza, a local would never call thin crust pizza Chicago pizza. As for Imo's Pizza, those poor people in St Louis are eating cardboard covered with Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. That's how it tastes to me.

[@richardcarlson127]

In Chicago and the suburbs the more popular pizza is the thin & crispy crust "Tavern" style pizza. Tombstone Pizza originated as a tavern pizza and the many small taverns often had an in-house recipe. Many now sell Tombstone from frozen instead but there are still plenty that make it themselves. Home Run Inn, Barnaby's and others keep the tradition alive.

[@Pteradactylist]

Tavern cut is the real chicago pizza

[@daniel6678]

I love my state! We may not be the flashiest, most eye-catching place in the country, but it’s a great place to live. Chicago is a fantastic city, the cost of living isn’t too bad, you get all four seasons, and the rivers and lakes are great. And I totally agree with you that its geography and topography are really really underrated!

[@thomasoconnor7138]

I've been waiting for an Illinois video for a long time! Lots of people look down on Illinois but I'm happy you like our great state!

[@brianmorrison1107]

Wisconsin always looks down on IL. Go Pack Go!

[@thomasoconnor7138]

@@brianmorrison1107 Please stop, I'm going to cry. Aaron Rodgers haunts my dreams.

[@TimEric4d3d3d3]

Totally agree!

[@357stoitch7]

Fuck Illinois, it's a shit hole to be avoided at all costs.

[@bankbucket2616]

@@357stoitch7 Well said

[@thatmichiganguy]

I just came from Chicago. As a Michigander who travels a lot to Chicago, I say I can't get enough of the city

[@joelwilliford6957]

Great video. I think Illinois is an underrated state and I love Chicago. Can’t wait for the Chicago video.

[@nachospopthe3rd564]

Chicago is a crap shoot

[@tommacegan19]

I absolutely love geography because of my 7th grade teacher "Mr. Stewart." Yep, I'll never forget that guy. Thanks man. I ended up with a Bachelors in Science from Cal Poly but I well never forget him. I still love geography and I'm very surprised that Americans today have no clue where anything is on the planet. I remember the "man on the street" interviews with Jay Leno and I was horrified. He'd ask someone "should we invade Afghanistan?" Then he would ask if they could find Afghanistan on a map: no clue. Because of Mr. Stewart I'm pretty good, for an American, but you are THE KING! I love your channel. Keep it up. You always give me something new, and something to think about.

[@yj29885]

I'm glad you enjoy my home state and hometown of Champaign! Great overview of the state, and thank you for showcasing the overlooked areas that aren't Chicago!

[@tylerhinthorn4834]

Hi Kyle, I was so excited to see that you made a video on Illinois. I am from Joliet and I have lived here my whole life. I feel like it has become “trendy” to hate on my state, but it has a lot to offer and gets an unfair bad rep in general. When I was a kid I loved geography, but you have revitalized my interest in it. I’m looking forward to your Chicago video and your others! Best wishes!

[@mchervino]

I'm in Carbondale, born and raised, and didn't know our poverty rate was that low! I love our Shawnee National Forest, and just like the Cahokia Mounds, there's great prehistory around the Shawnee. It's quite underrated which is ok by me. Great beauty and great solitude.

[@dsimon64]

Illinois also has the most primary (non-auxiliary) interstates with 13: I-24, I-39, I-41, I-55, I-57, I-64, I-70, I-72, I-74, I-80, I-88 (W), I-90, & I-94. Texas is 2nd with 12 and Pennsylvania has 11.

[@justinfowich6662]

I believe it is also the only state that has all 6 major railroad companies running through it.

[@blurelic4]

We are literally the crossroads for America

[@tomh8344]

Thanks for the Illinois video. Well done. As a 60 years plus native resident I learned somethings. I would also point out the importance of O’Hare airport and the railways to the nation.

[@kennethraisor981]

yea, Galesburg is half railyard lol

[@217ken]

I think you did a really good job giving an overview of my state

[@GeographyKing]

Thank you!

[@neilskinkle3019]

Ooooo, been waiting for you to do my home state for a long time now. I'm going to enjoy this one

[@jaretlansford4351]

Originally from the northwest corner of the state and it was neat seeing someone talk about some of the areas of Illinois that are often overshadowed by Chicago. Selfishly, I enjoyed seeing shout-outs to Mississippi Palisades and the Driftless Zone. Also, nice subtle allusions to Chicago and REO Speedwagon, two bands from the Land of Lincoln!

