Before the White House, Abraham Lincoln lived in Springfield, the capital of Illinois, roughly 100 miles from St. Louis, and that history is the main reason to come. About 113,000 people live here. You can visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, tour the Lincoln Home, see the Old State Capitol and pay respects at the Lincoln Tomb. Lincoln's New Salem, a reconstructed village, is about 20 miles away, and Route 66 sites dot the city.
Life is quiet and easy on the wallet, with housing and rent well below the national average and steady prices, though the population is slipping slightly. In August the Illinois State Fair is the big event of the year. Neighborhoods run from historic downtown and the West Side to quieter suburban pockets on the edge. Violent crime is above the national average, particularly in parts of the east side and north of downtown, so take care at night. The tourist sites and Capitol area are fine in the daytime. Summers are hot and humid, storms and tornadoes come in spring and summer, and winters bring ice and snow.
