Illinois Free Public Records Directory

Illinois, located in the Midwestern region of the U.S, is the 25th largest state in size containing 57,953 sq. miles and 102 counties. Most of Illinois’s western border with Missouri and Iowa is the Mississippi River; Kaskaskia is an exclave of Illinois, lying west of the Mississippi River and reachable only from Missouri. Wisconsin lies on the state’s northern border. The northeastern border of Illinois lies in Lake Michigan, within which Illinois shares a water boundary with the states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana.

There are three major geographical regions in Illinois. The city of Chicago and its suburbs dominate the Northern Region. Central Illinois is mainly prairie and is known as the “Heart of Illinois.” Springfield, the state capital is located in this region. Southern Illinois consists of an area south of U.S. Route 50 and includes the juncture of the Mississippi River and the Ohio River.

The climate in Illinois varies widely throughout the year. Most of Illinois experiences hot, humid summers and cold winters. The state averages approximately 51 days of thunderstorm activity per year including an average of 35 tornadoes.

Before the arrival of the European settlers, American Indians lived along the waterways of Illinois. The official Illinois Territory was created on February 3, 1809. Illinois became the 21st state of the United States on December 3, 1818. The growth of industrial jobs in the northern cities, and mining in the central and southern areas of Illinois, attracted immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe. Many people from other parts of the country were also attracted to the state by its expanding industrial base.

Illinois’s population of 12,802,023 makes it the 6th most populous state in the U.S. and the most populous state in the Midwest region. The largest city in the state is Chicago, with a population of 2,695,598. There are 7 other cities in the state with a population of over 100,000. O’Hare International Airport, located in Chicago, is one of the world’s busiest airports.

Illinois is the leader in the U.S. in a number of areas affecting its economy. It is the leading refiner of petroleum in the Midwest, either 1st or 2nd for the production of soybeans, 2nd in corn production, and 3rd in ethanol production. Illinois is ranked as the 4th most productive manufacturing state in the country, behind California, Texas and Ohio.

The Illinois public records listed below are sorted by category and record type. The over 25 types of records include present day records and historical records such as genealogy records, election records, and more.

Abbreviation	IL
Capital	Springfield
Population	12,802,023 (2017 est.)
Area size	57,953 sq. mi.
Demonym	Illinoisan
Primary languages spoken	English
Governor	Bruce Rauner
Lieutenant Governor	Evelyn Sanguinetti
U.S. Senators	Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth
U.S. House Delegation	7 Republicans, 11 Democrats
Time Zone	Central: UTC -6/-5

*The map and data in the table are from Wikipedia.

Browse by Public Record Category

There are two types of public records; 1) personal public records that document major life milestones such as birth certificates, death certificates, divorce records, and marriage records, etc.; and 2) government records that are made public such as property tax records, recorded land records, voter records, crime data, jail inmate records, and court records. The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records. ^[2] The Illinois Freedom of Information Act [5 ILCS 140] provides public access to government documents and records. This Act defines public records as "all records, reports, forms, writings, letters, memoranda, books, papers, maps, photographs, microfilms, cards, tapes, recordings, electronic data processing records, electronic communications, recorded information, and all other documentary materials pertaining to the transaction of public business, regardless of physical form or characteristics, having been prepared by or for, or having been or being used by, received by, in the possession of, or under the control of any public body."^[3]

Since there are a multitude of records available, it can be difficult to know how or where to access them. When you are ready to start your search, you’ll find our Public Records Directory website easy to use since all of the records can be searched by federal, state, county, city, town or type of record. The links provided will connect you to the best website for the record search, provide details about the record, or provide contact information for those records without search capabilities.