[@glennso47]

I was born and raised in Mount Carroll Illinois so I know about Palisades Park and the driftless zone.

[@dylanstingley]

Nice I’m from sterling

[@glennso47]

@@dylanstingley it gets me that when you mention Illinois people just automatically think “Chicago.” But then I suppose New York is the same way. When New York is mentioned,people automatically think only of “New York City. “

[@brettrobertleasure]

i just moved BACK to illinois in october when my wife and i bought our first house in peoria. we left phoenix, which was really nice, but really hot and it's getting really, really expensive. so yeah, the property taxes on our house are no joke, but there's no way we could've afforded anything like this out west. i moved away when i was 28, and having spent a few years in socal and then almost a decade in phoenix, im back at 41. it's really weird to be back, but also kinda nice because both my wife and i's parents are still in kewanee illinois (hog capital of the world, mind you). i've been to almost every corner of the state having gone to school at black hawk college in moline, then graduated from niu, then lived in carbondale while my little brother graduated from siu. i've been skiing in galena, and hiking in shawnee. it's a humbling experience coming back because i definitely miss the desert, the mountains and the ocean, but there's just no realistic way in hell we could afford it. i'm hoping this will be somewhat temporary so we can reconnect with family, build some equity and then maybe in a a decade or so, head back out west. but who knows, i never intended to come back and here i am.

[@serenasaltzman6818]

I hope it's been going well for you!

[@brettrobertleasure]

@@serenasaltzman6818 since you asked, not great. 4 months after moving, my 42 yo wife left me for a 25 yo kid that she just met at her new job; 14 years down the drain. this happened about a year ago, and it has been extremely difficult. also, i would not recommend being a single guy in illinois; options are...... limited.

[@jeffgerndt2813]

I traveled Illinois as a musician. I thought it was quite nice, the people were nice too. Good video as always, I really enjoy your show.

[@GeographyKing]

Thank you!

[@RyanKochman]

I, alongside many other Illinoisans have overlooked the southern third of our state nearly all my life. Just got around to visiting “Little Egypt” (as it is affectionately known) and I highly recommend those curious take a trip to see Garden of The Gods as well as the many ghost towns on the Mississippi!

[@dianayount2122]

The Shawnee National Forest has many interesting sites also!

[@emu5088]

Moved to Illinois from Upstate NY about 10 years ago and I do enjoy it! Your video is probably the best, honest, and balanced take I've ever seen on the state. Well done! Took the train from Chicago to visit Carbondale for the 2017 eclipse and I'm pumped to do it again!

[@luisvelasco316]

My mother moved from the Hudson River Valley to Illinois in the early 1960s and never stopped complaining about it! She must have liked something about it, though, because she had opportunities to leave, but didn't.

[@emu5088]

@@luisvelasco316 what specifically did she complain about?

[@luisvelasco316]

@@emu5088 Pretty much anything! I think part of it might have been moving from the Catskills /Alleghenys to the flatlands of Illinois, but she had complaints about how people talk in the Midwest, urban/suburban sprawl, Illinois politics, baking summers and frozen winters (though the winters aren't that different), tornados, ... I think she just liked to gripe!

[@ronanlooney3112]

A really interesting part of Illinois is it’s energy production with almost half of its electricity coming from nuclear with another 5-10% coming from wind energy. The rest comes from coal.

[@JPMJPM]

Your windmills are gorgeous!

[@kenbob1071]

Wind generated energy is soaring. Hopefully it'll surpass dirty coal in a few years.

[@bglrj]

I grew up near San Francisco and lived all over the country. I loved Chicago for the ten years I lived there, but you are right, the locals disparage it. I think it's a great city and I didn't mind the weather. My favorite two things were Chicago's Chinatown and the rail system.

[@Ozmodiar6]

Lifelong Illinoisan! Chicago hot dogs are great. And I love deep dish pizza, but tavern-style pizza (thin crust, cut into squares) is much more common. If people from the Chicago area say they're gonna order a pizza, they're most likely getting the tavern style.

[@tomh8344]

The truest only in Chicago style pizza is stuffed which I consider distinct fro deep dish.

[@thefactsarethese3668]

Great video! Just one little correction: Aurora and Naperville have surpassed Rockford to become the 2nd and 3rd largest cities in the state respectively. Probably easy to miss because Aurora and Naperville are definitely part of the Chicago metro area and not on their own as Rockford is.

[@ThistleKing]

Just moved to Illinois a few months ago and we are loving it so far. Thanks for the video!

