Illinois

Being direct is a real, everyday trait in Chicago, where people say exactly what they mean. It is a style shaped by generations of working-class immigrant families who built the city's neighborhoods. Outside the city, the flat, open farmland that covers most of the state gave Illinois its nickname, "The Prairie State," and daily life there moves at a slower, quieter pace centered on farming and small-town routine.

Deep-dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, and a hot dog served without ketchup are foods Chicagoans defend with real pride, and the city helped shape American blues and jazz through its long history of migration from the South.

For a sense of the state's range, the Chicago skyline is considered one of the finest examples of American architecture, while Starved Rock State Park shows the quieter, wooded side of Illinois further south.