Best Web Design in Springfield, IL (2026)

Web Design for Springfield, Illinois

Illinois's capital and the town where Abraham Lincoln spent his adult life before the White House, Springfield wears its Lincoln legacy on every corner, from his preserved home to his tomb. It is also a quirky food town that spells its signature dish 'chilli' with two L's and claims to have invented the corn dog on a stick along old Route 66. State government and hospital systems anchor a mid-sized city of roughly 114,000 people.

AppWT works with Springfield, IL businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Springfield

Also known as. Home of President Abraham Lincoln (official city motto). Land of Lincoln. Chilli Capital of the Civilized World (1993 Illinois legislature resolution).

History. Settlement began around 1820 when John Kelly built a cabin; the town was first named Calhoun for Senator John C. Calhoun, then renamed Springfield (for nearby Spring Creek) by 1832. Became the third Illinois state capital in 1839, largely through the lobbying of Lincoln and a group of nine legislators nicknamed 'the Long Nine' because they stood a combined 54 feet tall. Abraham Lincoln lived in Springfield from 1837 to 1861, where he built a law practice, married Mary Todd, raised his sons, and launched the campaign that made him president. The 1908 Springfield race riot (August 14-16) killed at least 16 people and destroyed Black-owned property; the national outrage helped spur the founding of the NAACP in 1909. On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama announced his presidential candidacy on the steps of the Old State Capitol, deliberately echoing Lincoln.

Local economy. As the state capital, government is the dominant employer, with the State of Illinois employing roughly 17,800 people and tens of thousands more in local and county government. Healthcare is the other pillar: Memorial Health System (about 5,238 employees), Hospital Sisters Health System / St. John's (about 4,434), and Springfield Clinic (about 3,400). Insurance and financial services also have a base in the city, including Horace Mann Educators Corporation, which is headquartered in Springfield. The Reisch Brewing Company brewed beer in Springfield for 117 years (1849-1966), part of a long local brewing and distilling history.

Culture and community. The horseshoe sandwich, an open-faced pile of toast, meat, french fries and cheese sauce, was invented in Springfield and remains a central-Illinois signature. Springfield spells 'chilli' with two L's, a local convention traced to the Dew Chilli Parlor era, and the state legislature named it the 'Chilli Capital of the Civilized World' in 1993. The Illinois State Fair runs every August in Springfield, one of the largest state fairs in the country. The Old Capitol Art Fair takes over the downtown square the third weekend of May each year, and the Route 66 Film Festival celebrates the city's Mother Road heritage. Notable Springfield natives include poet Vachel Lindsay (born 1879) and General Foods heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post.

What makes Springfield distinct. The 'Long Nine' legislators who won Springfield the capital were literally the tallest men in the statehouse, averaging six feet each and totaling 54 feet. Springfield's Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop claims to have operated the first drive-thru window in the United States. The 1908 race riot happened in the 'Land of Lincoln,' a jarring irony that directly motivated activists to form the NAACP the following year. The ill-fated Donner Party set out from Springfield in 1846 on its westward journey. Locals insist the corn dog on a stick was born here as the 'Cozy Dog' in the mid-1940s.

Springfield is the capital of Illinois and the seat of Sangamon County, best known as Abraham Lincoln's hometown and a center of state government.

Springfield Landmarks and Local Life

• Lincoln Home National Historic Site - The only house Abraham Lincoln ever owned, preserved to its 1860s appearance at Eighth and Jackson Streets
• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum - State-run museum and research library with exhibits and artifacts on Lincoln's life
• Old State Capitol and Lincoln's Tomb - The statehouse where Lincoln served and his final resting place at Oak Ridge Cemetery
• Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center - Six-plus miles of trails through prairie, woodland, and wetland along Lake Springfield
• Carpenter Park - A 322-acre nature preserve along the Sangamon River with hiking trails

Springfield at a Glance

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023.

• Median household income: About $65,537
• Adults with a bachelor degree or higher: About 35.1%
• Housing: About 63% of housing units are owner-occupied
• Housing: Roughly 65% of housing units are single-family homes