Southern Illinois

Southern Illinois is the southern third of the state of Illinois. It mainly consists of areas along and south of Interstate 64. The southern part of Illinois has a unique cultural and regional history. The culture is more aligned with the southern United States, rather than The Midwest, as it is in the Upland South. Part of downstate Illinois, the Southern Illinois region is bordered by the two most voluminous rivers in the United States: the Mississippi River below its connecting Missouri River to the west, and the Ohio River to the east and south with the Wabash as tributary. Area code 618 serves the region.

Southern Illinois' most populated city is Belleville at 44,478. Other principal cities include Alton, Centralia, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Godfrey, O'Fallon, Harrisburg, Herrin, West Frankfort, Mt. Vernon, Marion, and Carbondale, where the main campus of Southern Illinois University is located. Residents may also travel to amenities in St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; Evansville, Indiana; and Paducah, Kentucky. The region is home to Scott Air Force Base, a major military installation.

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