• Lincoln's tomb is a historical site in an important Illinois city.Linoln's Tomb image by chas53 from Fotolia.com
  
  The state of Illinois is located in the heart of the Midwest, with landmarks such as Lake Michigan to the east and the Mississippi River to the west, and is home to diverse cities. The state is known as the Land of Lincoln and the residents take this designation seriously. Important people, companies and sports franchises abound in the important cities of Illinois.
  
  

Springfield

• The city of Springfield was established in 1821 and became the state capital in 1837 due to the considerable influence and work of Abraham Lincoln, who was a member of the state legislature. Lincoln grew up in the state of Illinois, living in New Salem, Decatur and finally Springfield, where he worked as a lawyer and politician and raised his family. He lived in Springfield until he was elected the 16th president of the United States. At his departure for Washington, he gave a speech to the people of Springfield about his affection for the city. You can visit the house Lincoln resided in, and also Lincoln's tomb.
  
  

Chicago

• This is the largest city in Illinois with more than 2.8 million people. The city is located along the southwestern portion of Lake Michigan, is culturally diverse and a booming metropolis and prides itself on being a fun-loving sports town. This city may just be a baseball fan's paradise, as it is home to the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox.
  
  The hockey team, the Blackhawks, won the prestigious Stanley Cup; and the pro football team the Chicago Bears are also followed avidly by many.
  
  In its early years the city was a busy trade center because of its location on Lake Michigan, and today it is home to one of the country's busiest airports and houses the largest convention center in the country.
  
  Popular inventions that came from Chicago include the refrigerated railcar, the car radio and the television remote control. An important landmark, the Sears Tower, is located in downtown Chicago.
  
  

Peoria

• The city of Peoria is the oldest community in Illinois. It is a fair-sized city with a population of just over 112,000 and is located in the central region of the state, along the Illinois River. The city is perhaps most known for being home to the headquarters of Caterpillar Inc. This company's equipment helped to revolutionize the farming industry in the early 1900s. Peoria has been given the All America City Award by the National Civic League.