[@bhg123ful]

I'm from Illinois. Grew up in Chicago's northwest suburbs. Where I grew up was on the suburban fringe back in the 80s and 90s. Certainly not rural anymore, but with a lot of tracts of vacant land/ agricultural fields. Though some areas have been set aside as forest preserves, most of that has been thoroughly built up. When those areas got built up, developers then turned to tearing down small homes on large lots (the first houses that were built in the 40s and 50s) to build townhomes. One of the major US highways had many landscaping nurseries, farm stands, seedy vintage motels, dive bars/roadhouses, those are all gone, replaced by high end shopping and condos. You can't stop progress, but when a place becomes unrecognizable, even if neutral/it is for the better - its hard to feel a connection to a hometown at some point. I don't hate the state, but overall, I don't have any special love from it either. I have fond memories of specific places and times, I enjoy going back to visit family and going down memory lane, but that's it. I've been living in California for a decade now, and have no plans on moving out of my adopted state. If one is a TRUE city person, and doesn't really feel the need for weekend getaways so much, then Illinois, more than any other state, disproportionately has what it has to offer in its one MAJOR city, but with the rest of the state having much less to offer than the hinterland of most other states. Chicago and Illinois can feel kind of claustrophobic in that way, because even if you DO appreciate what the rest of the state has to offer, few people are interested in tagging along. As someone who grew up going on cross-country roadtrips, especially out west to national parks, public lands, etc. my parents gave me the western state bug. Also, Chicago in many ways is an awesome city, and I'm not one of those people who are down on political corruption, crime, weather - so much, but what bothered for much of my early adulthood, (which incidentally, I can talk about more comfortably during the past couple years of "racial reckoning" - because we're forced to form and crafts our thoughts and words VERY carefully) is the stark segregation in Chicago, despite the city being very diverse. And this ties into crime. When others ask me about crime, shootings, "is it dangerous" "have you had run-ins" or whatever . . . . well depending on the individual, one would have be careful of saying "well, its almost entirely "black-on-black" crime without sounding like an insensitive, tone-deaf privileged white guy. So, I ALWAYS would preface the crime, be using the expression "the crime is in very segregated, disadvantaged, impoverished areas", as an insurance against coming across as callous, as I generally run in more left-wing circles (I work in higher education). I remember researching what metro areas have larger Black and Latino middle class, suburban type communities, as something I might like. So, in conclusion, why I am not a big fan of Illinois? Why do I not have plans on moving back? 1. Lack of natural wonders, scenery, public lands, etc. (Most northeastern states look like the NW corner Driftless area with Galena area ALL OVER). There's hundreds of places that look like Starved Rock in the east coast states. 2. Racial segregation. Having said, that - there are certainly many things I do like - that are universal. I grew up not far from where John Hughes set and filmed his movies, and those movies are like going down memory lane for me. Chicago has certain ethnic cuisine and culture, that despite California being the most ethnically diverse state has comparatively less of (Polish, German, etc.) And I've never been one to complain about the weather/climate. I think extremes in climate of the midwest do allow one to be able to live in just about anywhere. Its just that, the climate makes staying physically fit more difficult when you can't go outside. And it does put a damper on your fashion choices when you have to bundle up. Overall, great video!

[@cacuskrupka3673]

I am big fan of your channel, because you can talk about social and economic problems facing America with culture and compassion, and without involvement into politics (not easy nowadays). Your recent video about Illinois is also great and very interesting, but I missed one thing. When presenting Cairo, IL, you did not mention that it was an important place in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (my favorite book). When going on the raft down the Mississippi river, Jim intended to disembark in Cairo and board a steamboat on the Ohio river: "We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after. We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble." “We’s safe, Huck, we’s safe! Jump up and crack yo’ heels! Dat’s de good ole Cairo at las’, I jis knows it!” But, alas, they missed Cairo, and went all the way down along the Mississippi (maybe fortunately, because it was better for the plot). I always thought that Cairo is a big city, but it seems that now it is rather a ghost town:). Anyway, many thanks for the great work you do! Marcin from Poland

[@TR-wm3sg]

Born and raised in Peoria, so thank you for the fair treatment of my town that often seems to be the butt of jokes. Peoria actually has a lot to offer the visitor, but it's one of those places where you really need to know a local to take you around and show you the hidden gems of the city.

[@pauldudley8837]

Really good video. Was very impressed that you covered the driftless area. It makes the area prone to sinkholes because the glaciers didn't fill it in with till. I love Illinois in Chicago. One other thing I wanted to mention is look at the State under the terrain background. As the glaciers were melting lake Michigan was called lake Chicago and it was a much larger lake and it drained along the route of the Illinois River. The reason it turns South is because there was a glacier there blocking the flow of the water so that it met up with the Mississippi further down the state.

