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Southern Illinois

Southern Illinois is a region in the state of . It is primarily agricultural, like most of Illinois outside , but includes some attractive, rolling scenery that contrasts with the flatness of Central Illinois to its north.
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Photo: Ruhe1986, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Photo: Dschwen, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Essential Destinations

Top destinations include Carbondale and Cairo.

Photo: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0.
is a small city of about 25,000 in Southern about 14 miles east of the at roughly the southern edge of the plains, and the northern limit of the Shawnee hills.

Photo: Zcarstvnz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
is in on a small strip of land in between and as well as the confluence of the Ohio and , made famous in Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn".

Photo: Zcarstvnz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
is a city in , , , and counties in the U.S. state of with the largest portion in Marion County. The city is the largest in three counties, Clinton, Marion, and Washington, but it is not a county seat for any of them.

Destinations to Discover

Explore places such as Salem and Marion.

Photo: Nyttend, Public domain.
is a small city in Southern Illinois, and the county seat of the rural Marion county.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.
is a city in Southern Illinois. Named in honor of Francis and settled in 1839, isn't exactly replete with places to see but has forests and recreational areas nearby.

Photo: Hans Schönverrückt, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a city in , United States, and its county seat. The population was 14,600 at the 2020 census. is the principal city of the , Illinois micropolitan area, which includes all of Jefferson and counties.

is a small city in Southern probably named out of wishful thinking which hasn't really been borne out. The town's current claim to fame is as the host for a floating riverboat casino run by the Harrah's casino chain of , .

is the second largest city in , , United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,054.

Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0.
is a in , , . As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 547, down from 561 in 2010. In the early 20th Century it used the slogan "Star of Egypt." is part of the Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Photo: Hourick, Public domain.
is a village in , , . The population was 929 at the 2020 census, up from 816 in 2010. It is a part of the Illinois portion of the Greater St.

is a village in , , , within the Southern Illinois region informally known as "Little Egypt.” The population estimate as of 2025 is 1,064.

Photo: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0.
is a town in , , . The population was 1,157 at the 2020 census.

Photo: Dschwen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The is a United States National Forest located in the Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, . Administered by the U.S.D.A.

Southern Illinois

Latitude of center
38.4055° or 38° 24′ 20″ north
Longitude of center
-89.0028° or 89° 0′ 10″ west
Elevation
472 feet (144 metres)
Geo­Names ID
12218086
Wiki­data ID
Q3256684
This page is based on GeoNames, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikivoyage.
We’d love your help improving our open data sources. Thank you for contributing.

Satellite Map

Discover Southern Illinois from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
© Stadia Maps, Airbus DS, CNES, PlanetObserver, and Copernicus

In Other Languages

From Chinese to Slovenian—“Southern Illinois” goes by many names.
  • Chinese: “伊利诺伊州南部”
  • Chinese: “小埃及 (伊利諾伊州)”
  • Chinese: “小埃及”
  • French: “Little Egypt (region)”
  • French: “Little egypt”
  • French: “Little Egypt”
  • French: “Southern Illinois”
  • Hebrew: “דרום אילינוי”
  • Hebrew: “ליטל איג’יפט”
  • Hebrew: “מצרים הקטנה”
  • Japanese: “イリノイ州南部”
  • Slovenian: “Egypt”
  • Slovenian: “Južni Illinois”
  • Slovenian: “Little Egypt”
  • Slovenian: “Mali Egipt”
  • Slovenian: “Southern Illinois”

Illinois: Must-Visit Destinations

Delve into Chicago, Springfield, Rockford, and Loop.

Explore These Curated Destinations

Discover places selected for their distinct character and enduring appeal.
About Mapcarta. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, except for photos, directions, and the map. Description text is based on the Wikivoyage page “Southern Illinois”. Photo: Dschwen, CC BY-SA 4.0.