Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County. As reported in the 2000 U.S. Census, the city was home to 111,454 people. The land on which Springfield is today was first settled in the late 1810s, around the time Illinois became a state. The city was originally called "Calhoun" after Vice President John C. Calhoun; as public sentiment turned against Calhoun the city was renamed Springfield. Abraham Lincoln is one of the city's most important and prominent past residents, he moved to the area in 1831 and lived in Springfield itself from 1837 until 1861. Former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant also lived briefly in Springfield in 1861. In 1908 a large race riot erupted in the city which culminated with the lynching of two African American residents.
Springfield is known for its food and as a home to such performing arts as ballet, jazz and a carillon festival, which happens annually. Common tourist attractions include a multitude of historic sites affiliated with Lincoln, state government sites and various food-related attractions such as the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop.
The city lies on a mostly flat plain which encompasses much of the surrounding countryside. A large man-made lake, owned by a local public utility company, supplies the city with recreation and drinking water. Weather is fairly typical for middle latitude location, hot summers and cold winters. Spring and summer weather is like that of most midwestern cities-severe thunderstorms are common. Violent storms such as tornadoes are possible, although rare. One of those rare occasions was March of 2006 when two tornadoes touched down in the city. This had been the first time in nearly 50 years that a tornado hit Springfield proper.
The city is governed by a mayor-council form of government, under a strong mayor variation. The city proper is also the "Capital Township" governmental entity. In addition, the government of the state of Illinois is also based in Springfield. State government entities located in the city include the Illinois General Assembly, the Illinois Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor of Illinois. There are eight public and private high schools in the city. Public schools in Springfield are operated by District No. 186. The economy of Springfield is marked by government jobs, which account for a large percentage of the work force in the city. Unemployment in Springfield rose from September 2006 to February 2007, from 3.8% to 5.1%.

History
Springfield is located at 39.783250° N 89.650373° W (39°47′0″N, 89°39′1″W).

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 156.2 km² (60.3 mi²). 139.9 km² (54.0 mi²) of it is land and 16.3 km² (6.3 mi²) of it (10.46%) is water. The city is located in the Lower Illinois River Basin, in a large area known as Till Plain. Sangamon County, and the city of Springfield, are in the Springfield Plain subsection of Till Plain. The Plain is a result of glacial drift, known as the Illinoian drift because of its large exposure over areas of Illinois.

Topography
Springfield experiences typical middle latitude weather. Hot summers and cold winters are the norm. Illinois also experiences large numbers of tornadoes. From 1961 to 1990 the city of Springfield averaged 35.25 inches (89.3 cm) of precipitation per year.

Climate
Springfield proper is greatly based on a grid street system, with numbered streets starting with the longitudinal First Street which leads to the Illinois State Capitol and leading to 32nd Street in the far eastern part of the city. Previously the city had four distinct boundary streets: North, South, East, and West Grand Avenues. Since expansion, West Grand Avenue became MacArthur Boulevard and East Grand became 19th Street on the north side and 18th Street on the south side. 18th Street has since been renamed after Martin Luther King Jr. North and South Grand Avenues (which run east-west) have remained important corridors in the city. At South Grand and Eleventh Street, the old "South Town District" lies, with the City of Springfield undertaking a huge redevelopment project there.
Latitudinal streets range from names of presidents in the downtown area to names of notable people in Springfield and Illinois to names of institutions of higher education, especially in the Harvard Park neighborhood.
Springfield has at least eleven separately designated neighborhoods: Eastside, Enos Park, Hawthorne Place, Historic West Side, Lincoln Park, Near South, Oak Ridge, Shalom, Springfield Lakeshore, Twin Lakes, Vinegar Hill neighborhoods.

Cityscape
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 "The Congo" and a booklet called "Rhymes to be Traded for Bread," was born in Springfield in 1879.

Culture
A few films have been created or had elements of them created in Springfield. The most notable film was probably Legally Blonde 2 in 2003. Musicians Artie Matthews and Morris Day both once called Springfield home.

Performing arts
Springfield has long had an affiliation with food. The corn dog on a stick was invented in the city under the name "Cozy Dog," although there is some debate to the actual origin of the popular snack.

Tourism
Historically, Springfield has been home to a number of minor league baseball franchises, the last club leaving the city after 2001. Today, the city is host to the Springfield Junior Blues, a minor league hockey team, and the Springfield Stallions, an indoor football team who played at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in 2007, though the team failed to complete the season due to financial difficulties.
The city has produced several notable professional sports talents. Current and former Major League Baseball players, Kevin Seitzer, Jeff Fassero, Ryan O'Malley and Robin Roberts were all born in Springfield.

Sports
The State Journal-Register is the primary daily newspaper for Springfield, and its surrounding area. The newspaper was originally founded in 1831 as the Sangamon Journal, and claims to be "the oldest newspaper in Illinois." The local alternative weekly is the Illinois Times. There are four TV channels which include WCFN MYTV 49, WICS ABC 20, WRSP FOX 55, and WSEC PBS 14. There are at least two radio channels based in Springfield, which are WUIS FM 91.9 and WMAY AM 970.

Media
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 17,000 people across Sangamon County.

Economy
As of the census of 2000, there were 111,454 people, 48,621 households, and 27,957 families residing in the city. The population density was 796.9/km² (2,063.9/mi²). There were 53,733 housing units at an average density of 384.2/km² (995.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.01% White, 15.34% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.
There were 48,621 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,388, and the median income for a family was $51,298. Males had a median income of $36,864 versus $28,867 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,324. About 8.4% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Demographics
See also: List of Springfield city departments, Sister cities of Springfield, and List of mayors of Springfield, Illinois
Springfield city government is structured under the mayor-council form of government. It is the strong mayor variation of that type of municipal government, the mayor holds executive authority, including veto power, in Springfield.

Law and government
The Capital Township formed from Springfield Township on July 1, 1877, and was established and named by the Sangamon County Board on March 6, 1878, and the limits of the township and City of Springfield were made co-extensive on February 17, 1892 to better serve the people. There are three functions of this township: assessing property, collection first property tax payment, and assisting residents that live in the township. One thing that makes the Capital township unique is that the township never has to raise taxes for road work, since the roads are maintained by the Springfield Department of Public Works.

Township
Springfield is home to at least eight public and private high schools. The public school district is District No. 186. The city is also home to two community colleges and the Springfield campus of the University of Illinois, is located on the southeast side of the city. The city is home to the Springfield campus of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine,

Education

Infrastructure
There are two Springfield hospitals, Springfield Memorial Medical Center and St. John's Hospital. St. John's Hospital is home to the Prairie Heart Institute, which performs more cardiovascular procedures than any other hospital in Illinois. The dominant health care provider in the area is Springfield Clinic. The major medical education concern in the area is the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine -- located in Springfield.

Health systems
The Springfield Park District operates more than 30 parks throughout the city. The two best-known are Carpenter Park, an Illinois Nature Preserve on the banks of the Sangamon River, and Washington Park and Botanical Garden on the city's southwest side.

Parks
The owner of Lake Springfield, City Water, Light and Power, supplies electric power for the city of Springfield and eight surrounding communities, the company also provides the cities and towns with water from the lake. Natural gas is provided via AmerenCILCO, formerly Central Illinois Light Company (CILCO).

Public utilities
Interstate 55 runs from north to south past Springfield, while I-72, also known as US 36, runs from east to west. Springfield is also served by Amtrak passenger trains, which operate between Chicago and St. Louis and stop at the former Gulf, Mobile & Ohio station.