Complete Illinois accident reports and news.

The state of Illinois – The Prairie State, the Land of Lincoln, and the heart of America

Illinois is the 5th most populous state and 25th largest state in terms of land area. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a diverse economic base and is a major transportation hub. The Port of Chicago connects the state to other global ports from the Great Lakes, via the Saint Lawrence Seaway, to the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, via the Illinois River. For decades, O'Hare International Airport has been ranked as one of the world's busiest airports. Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics.

To accommodate residents and visitors alike, the major Illinois roadways are in heavy usage:

Illinois is at the heart of the country’s interstate highway system. This vast system consists of coast-to-coast interstates I-80 and I-90, along with I-70 that extends from the east coast to Utah. These major corridors are joined by multiple north – south corridors including I-39, I-55, and I-57 and additional east – west corridors such as I-24, I-64, and I-74.

In all, there are 2,185 interstate miles that serve the state, making Illinois the third ranking state in the U.S. There are a total of 15,969 miles of state highways and 7,847 bridges making the interstate route accessible across the entire state. More than 7,200 trucking establishments within Illinois take advantage of this extensive network of highways. Illinois is also home to seven of the 150 nationally designated scenic byways.

 The Illinois Department of Transportation provides a high-quality site with road conditions, maps, videos, and traffic cameras.

The climate of Illinois is unique, with drier winters than nearby states

Because of its nearly 400 miles length and mid-continental placement, Illinois has a widely varying climate. Most of Illinois has a humid continental climate with hot, humid summers and cool to cold winters. The southernmost part of the state, from about Carbondale southward, and the eastern suburbs of St. Louis, border on a humid subtropical climate with more moderate winters. Average yearly precipitation for Illinois varies from just 48 inches at the southern tip to 35 inches in the northern portion of the state. Normal annual snowfall exceeds 38 inches in Chicago, while the southern portion of the state normally receives less than 14 inches. The highest temperature recorded in Illinois was 117 °F recorded on July 14, 1954, at East St. Louis, while the lowest temperature was -37 °F, recorded on January 15, 2009, at Rochelle.

Illinois averages around 50 days of thunderstorm activity a year which put it somewhat above average for number of thunderstorm days for the United States. Illinois is vulnerable to tornadoes with an average of 35 occurring annually, which puts much of the state at around 5 tornadoes per 10,000 square miles annually. 

In Accident Data Center, our data about accidents in the Illinois region is divided into the following regions:

Champaign and Springfield-Decatur, Illinois accidents;

Chicago, Illinois accidents;

Davenport, Iowa, Rock Island and Moline, Illinois accidents;

Peoria and Bloomington, Illinois accidents;

Quincy, Illinois, Hannibal, Missouri, and Keokuk, Iowa accidents;

Rockford, Illinois accidents.

Legal information for accident victims in Illinois

After someone has been injured or killed in a motor-vehicle crash in Illinois, many decisions need to be made immediately and questions need to be answered. For example, how much of the medical costs will be covered by the insurance policy? How can an injured person get help with medical bills immediately? What if the at-fault driver has no insurance?

Where to find legal assistance after an Illinois injury accident

After a serious crash, it is crucial to get help from an Illinois personal injury attorney who understands the legal standards and practices, who knows how insurance policies function, and who can handle all aspects of an insurance claim so the injured person can focus on recovery. If someone is killed due to the negligence of someone else, an Illinois wrongful death lawyer can launch a claim that will begin the process of financial recovery for the family members left behind. Learn more here about what an Illinois accident attorney can do to help.