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How well do you know this state? Test your knowledge with our Illinois Trivia Quiz!
While Illinois is known as the home to the bustling metropolis of Chicago, the largest prehistoric earthworks in North America, and some of the USA’s most notable figures- there’s still more to discover about this Midwestern state.
So test your knowledge about the state and take our fun Illinois Trivia quiz- from general topics to the place’s landmarks and cultures.
You’ll find our Illinois questions and answers at the bottom of this guide to check how you did- as well as instructions to advise you how to play the game.
Note: As with all of our geography quizzes, there are five rounds, each with five questions, making this quiz out of 25 points.
Also included in this Illinois Trivia Quiz questions and answers are interesting facts about the state you may not yet know about.
You may also like our Wisconsin Trivia Quiz and 50 State Quiz.
Table of Contents
- Illinois Trivia Quiz Questions & Answers
- Illinois Quiz General Knowledge Questions
- Illinois Geography Questions
- Illinois History Questions
- Illinois Culture Questions
- Illinois Landmark Quiz Questions
- Illinois Test Answers
- Illinois Quiz General Knowledge Answers
- Illinois Geography Answers
- Illinois History Answers
- Illinois Culture Answers
- Illinois Landmark Quiz Answers
Illinois Trivia Quiz Questions & Answers
Illinois Quiz General Knowledge Questions
1. What is the nickname for Illinois?
- Home of Chicago
- The Great Lakes State
- The Prairie State
- The Wetlands State
2. What is the two-letter state code for Illinois?
- IL
- IS
- IN
- IO
3. What is the Illinois state bird?
- American Robin
- Cardinal
- Blue Jay
- Golden Eagle
4. What is the nickname for people from Illinois?
- Illinoisans
- Illinoisers
- Illinoisians
- Illinoisites
5. What is the state flower of Illinois?
- White Rose
- Common Blue Violet
- Lavender
- Ditch Lily
Illinois Geography Questions
1. Which of the Great Lakes border the State of Illinois?
- Lake Erie
- Lake Superior
- Lake Ontario
- Lake Michigan
2. What is the population of the city of Chicago?
- 2.7 Million
- 4 Million
- 1.5 Million
- 950,000
3. Which of the following cities is closest to the Wisconsin border?
- Rockford
- Springfield
- Decatur
- Marion
4. What is the highest point in Illinois?
- Scales Mound
- Charles Mound
- Chestnut Mountain
- Starved Rock
Bonus points if you can order by elevation starting from the highest down to the lowest!
5. Which river serves as the western border of Illinois?
- Illinois River
- Ohio River
- Mississippi River
- Root River
Illinois History Questions
1. Illinois is the birthplace of this US president
- Abraham Lincoln
- Howard Taft
- Ronald Reagan
- Jimmy Carter
2. In what year did Illinois become an official state?
- 1838
- 1845
- 1805
- 1818
3. Which of the following famous politicians did not hold office in Illinois?
- Barack Obama
- Stephen A. Douglas
- Dick Durbin
- Hilary Clinton
4. Which indigenous tribe is Illinois named after?
- Iroquois
- Illiniwek
- Sauk
- Mesquakie
5. What famous inventory helped turn Illinois’s prairies into valuable farmland?
- John Deere
- Charles Goodyear
- Cyrus McCormick
- Henry Ford
Illinois Culture Questions
1. Illinois is home to 4 professional hockey teams. Which of the teams is a founding member of the National Hockey League?
- Peoria Rivermen
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Chicago Wolves
- Rockford Ice Hogs
2. What famous American author is from Illinois?
- Ernest Hemingway
- John Steinbeck
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Mark Twain
3. Which pop culture icon was born in Chicago?
- Bob Dylan
- Walt Disney
- Marilyn Monroe
- Frank Sinatra
You can also try our fun 60s music quiz, 70s song quiz, 80s music quiz, 90s music quiz or 2000s music quiz.
4. Which Illinois institution is known for its Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches?
- Portillos
- Culvers
- John’s Bar
- Giordano’s
5. What makes Chicago-style pizza unique from other styles of pizza?
- Thin Crust
- Anchovies and Feta
- Sauce on top of the cheese
- Only made in a wood-fired oven
Illinois Landmark Quiz Questions
1. What was the original name of the famous Willis Tower in Downtown Chicago?
- The Sears Tower
- Illinois State Tower
- The Chicago Tower
- Millennium Tower
2. In which park can you find the iconic Chicago sculpture called The Bean?
- Millennium Park
- Lincoln Park
- Grant Park
- Humboldt Park
3. Which historic trail winds through the State of Illinois?
- Lewis and Clark Trail
- The Pocahontas Trail
- The Lincoln Historic Trail
- Mormon Pioneer Trail
4. Which Chicago sports venue was originally called Weeghman Park?
- Guaranteed Rate Field
- Wrigley Field
- Soldier Field
- United Center
5. Which of the following famous films did not use Illinois landmarks as set pieces?
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
- The Blues Brothers
- The Break-Up
- Field of Dreams
How did you do?
Check the Illinois test answers below and share them with your friends!