[@davidlong6575]

Great video. I just moved out of Illinois. I don't miss the cold winter or the politics but you did a great job highlighting the state, and you are right, people who grew up here talk smack about it. I appreciate it more now that I don't live there. Aurora IL is the 2nd largest city. 200,000. I know you said metro area, but alot of people gloss over Aurora, IL and it is a beast of its own.

[@SuperJ213]

While visiting Nauvoo about 16 years ago I saw a flier for a house for sale in Dallas City not too far away. It was a small home, but it was $22,000! I joked with my wife that all I'd need is a job at the gas station to cover the mortgage. Coming from L.A., it was tempting to "get away from it all." Illinois has a lot of beauty across the state.

[@jacquelinerodenbush6691]

Southern Illinois housing prices are really good. I feel like remote workers are missing out by not relocating here. For their salaries they could build a nice house & own some acres. When I see how much my house would be worth if it was in another state it blows my mind.

[@timothykeith1367]

@@jacquelinerodenbush6691 As improved internet access becomes available more people may choose remote work in rural and small town life

[@lyvmyk9988]

I love Illinois. You forgot Metropolis with its Superman connection, The Great Lakes Naval Base, Casey,Illinois with the huge Wind Chimes and other overly large objects. Collinsville and the large catsup bottle water tower. George Harrison's sister Louise lived in Benton, Illinois for many years. Springfield has a lot of great musicians and a lively music scene. So does Peoria, Bloomington, and Champaign. All the soybeans, corn and hogs means jobs and money to many people. Hunting and Fishing are big draws in Illinois. And the weather is at least interesting.

[@nb1hk]

Southern Illinois is quite different from the rest. Different scenery, culture, and people. It’s arguably considered the South rather than the Midwest.

[@bmjv77]

I went to SIU in Carbondale. I always referred to it as upper Kentucky.

[@andrewmarsman3294]

Great work! Apologies in advance if you said this, but one of the most amazing facts of IL is: it stretches so far south, that the southern tip extends further south than the northern border to Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma!

[@mindymorgan7684]

I've lived in the States for 10 years, still not enough time to see half of it. Never made it to Ill. Now back in Europe and watching your video, I wish I had. But that's how I feel watching all your videos on the States. Thank you for the great content and complete overview of the areas.

[@matthew362]

Hi Kyle! Always enjoy your channel and videos! Thanks for doing a video on my home state of Illinois! I was born and raised in Bloomington-Normal here. I'm love my community!

[@TheydyGodiva]

I wouldn't say I hate my state. I've been an Illinois local since middle school. There's lots of imperfection for sure, especially coming out of Chicago, (potholes galore is what comes to mind) But despite all its imperfections like the taxes and such, it's home. And that's what I love most about it, is that this place feels most like home.

[@dreaminez472]

That's because the super rich pass over it and so do all the burnouts. That's what's destroying so much of the coastal areas. The midwest is just honest working people, the way I wish the whole country was.

[@yawos9024]

@@dreaminez472 There are a lot of super rich in the Chicago area. Kenilworth, Illinois is the wealthiest town in the whole of the Midwest. Naperville was recently ranked the richest of its size in the whole of the Midwest. You want to see super rich - visit the Northshore and the Gold coast area. A lot of investment bankers and high profile lawyers live in the Chicago area.

[@Mighty_Atheismo]

Can i just say the inclusion of a Cheap Trick record in this video warms my Illinoisan heart. Excellent selection.

[@RealHeyMark]

I live in the Shawnee forest and absolutely love it here. I always say it's the part of Illinois that is least like Illinois! Our culture is far more Southern than Midwestern. The scenery and clean air can't be beat either, and the cost of living is quite low by Illinois standards. The only real downside is that it's at least a two-hour drive to anyplace less remote. But I have fun telling people that even though I live in Illinois, I live closer to Huntsville, Alabama than I do to the Chicago loop.

[@Frankenspank67]

Southern IL is gorgeous

[@justinfowich6662]

Great video! I wish there was more about the satellite cities around Chicago (Elgin, Aurora, Joliet). Hopefully there's more about them in the Chicago video.

[@GeographyKing]

Yes. I didn't want to focus too much on Chicagoland in this video but I'll certainly cover the whole metro area in the one specific to it.

