Pre-Civil War
Settlers originally named this community as "Calhoun,” after Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, expressing their cultural ties. The land that Springfield now occupies was visited first

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Located within the central section of Illinois, Springfield is 80 miles (130 km) northeast of St. Louis. The Champaign/Urbana area is to the east, Peoriais

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At the 2010 Census, 75.8% of the population was White, 18.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% Asian, and 2.6% of two or more races. 2.0% of Springfield's population was of Hispanic or Latino origin (they may be of any race).

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Springfield has been home to a wide array of individuals, who, in one way or another, contributed to the broader American culture. Wandering poet Vachel Lindsay, most famous for his poem

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Historically, Springfield has been home to a number of minor league baseball franchises, the latest club, the college-prep Springfield Sliders,

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Springfield city government is structured under the mayor-councilform of government. It is the strong mayor variation of that type of municipal government, the mayor

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Many of the jobs in the city center around state government, headquartered in Springfield. As of 2002, the State of Illinois is both the city and county's largest employer, employing

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