Biggest Cities in Illinois

Illinois's population is heavily concentrated in the Chicago metro — about 65% of all Illinoisans live in Chicagoland. The state has a classic urban-rural divide with Chicago's cosmopolitan culture and the predominantly agricultural interior.

Chicago — 2,700,000 (metro: 9,500,000)
The third-largest city in the US — Chicago is a global city of finance, culture, architecture, and commerce. The city is defined by its lakefront, its grid plan (the source of "The Grid" in urban planning), the world-famous Chicago-style architecture (the skyscraper was invented here), and distinct neighborhood identities (Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Pilsen, Hyde Park, Bronzeville, Rogers Park). Chicago is the hub of the US rail system — more rail lines converge here than in any other city. O'Hare International Airport is the second-busiest in the US. The city's restaurant scene, blues and jazz heritage (Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Chess Records), and comedy tradition (Second City) give it cultural depth beyond its financial reputation.

Aurora — 180,000
The second-largest city in Illinois — a Fox River city 35 miles west of Chicago. Aurora's Fox Valley downtown has been significantly revitalized; the Hollywood Casino and the Paramount Theatre are anchors.

Joliet — 150,000
On the Des Plaines River in Will County — historically an industrial and canal city, Joliet's Route 66 heritage, the Rialto Square Theatre (one of the finest movie palaces remaining in the US), and the Chicagoland Speedway give it character.

Rockford — 145,000
Northern Illinois's largest non-Chicago city — a former manufacturing center (Sundstrand, Ingersoll Milling Machine) that has transitioned to healthcare and aviation manufacturing. The Burpee Museum of Natural History (with Jane, a complete juvenile T. rex) is excellent.

Naperville — 150,000
One of the wealthiest cities in the US and consistently one of the "best places to live" in national rankings — a Chicago western suburb with an excellent downtown riverwalk, Naper Settlement (an 1800s living history village), and a high concentration of corporate headquarters.