Where is "the middle of nowhere"in Illinois? (Chicago: homes, theater)

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by thePR

This post has a few inaccuracies:

Metro-East (St. Louis in Illinois) has 599,845

The Rockford Metro has 352,290

Carbondale is not a metro

And the Peoria Metro is 371,206

Also the state has closer to 13 million people, not 12.5 million, and the poster forgot Springfield, which is around 210,000, and Decatur, around 115,000.

[Disallusioned1982]

Wow! I'd like to say to the poster of this article I feel THE SAME WAY! Every year I drive from Chicago to visit my parents in Florida. We grew up here but have a 2nd home there. And every year, my journey through these amazingly novel and gorgeous towns just does something to me. I come home and find myself dwelling on them, what life is like in them, reading all I can about them. Southern Illinois is where I wish Chicago was. Their climate in winter is like 40-60 degrees depending on warm gulf spells! It'll be like 24 here and 45 there many days. It seems so wonderful and magical. If I weren't in grad school and engaged to my woman I'd move there.

[Granny Sue]

Beardstown
Virginia
Rankin
Paxton
Rushville
Lovington

The list is really endless.

[cherokee ref]

We are 8 mi. SW of Waterloo near Maeystown. Just 25 miles or less straight south of St. Louis. If middle of nowhere can be desrcibed as having FedEx take a package to the post office and mail it to you because they can't find you, then we live there. Love it here.

[sandwalk]

Isn't the area between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers referred to as "Forgottonia" (largest city would be Quincy)? I remember hearing that the area got it's name because there is just a handful of river crossings/bridges over either river.....seems like it would be an isolated area to me.

[nyyfanatic85]

Originally Posted by sandwalk

Isn't the area between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers referred to as "Forgottonia" (largest city would be Quincy)? I remember hearing that the area got it's name because there is just a handful of river crossings/bridges over either river.....seems like it would be an isolated area to me.

It certainly is referred to as "Forgottonia." I know, I live here. It's very isolated and rural, but that's why I love it so much. I currently teach in a very small rural school in western Illinois and value the closeness and camaraderie that I enjoy with almost every person in town.

[ImaloneJill]

I have a friend that lives in Smithton (near East St. Louis). There isn't much over there, either.

[byebyeducky]

Being a visitor from Oregon, I am used to the "middle of nowwhere" meaning no houses for a hundred miles.

That may be hard to find in IL, but my Brother in-law took me to a little place called Goofy Ridge. Now that was rather unique, with a "small town" feel.

[runninfiend]

Really, where in Oregon do you live that your 100 miles from the nearest house? Middle of a national forest?

Goofy Ridge is certainly an interesting place. River people are interesting people.

[JustinHaugens]

I grew up in Toluca and since 1992 our town has been consolidated with Wenona, Minonk, Dana, and Rutland. Toluca is barely a town at 1400 people while Wenona is 1000(+1), Minonk is 2200, Dana is 200, Rutland is 400.

If we remained the Toluca Wildcats, my graduating class would have been ~30 and it was 90 as Fieldcrest HS.

I think that's about as close to the definition of middle of nowhere.

There are plenty of "middle of nowhere" communities in Illinois, just a matter of figuring out where you want to live.

By the way, 251 is what 51 used to be, basically runs parallel to I-39/US 51. Toluca is off exit 35 of I-39.