Springfield Travel Guide, Illinois

Springfield is the capital city for the state of Illinois, US. It is also the county seat for Sangamon County. The importance of this city increases, as Abraham Lincoln spent some of his precious years here. In 1908 the city was hit by a race riot as two African Americans were killed, although the law had never found them guilty of anything. This resulted in the formation of NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).

The city of Springfield experiences humid continental climate. The altitude of the city (which is around 590 feet) also influences the climatic conditions. Summers can be very hot with average high temperatures of 87 degree Fahrenheit in June, July and August. Winters are very cold with average lows temperatures of 17 degree Fahrenheit in January. The city regularly experiences tornadoes, like the rest of Illinois.

To the north of Springfield lies Peoria, on the eastern side you will find Champaign / Urbana area, and on the north eastern side you will find Bloomington / Normal area. The city stretches over an area of around 156 kilometer square. Around 10 percent of this total area is water. Springfield has a man-made lake (named Lake Springfield) of about 4200 acres, used as a source to gather drinking water for the locals. This lake was dug and finally filled in 1935.

As per the 2000 census the population of Springfield was around 111,000 inhabitants, living in around 48,000 houses. Around 80 percent of this total population is White, 15 percent African American, 0.2 percent Native American, 1.5 percent Asian, and the rest of other different races. The per capita income is around $23,000.