Bloomington, IL

The Bloomington area lay at the edge of a large grove occupied by the Kickapoo before Euro-American settlers arrived in the early 1820s. The settlement developed from Keg Grove, later called Blooming Grove, and became the McLean County seat on December 25, 1830, when the county was created; promoter Gavin Quinn donated 60 acres for the town. Bloomington, the larger of the two principal Bloomington–Normal municipalities, had 78,680 residents in 2020. Illinois Wesleyan University, founded in 1850, includes liberal arts, fine arts, and nursing programs. The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts is the centerpiece of a cultural district and hosts more than 20 area ensembles. The 24-mile Bloomington–Normal Constitution Trail follows an abandoned Illinois Central Gulf corridor through part of the city.