[@JusNoBS420]

@@GeographyKing I’ve always wondered if Chicagoland was a city or reference to a metro? Guess we will learn in the next video 😉

[@Ozmodiar6]

Was hoping for a Waukegan mention

[@therocket3701]

@@JusNoBS420 chicagoland is in reference to the metro area.

[@raymondpine8492]

I wonder if it's only me but ..... I love how you always, either directly or indirectly, say something about the band or one of their songs from the album displayed in the background at the time of the comment. I'm a person who has always loved geography (I had atlases as a kid) and also loves music. (I commented on your last video about the Testament album you had displayed.) I have a feeling that we could have some interesting conversations. Thanks for ALL of your content and keep it coming,

[@GeographyKing]

I have a video coming up that is all about music- who's from where, and why certain places have a lot of artists from there but others don't. For the state-specific videos I use albums of artists from there but other ones it's just how I feel as I sit down record.

[@pammeeker6443]

I’m from Illinois and have lived in Texas, Arizona, Kentucky-Tennessee and I moved back and I love my state! Phoenix was surprisingly easy to navigate and I did like it there, it just wasn’t home! Lol

[@jrunn93]

I live in Springfield and love my state. It's got a little bit of everything for everyone.

[@foxdenable]

From Illinois and live in Illinois still - I actually like the state - Nice place to live the weather can be fickle but its just a good place people are warm and friendly everytime I travel its always great to come home .

[@stevej71393]

I've lived in the Illinois River valley my entire life. The Illinois River is very underrated and has a lot of natural beauty - lots of great places to boat and fish, an extremely long bike trail (I&M Canal), and some fantastic parks - Starved Rock, Matthiessen and Buffalo Rock are perhaps the most scenic but there's a bunch of others as well. Downside is that the winters are so darn COLD!

[@veraxiana9993]

I think of lot of my fellow folks in Illinois loathe it because of a combination of the weather and the politicians haha. Chicago outpopulates the rest of the state so right off the bat you're gonna leave the rest of the state upset because they get out voted, and the people from Chicago are never happy with who they elect because they almost always turn out to be corrupt as heck lol. Combine that with disgustingly humid summers and declining population in most places, it leaves many pessimistic. Personally I'm not as nearly pessimistic about our state and its future but those who are more skeptical do have some justified reasons to be like that

[@ImPrismuh]

I would honestly say from living in Illinois 22 out of my 22 years of life the worst part is not seeing any kind of terrain. I went to galena last year for the first time and I could not believe my eyes the hills looked so cool

[@robertm.9515]

@@ImPrismuh I've had that experience only being in the state for 3 months, and going to Madison, lol.

[@eriklakeland3857]

It’s the Great Lakes, there’s no reason to be pessimistic about the future. A few decades down the line and people will be flocking to the area from water-scarce regions.

[@morewi]

Large amount of inbreds in Chicago. Specifically looking at the south side, both white and black

[@likeaBosSjk90]

I really agree with you. I just want to explore the landscapes of this state. I hate all the politics.

[@4220greengates]

Illinois has some great private universities also..Northwestern, University of Chicago, Bradley, O’Hare Field as a major US airport and incredible museums..Art Institute, Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science and Industry, Adler Planetarium. ..and what one can’t see, the cyclotron at Fermi Lab! .

[@ahfcross]

My home state! I grew up in Chicagoland. Thanks for the great video!

[@dylanstoller100]

The second largest city in Illinois is actually Aurora, with a population of over 180,000 as of 2020 (down from over 190,000 in 2010,) also making it one of the top 150 largest cities on the country

[@dylanstoller100]

Otherwise, great video as always!

[@JXY2019]

Chicago is one of the best cities to visit in America. Champaign is really nice too.

[@daviditalia1325]

Have you been to Champaign lately? Shootings all the time..

[@billowspillow]

NAILED IT!! My wife and I are from Illinois (not Chicago) and we watched this last night and loved every second of it. I’m from Springfield, she lived in Rockford for years, we met in Carbondale, and despite not living in Illinois for a long time now we still make horseshoes sometimes. We both lost it at the end when you described the general negative attitude about Illinois that Illinoisans have, because that describes her exactly (as well as most of my friends and acquaintances from there). Meanwhile I’m quite proud to be from Illinois (not Chicago), but I never want to live there again and each return to visit family makes me sadder as I see its true potential continue to dissolve. Looking forward to more of these, since I’ve lived a few other places and have strong connections to even more!

[@deanjohnson6074]

Great video, Kyle. Unless I missed it, you failed to mention the importance of nuclear power, which accounts for 58% of the electricity in Illinois. The state produces more nuclear power than any other state.

