Where does Southern Illinois begin? (Chicago, Springfield: home, schools, universities)

[Future Trooper]

Over on the Indiana board we talked about where does Southern Indiana begin. For the most part I think we came to a conclusion that the Western edge of Southern Indiana ends where Sullivan County(Indiana), Clark and Crawford Counties meet the Wabash River.

So from that point where would this "line" go that would demarcate Southern Illinois from Northern Illinois?

[linicx]

Illinois seem to be divided more or less in three sections; North, Central and Southern. Then there is Eastern and Western parts of each as in Eastern Central Illinois. HEre is an Illinois Map that is designed for crop producers. If you look down the right side you will see -39 degrees. In my opinion that is about where Southern Illinois begins. This is not what is called the Southernmost part of Illinois, but rather, the southernmost area is included in Southern Illinois. Hope this helps. It is my opinion, and certainly not an official designation. And then again, it might begin one county lower, but -39 will be fairly close and is the general area. But on the other hand, If you go to Chicago and ask the standing joke is "anything south of I-80 is Southern Illinois".

Illinois CropMAP


.

[Maintainschaos]

South of Springfield, Decatur, or Champaign-Urbana is pretty much S. IL to me. I think most might also see I-70 as the dividing line.

[doll lady]

Number one.....I'd like to know why it really matters where Southern Illinois begins?? We are Illinoisians and really should be undivided. Now I know that isn't possible because of the ingrained hatred for downstaters at the top of the state. That's not really appropriate but it is a fact.

I live in Central Illinois but like to call myself Southern By the Grace of God. If being from central/ southern Illinois makes me a hick in the eyes of some, so be it. I've been told by Northern Illinois people I'm a hick who is under-educated due to our schools and basically stupid but I'm still alive and kicking and haven't suffered for those type of crass labelings. It's not becoming to the labelers to falsely label others. But....... I bet I can spit better than those people, I can say my alphabet backwards as well as forward, I can do multiplication in my head better than most with pencil and paper, I went to a real university and graduated, and was an officer at a leading Illinois company and made lots of money, I own lots of property, I have money in the bank, I can shoot a gun to protect myself, I drive a brand new pick-up 4 wheel drive truck, I have kids who have master's degrees from good universities, I like to go fishing, I live in a huge beautiful home and pay lots of taxes, I live in a village where the schools are in the black, and I don't use a catalog in an outhouse, I wipe my hind end the same as northerners. But I have one big fault .... I don't enjoy posters who continually degrade other areas of the state.

If I had to actually make a division of Central and the Southern part of the state, I would say it's when a traveler begins to see the flatness of the land begin to be rolling and more hilly with lots of trees, lakes and forests. Probably around Vandalia/Centralia/Effingham/ area.

I'm not aware of any bad feelings between Central Illinois and Southern Illinois people. We think alike and act alike. Central Illinois people just don't have the light southern drawl of the more southernly people. But really I do have a type of southern accent.

[Central Illinois 1]

I-70 seems to be around the point where terrain, dialects, and, to a certain extent, the weather begins to change.

[Caver Girl]

Originally Posted by doll lady

Number one.....I'd like to know why it really matters where Southern Illinois begins?? We are Illinoisians and really should be undivided. Now I know that isn't possible because of the ingrained hatred for downstaters at the top of the state. That's not really appropriate but it is a fact.

That is NOT a fact, just perhaps the opinion of some ignorant northerners. I am from northern Illinois and do not share in that ugly, invalid view. Some of the most beautiful parts of Illinois are in the south!

And it's also an okay question to ask -- it interests me the differences between the areas of our state. There's no denying that there are. But that doesn't mean we're divided.

[Future Trooper]

Originally Posted by doll lady

Number one.....I'd like to know why it really matters where Southern Illinois begins?? We are Illinoisians and really should be undivided. Now I know that isn't possible because of the ingrained hatred for downstaters at the top of the state. That's not really appropriate but it is a fact.

I live in Central Illinois but like to call myself Southern By the Grace of God. If being from central/ southern Illinois makes me a hick in the eyes of some, so be it. I've been told by Northern Illinois people I'm a hick who is under-educated due to our schools and basically stupid but I'm still alive and kicking and haven't suffered for those type of crass labelings. It's not becoming to the labelers to falsely label others. But....... I bet I can spit better than those people, I can say my alphabet backwards as well as forward, I can do multiplication in my head better than most with pencil and paper, I went to a real university and graduated, and was an officer at a leading Illinois company and made lots of money, I own lots of property, I have money in the bank, I can shoot a gun to protect myself, I drive a brand new pick-up 4 wheel drive truck, I have kids who have master's degrees from good universities, I like to go fishing, I live in a huge beautiful home and pay lots of taxes, I live in a village where the schools are in the black, and I don't use a catalog in an outhouse, I wipe my hind end the same as northerners. But I have one big fault .... I don't enjoy posters who continually degrade other areas of the state.

If I had to actually make a division of Central and the Southern part of the state, I would say it's when a traveler begins to see the flatness of the land begin to be rolling and more hilly with lots of trees, lakes and forests. Probably around Vandalia/Centralia/Effingham/ area.

I'm not aware of any bad feelings between Central Illinois and Southern Illinois people. We think alike and act alike. Central Illinois people just don't have the light southern drawl of the more southernly people. But really I do have a type of southern accent.

Dude I'm not meaning to offend anyone here.I'm just curious to see what you guys call southern.

[doll lady]

NO offense taken dude! Glad you didn't have a motive with this type of question. And, I'm a woman, not a dude.

[doll lady]

Cave .... glad you aren't among those who have chosen to not like downstate people and the ones who aren't hesitant to tell us. Sometimes posts might be put on to draw a rile.....glad this one wasn't. We are all Illinoisians and should be proud of the entire state. Hope you enjoy any time you spend in downstate.

[linicx]

Originally Posted by gdude

Dude I'm not meaning to offend anyone here.I'm just curious to see what you guys call southern.

Southern is in the eyes of the beholder. I don't really know there is an actual demarcation other than the dew line. I suspect newspapers, radio stations and television stations carved out an area and give it a name to draw advertising dollars. One of the TV stations trademarked HOI - Heart of Illinois - meaning the 7-8 counties in their broadcast area.

I live in the central part of state. To me Southern Illinois is south of US 60 and not nearly as far north as Springfield. I don't know if you called Springfield if any one could tell you where it is or how it is defined. Much let alone who dun it. US 60 is EW. It runs through Harrisburg, Marion and Carbondale before exiting into Missouri. I have to call down to Springfield, anyway, if I find out, I'll let you know.

.