From the rolling hills of Southern Illinois, to the hustle and bustle of Chicago's Loop, Illinois is a diverse state with several distinct regions, offering businesses a wide array of options for locating or expanding a business:
CHICAGOLAND/NORTHEAST REGION
The Northeast region consists of the city of Chicago, and the outlying metropolitan areas stretching from the Wisconsin border in the North, to Kankakee in the south. As one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country, Chicagoland is the most populous and economically diverse region in the state.
As a manufacturing and logistics hub, the area boasts the largest rail gateway in the nation, the world's 2 nd busiest airport (O'Hare International Airport), The Port of Chicago, and the Lake Michigan Port.
The region is a major player in business. Chicago is home to the World Trade Center and the Chicago Board of Trade, the Mercantile Exchange, the Board of Options Exchange and the Chicago Stock Market.
Chicago is also a premier location for research and development of new, cutting edge technology. The region is the home of Argonne National Laboratory -- the leading federal laboratory in the state, focusing on advanced materials, chemical/energy technology and biotechnology. In addition, the region is home to Fermi Lab, and 440 companies that operate R&D facilities.
The Northeast region is also home to 2 of the top-10 business schools in the nation – the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern, and the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
THE NORTHERN STATELINE REGION
The Northern Stateline region consists of Boone, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties. Winnebago County is home to the third largest city in Illinois, Rockford, and is a historic manufacturing center. Manufacturing remains the region's primary industry. Local products include precision cutting tools, fasteners, aerospace components, machine parts and automobiles.
The Northern Stateline region is positioning itself as a prime transportation corridor that will benefit from a new multi-modal rail facility in Ogle County, as well as the Rockford Regional Airport. The region boasts an excellent telecommunications infrastructure and is home to Rock Valley College, Rockford College and Saint Anthony College of Nursing. Belvidere, a community of nearly 21,000 people in Boone County, is now home to a major Daimler Chrysler auto assembly facility.
THE NORTHWEST REGION
The region's largest municipalities are clustered in the Quad Cities area, near the confluence of the Rock and Mississippi Rivers, directly across the Mississippi from Davenport, Iowa. Moline is the largest of these communities, with a population of about 43,700. Since its early days, Moline has been strongly associated with John Deere, inventor of the self-scouring steel plow. The company Deere founded is still headquartered in Moline and is the region's largest employer. Rock Island, which borders Moline to the west, is a close second in population, and is a major industrial and manufacturing center.
Interstate 80 is the main commercial artery in the region, linking Chicago to the east and the Quad Cities to the west. Dixon and Sterling are the other regional municipalities with populations of more than 15,000. Each community lies along the Rock River – Sterling, in Whiteside County and Dixon, in Lee County. Both are located in a natural resource corridor and offer easy access to a variety of outdoor recreation areas.
THE SOUTHERN REGION
The Southern region consists of the 19 southernmost counties in Illinois, which encompass more than 7,200 square miles or 13 percent of the land area of the state. These counties have a combined population of 390,000.
The Southern region is largely rural with three distinct sub-regions.
- The southernmost seven counties are sparsely populated and are heavily agricultural/recreational with strong tourism potential.
- The central counties are known as the “dispersed city” because of the relatively dense population, originating from coal company towns founded in the early part of the twentieth century as well as the presence of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC).
- The counties to the north are heavily agricultural.
THE SOUTHEWEST REGION
The 2000 Census indicated a population of approximately 671,600, making this the second-most populous of the state's ten regions. Transportation assets include Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in St. Louis and MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah; a well-developed interstate system that includes I-55, I-64, I-70, I-255 and I-270; a large railroad complex that includes major switching yards in East St. Louis; and barge shipping via the Mississippi River.
The region is highly diverse, containing a variety of industrial/commercial and residential development, income discrepancies, distinct racial and ethnic populations, and urban/suburban/rural contrasts. It is also home to major state university – Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
In terms of economic and transportation development, the Southwest region is linked to the greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Overall, the Southwest region's wealth of diverse resources, coupled with the relative scarcity of marketable land on the Missouri side, makes the region well positioned for large-scale industrial development and the potential for high-wage jobs. MetroLink, the St. Louis-area light rail system, now extends to Scott Air Force Base (near Belleville, Illinois), which is likely to promote growth in the future.
THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION
The Peoria and Bloomington-Normal metropolitan areas, about 40 miles apart and linked by Interstate 74, comprise the core of the region. They are the primary population and commercial centers, as well as home to the region's largest educational, cultural and civic institutions.
