Springfield, Illinois

Springfield is the state capital of Illinois with a population of 114,868 and the adult home of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln became a lawyer and an Illinois congressman here before becoming the 16th President of the United States.  Lincoln’s tomb, home, law office, national library, and museum are open to the public. In 2007, President Barack Obama declared his run for his Presidency on the steps of the Old State Capital. Springfield is home to the Illinois State Fair and to Maid-Rite, a restaurant who claims to have had the first drive-thru window in the United States.