1. For Downstaters The Fighting Illini Are Pretty Much A Religion
The University of Illinois’ sports program is taken with near-deadly levels of seriousness. The Fighting Illini’s men’s basketball squad has landed in five Final Fours over the years and produced players like NBA all-stars like Deron Williams, while their football team has won five national championships.
2. Everyone Here Knows Real Pizza Is Taco Pizza
In addition to serving their pizza up in strips instead of slices, Quad Cities pizza generally includes toppings underneath the cheese, and a malty crust that gives pies a hint of a sweet, nutty flavor.
The area is also famous for “taco pizza,” which is exactly what it sounds like: pie topped off with cheese, refried black beans, lettuce, tortilla chips. and hot sauce.
3. Downstaters Have A Multitude Of Accents
Saying that people from Downstate have a “Midwestern” accent doesn’t quite cut it, considering how many different inflections are present throughout the area.
Southern Illinois folks tend to sound straight-up Southern and use “y’all,” Rockford and other northern areas speak with the “The Northern Cities Vowel Shift” (“thyet” instead of “that”), and parts of Central Illinois have more of a St. Louis accent (“worsh” instead of “wash”).
4. Downstate Illinois Folks Love Music With A Twang
Illinois isn’t synonymous with bluegrass or country—once again, Chicago tends to dominate the national view of the state with its famous blues, jazz and soul scenes—but certain areas Downstate have an enormous affinity for plucked strings and fiddles. Arcola, Ashland, Salem, Pontiac, and Springfield all host their own annual bluegrass bashes.
5. The BBQ In Metro East Will Leave You In Smoke Ringed Heaven
Metro East is home to some legendary slow-cooked meat spots. One of them, Belleville’s Hicks Bar-B-Que Company, took down all comers in the St. Louis Business Journal’s BBQ Madness competition earlier this year.
6. Downstaters Count Sweet Corn As Pretty Much Its Own Food Group
If there’s one thing Illinois has no shortage of, it’s corn. Caramelized, chowdered and slathered in butter are three ways Illinois folks like to eat their most plentiful food.
7. “Downstate” Is Open To Interpretation
Just as New York City types tend to categorize “Upstate” New York as anything outside of NYC and Long Island, so too does Chicagoland tend to categorize anything outside of Chicagoland as “Downstate.”
For instance, Chicago folks call Rockford “Downstate,” while people from Rockford would probably tell them to spend some time near a map, considering their city is technically north of Chi-town.
8. Jimmy John’s. Jimmy John’s Everywhere
Jimmy Johns got its start at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston in 1983, and has since grown to nearly 2,000 locations. The college kiddos tend to be particularly fond of their massive, tasty, and affordables sammies.
9. Downstaters Aren’t Big Fans Of Chicagoans
Chicagoans are liberal, and tend to think they live in the only place in Illinois that matters. Downstaters are largely conservative, Christian and rural, and usually feel a little trivialized by Chicagoans.
In fact, it’s gotten so ugly that in 2011 Downstate Illinois lawmakers formally proposed making Chicago its own state.
10. Get Your Steak ‘n Shake On In Normal
Another fast food treasure of the Downstate Illinois region, Steak n Shake was founded in Normal in 1934. The company is no longer headquartered in Illinois, but there are still roughly 100,000 (give or take) scattered throughout the state.
11. Downstaters Have Major Love For Minor League Baseball
Downstaters are plenty proud of their minor league squads. The area is home to a handful of squads in the Frontier League (including the awesomely named Normal CornBelters) as well as the Cardinal-affiliated Peoria Chiefs, up and in business since 1983.
12. Downstates Have Their Pick Of Primo Parks
There are way too many parks to name here, but a favorite among Downstate outdoorsy folks is Starved Rock in Oglesby. The canyon-infused state park is on the Illinois River, meaning everything from fishing and hunting to climbing and kayaking is fair game.
13. This Is Conservative Republican Country
Frustrated Downstate voters are often classified as one of the most politically marginalized people in the country, since they’re so outnumbered by the Democrats packed in the northeasternmost corner of the state.
Essentially, you’ll rarely see presidential campaigns making too many stops in, say, Peoria.
14. Roger Ebert Is Downstaters’ Homeboy
While most people think of America’s most famous film critic as a Chicago guy, Roger Ebert actually grew up Downstate in Urbana, where he got his start as the editor-in-chief of Urbana’s High School’s newspaper and later attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
15. Downstaters Know Not To Stop In Springfield Without Getting A Horseshoe Sandwich
No, we didn’t get the picture wrong. That is, indeed, what’s known as a horseshoe sandwich.
The Springfield favorite features a hamburger sitting comfortably atop thick cut Texas toast, smothered with cheese sauce and topped off with some french fries.
16. The Most Influential Comedian Ever Was Born Here
One of the funniest, most mustachioed men ever to grace the stand-up stage and film screen originally hails from Downstate Illinois. Richard Pryor grew up in Peoria before eventually moving to New York to pursue, and eventually entirely change, stand-up comedy.
17. If You Own Machinery With Wheels, It Probably Comes From Downstate
If you hear the word “caterpillar” and your mind skips right over “the hungry little” and goes right to bulldozers, there’s a decent shot you’re from Downstate Illinois. Both Caterpillar Inc. and John Deere are located in Downstate.
18. It’s Called “Tornado Alley” For A Reason
Tornados are no joke in downstate Illinois, with an average of 10 tornadoes per 10,000 square miles annually. Most locals are used to the eerie sound of those tornado sirens.
19. Small Colleges Are Hidden In Every Nook And Cranny
For every small city stretched across the Downstate Illinois landscape, you’re likely to find a picturesque small liberal arts college or university. Decatur has Millikin, Peoria has Bradley, Rockford has Rockford University, Rock Island has Augustana, and Bloomington has Illinois Wesleyan.
20. Between The Cities, There’s Nothing But Wide Open Space
Take a long, aimless drive through Downstate Illinois and you’re likely to run across more cows and cornfields than people. Even in the cities, Downstate’s economy revolves around agriculture, due to the vast stretches of farmland all around.
21. You Can Thank Bloomington For Beer Nuts
Bloomington is the only place in America where BEER NUTS brand snacks are made. The family-owned company has been producing the sweet, nutty snackum in Bloomington since 1937.
22. Daytrotter Has Jumpstarted The Illinois Music Scene
Horseshack Studio’s now-legendary Daytrotter Sessions in Rock Island have included minimalist recording sessions from the likes of Waylon Jennings, The National, The Lumineers, and hundreds of others.
What do you love about living in Downstate Illinois? Tell us in the comments below! 
