Central Region, IL Land for Sale

The Central region of Illinois is located in the Mideastern part of the state, and borders Indiana to the east. Springfield, the state's capital, is the largest city in this region, with other large cities being Bloomington, Champaign, Clinton, Decatur, Effingham, Pontiac, Urbana, Watseka and Vandalia. There are several man- made lakes, which include Lake Shelbyville, Lake Springfield and Lake Decatur, with major rivers being the Illinois River, Fork of the Vermillion River, Kaskaskia River, Sangamon River and Mississippi River. There are several national historic sites related to Abraham Lincoln, as he was born in Illinois and started his career as a politician there. Some of these include Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, featuring his Springfield home. The region also has six state wildlife areas, one state forest, 11 state parks and two state recreation areas. Most notable are Beaver Dam State Park, Eagle Creek State Recreation Area, Fox Ridge State Park, Hidden Springs State Forest, Kickapoo State Park, Lincoln Trail State Park, Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area, Moraine View State Recreation Area, Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Sam Parr State Park, Sangchris Lake State Park, Walnut Point State Park, Lake and Dam and Wolf Creek State Park. Other attractions in the region include David Davis Mansion and Prairie Aviation Museum in Bloomington, Children's Discovery Museum in Normal, Douglas-Hart Nature Center in Mattoon, Monticello Railway Museum in Monticello, Children's Museum of Illinois in Decatur, Orpheum Children's Science Museum in Champaign, and many other attractions in Springfield, including Illinois State Museum, Washington Park Botanical Garden, and more.

This region in the "heart of Illinois," mainly has small towns and mid-sized cities, and is known for agriculture of corn and soybeans, educational institutions and manufacturing centers. Agriculture is the primary industry in the Central Illinois region, with county fairs and the Illinois State Fair which help promote agriculture and offer entertainment. The Illinois government in Springfield employs a large number of people. The military also contributes to the economy. There are a number of colleges and universities in the region, which include Eastern Illinois University, Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Lincoln Christian University, Millikin University, University of Illinois at Springfield, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Benedictine University at Springfield, Blackburn College, Danville Area Community College, Heartland Community College, Illinois College, Lake Land College, Lincoln College, Lincoln Land Community College, MacMurray College and Parkland College.

McLean County is located in the northern part of the Central Illinois region. It is the largest county by land area in the state. It was named for John McLean, a U.S. Senator for Illinois in the 1800s. Bloomington is the largest city and the county seat. Next largest is the town of Normal, which is next to Bloomington, and are included in the same metropolitan statistical area. There are several other small cities, including Chenoa, El Paso, Le Roy and Lexington. There are around 60 other villages, townships and unincorporated communities. There are several parks, including Moraine View State Park, as well as a number of city and county parks. Most notable are Lake Bloomington, COMLARA County Park/Evergreen Lake, Sugar Grove Nature Center, Other attractions in McLean County include Arcadia: America's Playable Arcade Museum, Empire Township Historical Museum, Funk Prairie Home and Gem and Mineral Museum, McLean County Museum of History, Prairie Aviation Museum, Simpkins Military History Museum and six different vineyards and wineries. Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Lincoln College and Heartland Community College are located in this county. Champaign County is located toward the middle of the Central Illinois region. It is the 10th most populated county in the state. The county seat is Urbana, but Champaign is the largest city, and there are more than 80 other villages, townships and unincorporated communities. The county is situated on the divide between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and the Kaskaskia River originated in Champaign County. There are around 75 county parks and recreation areas, most notably Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve, Mabery Gelvin Botanical Garden and Middle Fork River Forest Preserve. Some other attractions include Museum of the Grand Prairie, National Museum of Ship Models and Sea History, Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, Springer Cultural Center and Spurlock Museum. The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign is located in the county and has allowed growth of information technology, micro/nanotechnology, bio-imaging, healthcare, logistics distribution and agribusiness.

Sangamon County is located in the Midwestern part of Central Illinois. It is named for the Sangamon River which runs through the county, but the origin of its name is unknown. The largest city and county seat is Springfield, the state capital of Illinois. Other cities include Auburn, Leland Grove and Virden, and there are over 70 other villages, townships and unincorporated communities. Abraham Lincoln represented the county in the Illinois Legislature before being elected President of the United States; as mentioned, there are a number of historic sites in Springfield related to him and his political career. Some other attractions include the Air Combat Museum, Clayville Historic Site, which features the oldest brick building in the county, Dana-Thomas House, a Frank Lloyd Wright Design, Elijah Iles House: Museum of Springfield History, Illinois Fire Museum, Illinois State Capitol, Illinois State Museum, Sangchris Lake State Recreation Area, Lake Springfield, Vachel Lindsay Home, a famed American poet and Washington Park Botanical Garden. Universities in this county include University of Illinois ? Springfield, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, St. John's College, Benedictine University, Robert Morris University - Springfield and Lincoln Land Community College. The largest employer in the county is the State of Illinois, with the state government headquartered in Springfield, as well as several large healthcare systems, public schools and several of the universities.