Illinois State: Major Cities, Places & Population

When it comes to the demographics of the state of Illinois, the largest city is Chicago. In fact, it is the third-most-populous city in the U.S. In the 2010 census, 65.6 percent of the population of Illinois lived in one of the metro areas that surround Chicago. Other major cities include Joliet and Springfield. Historically, Peoria was the state's second largest city.

The state's political system is modeled after that of Kentucky, with three branches: the executive branch (the Governor), the legislative branch (the Legislature), and the judicial branch (the governor and the Attorney General). The General Assembly consists of 118 members of the House of Representatives and 59 members of the Senate. The state's highest court, the Illinois Supreme Court, oversees the state's lower circuit and appellate courts.

At the turn of the 20th century, Illinois' population was just over 5 million. This rapid growth attracted people from neighboring states. In fact, whites made up 98% of the state's population. Continued immigration from southern and eastern Europe, and the African-American Great Migration increased the state's population. Ultimately, Illinois became the most populous state in the union. So, it's easy to see why people move to Illinois for the lifestyle.

The Midwest region of Illinois consists of the Quad Cities. The Quad Cities region is located on the Mississippi River and has a population of 381,342 as of 2011.

Other cities in Illinois

AbingdonAdairAddievilleAddisonAkinAlbanyAlbersAlbionAldenAledoAlexanderAlexisAlgonquinAlhambraAllendaleAllenvilleAllertonAlmaAlphaAlseyAlsipAltamontAlto PassAltonAltonaAlvinAmboyAnchorAnconaAndalusiaAndoverAnnaAnnapolisAnnawanAntiochApple RiverArcolaArenzvilleArgentaArlingtonArmingtonArmstrongAroma ParkArrowsmithArthurAshkumAshlandAshleyAshmoreAshtonAssumptionAstoriaAthensAtkinsonAtlantaAtwaterAtwoodAuburnAugustaAvaAvistonAvonBaileyvilleBaldwinBannerBannockburnBardolphBarnhillBarringtonBarryBarstowBartelsoBartlettBartonvilleBascoBataviaBatchtownBathBaylisBeach ParkBeardstownBeasonBeavervilleBeckemeyerBedford ParkBeecherBeecher CityBelknapBelle RiveBellflowerBellmontBellwoodBelvidereBementBenldBensenvilleBensonBentonBerkeleyBerwickBerwynBethaltoBethanyBig RockBiggsvilleBinghamBishop HillBismarckBlackstoneBlandinsvilleBloomingdaleBlue IslandBlue MoundBluff SpringsBluffsBlufordBolesBolingbrookBondvilleBone GapBonfieldBonnieBoodyBourbonnaisBowenBracevilleBradfordBradleyBraidwoodBreeseBridgeportBridgeviewBrightonBrimfieldBristolBroadlandsBroadviewBroadwellBroctonBrookfieldBrookportBroughtonBrowningBrownsBrownstownBrusselsBryantBuckinghamBuckleyBucknerBudaBuffaloBuffalo GroveBuffalo PrairieBull ValleyBulpittBuncombeBunker HillBurbankBureauBurlingtonBurnhamBurnsideBurnt PrairieBurr RidgeBushnellButlerByronCaberyCadwellCahokiaCairoCaledoniaCalhounCalumet CityCalumet ParkCamargoCambriaCambridgeCamdenCameronCamp GroveCamp PointCampbell HillCampusCantonCantrallCapronCarbon CliffCarbon HillCarbondaleCarlinvilleCarlockCarlyleCarmanCarmiCarol StreamCarpentersvilleCarrier MillsCarrolltonCartervilleCarthageCaryCaseyCaseyvilleCastletonCatlinCave In RockCedar PointCedarvilleCentraliaCerro GordoChadwickChambersburgChanaChandlervilleChannahonChanute AfbChapinCharlestonChathamChatsworthChebanseChenoaCherryCherry ValleyChesterChesterfieldChestnutChgoChicago HeightsChicago HtsChicago RidgeChillicotheChrismanChristopherCiceroCiscoCisneCissna ParkClareClaremontClarenceClarendon HillsClay CityClaytonClaytonvilleClevelandCliftonClintonCoal CityCoal ValleyCoatsburgCobdenCoelloCoffeenColchesterColetaColfaxCollinsvilleCollisonColonaColpColumbiaColumbusColusaComptonConcordCongervilleCooksvilleCordovaCornellCornlandCortlandCottage HillsCoultervilleCountry Club HillsCountrysideCowdenCreal SpringsCrescent CityCrest HillCrestonCrestwoodCreteCreve CoeurCropseyCrossvilleCrystal LakeCubaCullomCurranCuster ParkCutlerCypressDahindaDahlgrenDakotaDaleDallas CityDalton CityDalzellDamiansvilleDanaDanforthDanversDanvilleDarienDavisDavis JctDavis JunctionDawsonDe LandDe SotoDeer CreekDeer GroveDeer ParkDeerfieldDekalbDelavanDelongDennisonDepueDeweyDewittDiamondDieterichDivernonDixDixmoorDixonDoltonDongolaDonnellsonDonovanDorseyDoverDowDowellDowners GroveDownsDu BoisDu QuoinDundasDundeeDunfermlineDunlapDupoDurandDwightE CarondeletE Saint LouisEagarvilleEarlvilleEast AltonEast CarondeletEast DubuqueEast DundeeEast GalesburgEast Hazel CrestEast LynnEast MolineEast PeoriaEast Saint LouisEastonEddyvilleEdelsteinEdgewoodEdinburgEdwardsEdwardsvilleEffinghamEl PasoElburnEldenaEldoradoEldredEleroyElizabethElizabethtownElk Grove VillageElk Grove VlgElkhartElkvilleElleryElliottEllis GroveEllisvilleEllsworthElmhurstElmwoodElmwood ParkElsahElvastonElwinElwoodEmdenEmingtonEmmaEnergy