[@kylben]

I'm from Chicago, born on the west side, moved to the NW burbs as a teenager. I escaped to Arizona over 20 years ago. Emphasis on 'escape'. Never been happier. Illinois is a great place to be from. That hot dog is pretty damned good tho. And no ketchup, or you'll be kicked out, maybe beaten, and never allowed back.

[@majorbuzz]

I really enjoyed your Illinois overview. I'm Chicago born, lived my first 16 years there before moving to Ohio in 1973. It would be kinda cool to have a Wilco album cover behind you for your Chicago video. Wilco got it's start in Bellville, IL where Jeff Tweedy was born and raised. Wilco is now based out of Chicago. Thanks again for the great video.

[@peterstoddard6225]

Thank you again for your great work. I lived in Chicago and traveled the state from 1984 to 1996. I know you only had time for so much, but the town of Galena is an Illinois treasure. I would love to be your understudy. Nothing is better than history and geography.

[@wwsciffsww3748]

Its really interesting how much of Illinois's population and especially wealth is in the Chicago area. Pretty similar to Boston, Atlanta, New York, Las Vegas, etc.

[@bobwatson8754]

Thank you for this. I'm mostly retired, living beside a small lake and near the Illinois River. It's surprisingly hilly here, enough so that I make a joke to visitors about their trip to Wisconsin. Good fishing, lots of wildlife, eagles are common. People like to trash Illinois and some may have good reason...but Illinois doesn't tax social security or pension income. If you find a place you like, it can be a very affordable place to live.

[@DD-ws6cu]

Illinois also has a flat income tax, and WI property taxes ain't cheap either (at least in any place you would want to live)

[@timothykeith1367]

@@DD-ws6cu Illinois property tax rates are similar to Texas, but downstate properties can be very affordable so the actual p/t paid can be relatively low.

[@euenfheiejrj]

@@DD-ws6cu Wisconsin has high taxes and their schools suck. Idk why people think their taxes are low.

[@yawos9024]

It is the jealous ones who love to trash Illinois. I have seen so many states, but I am not too far off the mark to say Illinois offers much more than many states. Even most of the much heralded East coast states don't come close to Illinois in many ways.

[@M16Ben]

I grew up in South Cook County/Will County/NWI and I can say that while I've enjoyed my time here a lot and live off of beef sandwiches and pizza, I'm ready to leave. For me, I don't want to pay taxes to corrupt government. I also realized I don't like living in the city no more. You did a great job presenting the state. Shawnee Forest blew my mind when I visited a few months ago. Effingham is also another nice city in southern Illinois. I attended school at UIUC, which is a wild place. Illinois and Chicago have potential, but it's squandered by corruption and patronage system. I'd still like to come back to visit, but it's time for an adventure and find something new

[@matthewmajestic1013]

Hello from south Florida👋🏾, I love these geographic profile videos!. It’s great to learn so much about each state I can’t wait to see the next state!, great video on Illinois👍🏾

[@GeographyKing]

Thank you!

[@ericaquint1895]

This year marks the ten year anniversary of my moving to northern IL (I live in Mchenry Co., which was one of the green counties). I know people have their problems with this state, but I this is the only place where I truly feel like I belong

[@johnvalencia9927]

Dude, I love that you featured Chicago Transit Authority in the background. And a Questions 67 and 68 reference? I like you now more than ever. Earlier in the video you were talking about Peoria, and if I'm not mistaken that's where P. Cetera grew up. Awesome, awesome record. If you get to hear the original vinyl on an old tube record player, you're going to experience something incredible.

[@60huntermiller]

Great video! I plan on going to Chicago this summer, so I'm excited to see a Chicago video.

[@Joefaf104]

New video from Kyle equals a very good day!

[@NICOGIA300]

Awesome Video! I live in Illinois and some things that just don’t seem to go away and are in fact getting worse and worse are crime and corruption!

[@grantprairie5307]

Born and raised in the Kankakee area. You’re right that there hasn’t been much here for a while…if you look up pictures from the 60s though, you get a different story! Also, cool thing to note: Bourbonnais is a small college town! Our school (Olivet Nazarene University) hosted the Chicago Bears training camp every summer for about 19 or 20 years until they built an upgraded practice facility. Cool video!

[@strange_air]

Thank you for one on my home state. You did not disappoint, right up to the Cheap Trick record I knew would be to your right.

