The 25 Oldest Cities in Illinois and Their Rich History

There are few states in America that are more full of history than Illinois. In the Land of Lincoln, there are 25 cities that predate all of the rest and some of their stories go back centuries.

There are a lot of ways to decide how old a city is. In this case, I have done research into the approximate founding dates and not the dates of incorporation for the oldest places in Illinois. Here are the 25 that go back the furthest.

I remember one of my first family vacations as a kid, my parents took me to nearly all of the historic Abraham Lincoln sites in Illinois. I recall that we went to Salem, Illinois and of course Springfield which includes Lincoln's tomb. It was Lincoln's tomb, in particular, that moved me deeply. Much of the history in America at one of its most pivotal moments was lying in state in front of me. It's one of those memories that has stayed with me to this day.

You can say what you want about modern Illinois (and many do), but you can't deny that the history of the state is among the richest in the nation. Illinois has many places to be proud of and they're ideal places to visit when you get the chance.