Peoria is located along the west bank of the Illinois River, and is the world headquarters of Caterpillar, a leading manufacturer of construction equipment. Health care is now a top source of employment. Peoria is home to three major hospitals and includes the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Central Illinois with a Life-Flight helicopter base.
Bloomington-Normal, southeast of Peoria where Interstates 74, 55 and
39 intersect, is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in Illinois. Bloomington serves as corporate headquarters for State-Farm Insurance and Country Insurance and is home to regional facilities for Mitsubishi, Verizon, and General Electric. Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University are also located in Bloomington-Normal.
THE WEST CENTRAL REGION
The nine counties comprising the West Central region lie in a belt along the
Mississippi River between the Quad Cities and St. Louis.
The region is home to three communities with at least 15,000 residents: Quincy, Galesburg and Macomb. Of these, Quincy is the largest with a population of approximately 40,400, and is home to a strong electronics industry and features a robust manufacturing sector.
Macomb, population 18,600, is located in central McDonough County, about halfway between Galesburg and Quincy. The community is home to Western Illinois University, which has approximately 11,000 students at its main Macomb campus, and is the community's largest employer.
THE EAST CENTRAL REGION
Despite its relatively compact size, East Central Illinois boasts a diverse economy. The twin cities of Urbana-Champaign, located in central Champaign County, comprise the region's largest community with a combined population of approximately 110,700. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the region's largest employer, its primary institution of higher learning, and a nationally recognized research institution. The University of Illinois often takes advantage of its research capabilities for the benefit of Urbana-Champaign's local economy. In addition, the University of Illinois offers cultural amenities to the community, including concerts, plays and athletic events that contribute to the region's identity and quality of life.
Danville is a mid-sized community of 33,900, located in Vermilion County near the Indiana border. A heavily industrialized area, Danville has historically been a center for manufacturing.
Rantoul, a community of nearly 13,000 just north of Urbana-Champaign, has likewise sought to diversify its economy following the closure of Chanute Air Force Base a decade ago. This effort has realized some success, as private firms, including an auto parts manufacturer, a retirement center, and a cellular call center, now occupy portions of the former base.
In 2001, the East Central region was home to approximately 7,950 businesses, more than half of which resided in Champaign County. Small businesses (establishments with fewer than 100 employees) accounted for 98% of all regional businesses, comparable to the statewide average.
THE SOUTHEAST REGION
Located in the Midwest Corn Belt, the Southeast region is comprised of thirteen Illinois counties spanning from Moultrie, Coles and Edgar counties in the north to Marion, Clay, Richland and Lawrence counties in the south.
Most industrial development is located along Interstate 70, Interstate 57 and U.S. Route 50, with growth centers at Effingham, Charleston-Mattoon, Flora and Lawrenceville.
Charleston, located in central Coles County, is the largest city with a population of more than 21,000. Eastern Illinois University, established in the late 1800s as a teaching college, has a large economic and cultural presence in the community.
Nearby Mattoon, population 18,300, is the region's second-largest community. Mattoon has strong economic ties to Charleston, and lies just ten miles to the west on the opposite side of Interstate 57. The Mattoon area has a strong cluster of industrial jobs.
Effingham, population 12,400, dubbed the “Crossroads of Opportunity ,” lies at the junction of Interstates 57 and 70 in central Effingham County. The community is also served by major north-south and east-west railroads.
THE CENTRAL REGION
The twelve counties comprising the Central region encompass 7,155 square miles, accounting for 13% of the state's land area. Decatur, the largest city in Macon County, had a 2003 population of 79,300, according to Census estimates. The local economy is built on heavy industry. Prominent companies include food processor Archer Daniels Midland and heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar.
Springfield, in central Sangamon County, is the sixth-largest city in Illinois and the largest in the Central region with a population of 113,600. In stark contrast to Decatur, Springfield's economy is based on services, which account for 92% of all employment. The community's largest “industry” is state government, which accounts for 16% of all employment in the metro area. Other prominent features of Springfield's economy include health care and tourism. The city's two hospitals are major employers, and the new Springfield Medical District aims to promote additional development in the health care industry. Tourism is driven largely by the city's ties to Abraham Lincoln, including his home, the site of his law practice and his tomb. The construction of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (which opened in October 2004) and Museum (which is scheduled to open in 2005) are expected to significantly boost the city's tourism potential.
Jacksonville, 25 miles west of Springfield in Morgan County, is home to two liberal arts colleges: MacMurray College and Illinois College. Lincoln Land Community College offers training programs that bolster the skills of the local work force. Jacksonville is also notable as home to the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired and the Illinois School for the Deaf, schools that educate young people with special needs from across the state.
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