[@thompkins6796]

Ex-Decaturite here, I'm glad to have helped put my hometown in the record books by leaving between the censuses.

[@danielury2765]

I believe when Kyle was referring to Rockford, Rock Island, etc. he was mentioning metro areas, not the population of the cities themselves. As cities, Chicago is #1, Aurora is #2, Naperville, Joliet and Rockford close behind. Also, perhaps you could comment on the neighborhoods of Chicago (new video) and which ones you enjoy the most. And for those Chicago residents, Kyle, you could post a photo of "dibs" during the winter.

[@daveh893]

Wonderful video. As a native Illinoisan I really liked the balanced approach to the whole state.

[@JH-fb3mp]

Sufjan Stevens' "Illinois" is a great album full of geographic and historic references to the state. A great listen for a peaceful drive through corn land!

[@SpaghettimanLuke]

Casimir Pulaski day made me cry the first time I heard it

[@clifffox6554]

I'm from Macomb Illinois, home of Western Illinois University. It is was not mentioned in the video. Interestingly, it was known as forgottonia for always being overlooked and there was a sucesssion movement in the 70's. Also, there is a Mega Reunion planned in June for WIU alum that would be a world record for attendance.

[@glennso47]

Rockford is no longer the second largest city in Illinois. I think Aurora is now the second city. Rockford is now only the 6th largest city in Illinois.

[@Jekshimash]

Great video. Excellent channel. Very underrated.

[@andrewblandford6423]

SIU Carbondale is my alma mater. And it was a great school for many things. Gotta love the Dirty Dale! Also loves the videos Kyle!

[@solooverland3666]

Excellent! Looking forward to the Sweet Home ❤️ Chicago video! World-class art museum and symphony, plus blues, comedy, food, architecture, and river/lakefront…

[@jamesperry513]

I was born and raised in West Central Illinois. People in that area tend to dislike the fact that Illinois politics is often dominated by Chicago politicians. On the other hand, we like that people mostly just leave us alone, as evidenced by this video.

[@chrisj.9882]

I used to teach a History of Illinois course and have my students do a county presenation. About 15 years, ago, one student did one on Alexander County (where Cairo was). He found out that around 1990, at the graduation ceremony for Cairo High School, the school principle gave a graduation speech where he told the seniors: leave town, there's no future for you here. Yeah, that's not the sort of thing that would happen at most high school graduation ceremonies.

[@doreybain]

I had a tenant who got a job teaching grade school in Cairo around 2000. He stayed two days and was back in his old apartment before I had time to switch his utilities back into my name. He said the town was almost dead and depressing, the kids were unteachable and the few townspeople around were surly. He student taught in the East St. Louis school district and said at least there the state poured money into the facilities.

[@luisvelasco316]

I lived in Chicago in Little Italy/Taylor Street a couple of blocks from Al's Italian Beef and many times had a beef sandwich then walked across the street to follow it up with an Italian Ice. I also love Chicago hot dogs, though usually substitute a Polish sausage for the hot dog. Deep dish pan pizza is great, but I really prefer the regular pizza, which is traditionally cut in rectangles instead of pie slices. USA Today listed the classic Illinois food item as a CORN DOG (!!!???!!!) which was a travesty.

[@timothykeith1367]

In some parts of Illinois a pork tenderloin sandwich is popular, which won't be found in Chicago

[@Sarcophagus74]

Rural mountains in Pennsylvania is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I love it here!

[@christopherarchuleta3669]

Having Chicago's debut album in the background was a fantastic choice. It's so good! And referred to a song from it. Also, it took the Feb 1, 2011 blizzard to give me my first snow day. I was in 6th grade.

[@christopherarchuleta3669]

Don't like my state because it feels horribly managed and, although it's far more interesting than outsiders give it credit for, it's on the boring side to me. I don't hate Illinois, but it's a fun gag/meme to make fun of it. But as you noted, it is an extremely important state whether people want to admit it or not.

[@michaellamberty7136]

Born and raised in Chicago and suburbs and spent some time in Cahokia. Only thing not to love is the history of corrupt governors. Great video but I think you forgot to mention the city of Quincy on the Mississippi River and home to one of the oldest veterans homes in the country. Ulises S Grant lived in GalenaIllinois for a time. Also the town of Nauvoo was the home to the Mormons before moving to Salt Lake City. Looking forward to more videos. Thanks

[@garym2282]

My daughter and family live in Bloomington (he works for Rivian). We went there twice last year and loved the area. Unfortunately the property tax is too high, so it won't make our short list of retirement states.