Illinois Test Answers
Illinois Quiz General Knowledge Answers
1. What is the nickname for Illinois?
- Home of Chicago
- The Great Lakes State
- The Prairie State
- The Wetlands State
Illinois Trivia: The nickname was given by the first settlers who noticed the majestic rolling prairies that cover the state. Illinois is also known as the Land of Lincoln.
2. What is the two-letter state code for Illinois?
- IL
- IS
- IN
- IO
3. What is the Illinois state bird?
- American Robin
- Cardinal
- Blue Jay
- Golden Eagle
Illinois Trivia: Illinois State University’s Mascot, the Red Bird, is fashioned after the Illinois state bird.
4. What is the nickname for people from Illinois?
- Illinoisans
- Illinoisers
- Illinoisians
- Illinoisites
5. What is the state flower of Illinois?
- White Rose
- Common Blue Violet
- Lavender
- Ditch Lily
Illinois Geography Answers
1. Which of the Great Lakes border the State of Illinois?
- Lake Erie
- Lake Superior
- Lake Ontario
- Lake Michigan
2. What is the population of the city of Chicago?
- 2.7 Million
- 4 Million
- 1.5 Million
- 950,000
Illinois Trivia: Chicago is the third most populated city in the United States. Only New York City and Los Angeles have more people.
3. Which of the following cities is closest to the Wisconsin border?
- Rockford
- Springfield
- Decatur
- Marion
4. What is the highest point in Illinois?
- Scales Mound (955 ft)
- Charles Mound (1,235 ft)
- Chestnut Mountain (1,040 ft)
- Starved Rock (558 ft)
5. Which river serves as the western border of Illinois?
- Illinois River
- Ohio River
- Mississippi River
- Root River
Illinois Trivia: Illinois is bordered by 880 miles of river and has over 87 thousand miles of rivers within its borders.
Illinois History Answers
1. Illinois is the birthplace of this US president
- Abraham Lincoln
- Howard Taft
- Ronald Reagan
- Jimmy Carter
Illinois Trivia: Although Illinois is called the Land of Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln was actually born in Kentucky.
2. In what year did Illinois become an official state?
- 1838
- 1845
- 1805
- 1818
Illinois Trivia: Illinois was the 21st state to join the union.
3. Which of the following famous politicians did not hold office in Illinois?
- Barack Obama
- Stephen A. Douglas
- Dick Durbin
- Hilary Clinton
Illinois Trivia: Although she lived in Chicago, Hilary Clinton never held office in the state.
4. Which indigenous tribe is Illinois named after?
- Iroquois
- Illiniwek
- Sauk
- Mesquakie
5. What famous inventory helped turn Illinois’s prairies into valuable farmland?
- John Deere
- Charles Goodyear
- Cyrus McCormick
- Henry Ford
Illinois Trivia: John Deere still produces the majority of its products in Illinois.
Illinois Culture Answers
1. Illinois is home to 4 professional hockey teams. Which of the teams is a founding member of the National Hockey League?
- Peoria Rivermen
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Chicago Wolves
- Rockford Ice Hogs
Illinois Trivia: The Chicago Blackhawks were established in 1926 and are one of the Original Six teams in the NHL along with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
2. What famous American author is from Illinois?
- Ernest Hemingway
- John Steinbeck
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Mark Twain
3. Which pop culture icon was born in Chicago?
- Bob Dylan
- Walt Disney
- Marilyn Monroe
- Frank Sinatra
4. Which Illinois institution is known for its Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches?
- Portillos
- Culvers
- John’s Bar
- Giordano’s
5. What makes Chicago-style pizza unique from other styles of pizza?
- Thin Crust
- Anchovies and Feta
- Sauce on top of the cheese
- Only Made in a wood-fired oven
Illinois Trivia: Giordano’s and Lou Malnati’s are the most visited places in Chicago for the famous style of deep-dish pizza.
Illinois Landmark Quiz Answers
1. What was the original name of the famous Willis Tower in Downtown Chicago?
- The Sears Tower
- Illinois State Tower
- The Chicago Tower
- Millennium Tower
Illinois Trivia: The Willis Tower was erected in 1970 and is 110 stories high.
2. In which park can you find the iconic Chicago sculpture called The Bean?
- Millennium Park
- Lincoln Park
- Grant Park
- Humboldt Park
3. Which historic trail winds through the State of Illinois?
- Lewis and Clark Trail
- The Pocahontas Trail
- The Lincoln Historic Trail
- Mormon Pioneer Trail
4. Which Chicago sports venue was originally called Weeghman Park?
- Guaranteed Rate Field
- Wrigley Field
- Soldier Field
- United Center
Illinois Trivia: The Chicago Cubs broke their 108-year “curse” when they won the World Series in 2016. The curse was rumored to be the result of Wrigley Field denying access to a goat in 1945.
5. Which of the following famous films did not use Illinois landmarks as set pieces?
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
- The Blues Brothers
- The Break-Up
- Field of Dreams
Illinois Trivia: Illinois serves as the setting for many popular movies and TV shows including A League of Their Own, Wayne’s World, The Dark Knight, Groundhog Day, and Shameless.
Like TV? Check out our TV Trivia Quizzes such as The Sopranos, Mad Men, and RuPaul Drag Race.
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