Springfield, Illinois

About Springfield, Illinois

Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 116,482 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2006). Over 205,000 residents live in the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Sangamon County and adjacent Menard County. The land on which Springfield is located today was first settled in the late 1810s, around the time Illinois became a state. The city was originally called "Calhoun" after Vice President John C. Calhoun; as public sentiment turned against Calhoun the city was renamed Springfield. Abraham Lincoln is one of the city's most important and prominent past residents, he moved from Indiana to the area in 1831 and lived in Springfield itself from 1837 until 1861. Former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant also lived briefly in Springfield in 1861. In 1908 a large race riot erupted in the city which culminated with the lynching of two African American residents and led to the founding of the NAACP.

Springfield is known for its food and as a home to such performing arts as ballet, jazz and a carillon festival, which happens annually. Common tourist attractions include a multitude of historic sites affiliated with Lincoln, state government sites and various food-related attractions such as the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop.

The city lies on a mostly flat plain which encompasses much of the surrounding countryside. A large man-made lake, owned by a local public utility company, supplies the city with recreation and drinking water. Weather is fairly typical for middle latitude location, hot summers and cold winters. Spring and summer weather is like that of most midwestern cities-severe thunderstorms are common. Violent storms such as tornadoes are possible, although rare. One of those rare occasions was March 12, 2006 when two tornadoes touched down in the city. This had been the first time in nearly 50 years that a tornado hit Springfield proper.