[@patrickgehl2839]

Hi Kyle, love the videos and this was a great overview of Illinois. When looking at military installations in the state, you missed Great Lakes Naval Station. Surprising as it may be, all enlisted members of the US Navy undergo basic training in a gritty suburb north of Chicago that is aptly named North Chicago.

[@GeographyKing]

Yeah I'm sorry I missed that. I will bw sure to mention it in the video about Chicago

[@BL-no7jp]

I love it when people from northern Illinois admit anything south of Chicagoland doesn’t matter to them. At least they’re being honest and open about the invisible part of the state. It doesn’t matter to the politicians from Northern Illinois and it shows.

[@bogdanrevnic778]

Thanks for the new video, learning lots about what I thought I already knew.

[@timbarry2743]

Lastly Chicago foods & beverages ~ Goose Island beer, Tootsie Roll candy, Fannie Mae chocolate, the Twinkie, Wrigley Gum, Cracker Jack, and the Pizza Puff. Also an old time soda pop called Green River (Northern Illinoians call it pop while southern Illinoians call it soda)

[@jeffha4057]

Thanks for the great video about my home state! It's not as mean-spirited as other KZbin videos that I've come across as you just stated the facts. One thing I'll mention is that Caterpillar no longer has its headquarters in Peoria. It's been moved to Deerfield. There was a plan to build a new HQ in downtown, which was canceled when Caterpillar ran into some financial problems in 2017. It would have totally changed downtown as Caterpillar bought up most of the buildings in downtown and it was a devastating blow to the city when they decided to cancel it.

[@dreaminez472]

I grew up outside of Chicago, southwest burbs. I definitely had the "screw Chicago and Illinois, I want out" mindset. A huge part of that was because I get horrible migraines from air pressure changes. The midwest has a lot of that. I went west to California and loved the nature, no migraines there (thank you Pacific Ocean). But holy hell does California have problems. It makes the Illinois property tax issue seem cute by comparison. I wound up living out of my car because housing is so insane. I got so used to the crazy amount of homelessness and hard drug use that when I returned to Chicago I was blown away by how nice and clean it is. Illinois has corruption, high property tax, and not great weather but it is an amazing state in many other ways. The people are wonderful, the music scene is fantastic (I'm into electronic music, Chicago is awesome for that) and the food is to die for. Aurelios Pizza I could eat everyday, if you're visiting Chicago go there! Oh, and Illinois legalized weed since I left which instantly makes it 10 times more appealing. It's a state that has problems but they're giving it an honest effort to be better, unlike many other states that just keep sucking eternally. Now I'm down Arizona, the far south has little air pressure changes because it's a constant high pressure system. The desert is hotter than sin but it's better than migraines. I hate being part of the bandwagon though! Rapid population growth freaks me out and Arizona has been exploding for a while now. But the west coast and the far south are the only places my head doesn't feel like it's being smashed in a vice every couple weeks so here I am.

[@kennethraisor981]

from Illinois. the winters are cold, the summers are humid, but we all hate our high taxes and corrupt politicians. I'm surprised you didn't mention Aurora Illinois and Wayne's world. love the food here. I love that Chicago dog (w/o pickles), the pizza and the beef. you have to go to Portillo's

[@garretyoung2173]

Great video, whenever you do a California video again you should mention some details about the Northern Sacramento Valley. Keep up the wonderful work!

[@GeographyKing]

I have exactly that coming up soon

[@AdamFalkenhayn]

I love Illinois. It’s a great place to live.

[@z0mb13v32]

I live in the middle of no-where, Illinois lol. It's way up north and the winters here are absolutely brutal some years, but the scenery is pretty much the cottagecore dream. Our roads suck, but a pretty drive!

[@rawsonmangone7117]

Awesome hearing about the drift-less area not many people know of it

[@johnbeard5952]

I've spent nearly my entire life living in southern Illinois, and can testify that "Little Egypt" doesn't get nearly enough credit for its beauty. One of the more disheartening aspects of southern Illinois is always being overlooked in favor of Chicago. I will add that the Carbondale/Marion area is home to approximately 123,000 people. The area is much more highly populated than your video indicates. BBQ is king in Murphysboro and there's a great place called "Uncle Joe's" just south of Mt. Vernon in Ina. Overall, nice video. Chicago dogs are okay, by the way; maybe take the giant pickle off, though.

[@Frankenspank67]

Agree 100%

[@weitzfc1]

i would love to live in little egypt. murphyboro is where my mother was born . i love the shawnee national forest . but lets keep it a secret.