Illinois

城市概覽

Illinois is a mostly flat plains state, with the majority being farmland except for the river valleys and the south, which are hilly and forested. Traditionally, Illinois is subdivided into three culturally distinct regions: Northern, Central and Southern Illinois. Northern Illinois is considered anything north of I-80 and includes the majority of Chicagoland as well as the Quad Cities and Rockford. Central Illinois includes all areas between I-80 and I-70 including Peoria, Springfield and Urbana-Champaign with Southern Illinois occupying all areas south of I-70 including Carbondale. Chicagoland and Metro-East (suburban St. Louis area) may be considered regions within regions and tend to be culturally different than the rest of their area. Northern Illinois is by far the most diverse area of the state and has some of the largest population centers including Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Naperville and Elgin. The area benefits from a unique mixture of factors including its location next to Lake Michigan; the concentration of highways, rail and airports in the Chicagoland area and the numerous tourism opportunities in areas such as the Chain O Lakes and Galena Driftless Zone. Central Illinois is the seat of state government and home to the State's flagship university - the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Small urban areas dot the entire area including Urbana-Champaign, Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Springfield, Quincy and Decatur. Outside of these cities, the area is largely rural and depends on agriculture as its primary economic engine. Central Illinois has played a unique role in US history as being the home of Nauvoo, an original Church of Latter Day Saints settlement. It also encompasses the region of Illinois informally named Forgotonia which had briefly captured national attention when residents began a mock campaign to either secede from Illinois or the US due to lack of attention in the early 1970s. Southern Illinois includes the cities of Carbon

如何抵達

By car Illinois is accessed through interstates 39, 90, & 94 through Wisconsin, 74 and 80 through Iowa, 55, 57, 64, 70, and 72 through Missouri, 24 through Kentucky, and 64, 70, 74, 80, 90, and 94 through Indiana.

By train

Amtrak serves many different areas of Illinois. Chicago is the main hub of Amtrak's long-distance routes, and a coast-to-coast rail trip will usually require you to change trains in Chicago. You can get into Chicago from virtually all directions, east coast and west coast, north and south. There are numerous daily trains to and from Milwaukee and it is reasonably fast and reliable. There is daily service (the Empire Builder) from Seattle/Portland, Oregon by way of Milwaukee. You can also get in from Washington D.C., New York, and Boston on various daily trains. There are many local trains that serve downstate and southern Illinois that also serve long distance locations. Those routes are as follows: The UP line from Chicago-St. Louis serves Summit, Joliet, Dwight, Pontiac, Bloomington-Normal, Lincoln, Springfield, Carlinville, Alton, and finally St. Louis. There are 4 trains each day, each way. One of those trains that serves this route is the Texas Eagle, and it will bring you into Illinois from San Antonio, Dallas, Arkansas, and Missouri. The BNSF route from Chicago-Galesburg-Quincy. Only local service serves the Quincy portion of the line. The other service is provided by 2 daily long distance trains coming from either Los Angeles (the Southwest Chief) or Emeryville (in the San Francisco Bay Area) via Salt Lake City and Denver (the California Zephyr). The CN route from Chicago-Carbondale has 3 trains each way daily. One long distance train is provided each way daily and will take you to/from New Orleans via Jackson, Mississippi and Memphis. Some trains have continuing service on certain days of the week to/from Washington D.C. There is regular daily service to/from Washington D.C. via Toledo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. C

當地交通

By car Car travel is best for the majority of the state, easily accessed by interstates. Numerous highways closer to Chicago are tollways, but the rest of the highways are free. EZ-Pass users from the eastern U.S. can use their transponders on the Illinois Tollway at all toll booths. Except for the Chicago Skyway to/from northern Indiana, Illinois has abolished toll payments by cash, and uses electronic tolling exclusively. If you do not have a transponder, you have up to 14 days to pay your tolls online, albeit at double the cost of tolls paid using a transponder. The Chicago Skyway accepts toll payments by cash and credit card, though I-Pass and E-ZPass transponders are accepted, albeit with a 3¢ surcharge for I-Pass or New York state-issued E-ZPass transponders.

By bus Greyhound buses, Megabus discount buses and its sister bus company, Coach USA, serve many Illinois locales. Chicago and the nearby suburbs are served by the PACE bus system and many large Illinois cities have bus systems of their own. Information on transit can be found here.

By train Train travel is another way to get around Illinois. Metra train lines serves Chicago and the surrounding suburbs and Amtrak serves significant portions of the rest of the state. While Metra trains usually run on time, Amtrak trains are more prone to running late. Check with Amtrak before making the trip.

By plane There are flights from Chicago to regional centers in the state such as Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, Peoria and Bloomington-Normal, usually on United Airlines or American Airlines. These flights tend to be expensive compared to flights between major cities.

必看景點

Chicago In the Loop, Chicago's commercial district with bustling elevated train tracks and great architecture:

Sears Tower (Willis Tower) - one of the tallest buildings in the world, it has an observation deck on the 103rd floor Grant Park for musical performances and Millennium Park for summer fun The Art Institute of Chicago - one of the finest art museums in the world In the Near North:

John Hancock Center A bit shorter, but with a better observation deck The Magnificent Mile Put simply, shoppers' paradise. Navy Pier Entertainment center with many attractions including the Chicago Children's Museum, mini golf, Ferris wheel, botanic gardens, and boat cruises In the Near South, including the Museum Campus:

The Field Museum The premier natural history museum in the Midwest, with one of the best preserved T-Rex skeletons on display The Adler Planetarium The first planetarium in North America The Shedd Aquarium Great lakefront aquarium In Hyde Park:

Museum of Science and Industry The best science museum in the Midwest, with hundreds of exhibits including a German submarine, high speed 1930s train, Boeing 727 jet, and an immense train set. The University of Chicago A premier institution of learning in the Midwest

Elsewhere Springfield - The state capital has the capitol building, as well as Abraham Lincoln's tomb, hom