Home to the oldest and most prestigious school in the University of Illinois system, Champaign, Illinois has become a hub in the Prairie State. Aside from the top students in the country, many high tech firms are moving to Champaign, and this trend has given it the nickname Silicon Prairie, with seven Fortune 500 companies calling it home. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Public Ivy school and one of the Big Ten Conference, puts this relatively small city on the map. Those moving to Champaign will also discover a lively downtown areas, acres of parklands and vibrant culture scene, Champaign, Illinois is the perfect city for anyone who wants to have a well-balanced life.
Economy:
It may seem like a strange combination, but education, entertainment and high-tech firms form a bulk of Champaign's economy. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and obvious reason, and it is because of the university's push for research and technology that attracted tech and biotech companies to the city. Wolfram Research (a mathematics program seller) has over 400 employees, while Yahoo!, Statefarm Research as well as office of IBM, AMD and Intel have office in Champaign. Also, several record companies are based in the city, including Polyvinyl Records, Great Western Record Recordes, Undertow Music and Parasol Records. Unemployment went down 2.1 percent as of April 2011, and many jobseekers have even undertaken cross country moving to find a better life in this bustling city. With all of these exciting job opportunities, it's no wonder why so many Champaign moving companies are so busy.
Tourism:
There's something for everyone in Champaign, whether you're an outdoor buff, looking for a good time or just want to admire the fabulous architecture from the early 1900s. With over 550 acres of parkland – that more parks-to-developed-land ratio than anywhere in the US - the Champaign Park District is any nature-lovers dream. Any visit to Champaign wouldn't be complete without going to any of 58 parks, especially "Tribute to Olympic Athletes Monument" in Dodds Park, which recognizes the contributions of all past (and future) Olympic athletes from Champaign. History lovers will marvel at the well-preserved architecture, from the art deco Champaign City Building to the Historic Virginia Theater. The downtown district has been transformed into a lively hotspot, filled with upscale retail shops, restaurants, bars and high-class residential condominiums.
History:
Champaign, as with many cities in the U.S., was built around the arrival of the railroad tracks. Originally, it was called "West Urbana", when the Illinois Central Railroad placed their tracks to the west of the downtown Urbana area. This was because this area was flatter than Urbana and made it easier to lay down train tracks. By 1854, there was already a depot, followed by a church, post office, steam mill and stores. In 1861, the people to who settled around the area opted to charter their own city, renaming in Champaign, after the county it was located in. Later in the decade, when the University of Illinois was looking for a place to build their agricultural college, the residents of Champaign and Urbana successfully petitioned them to build it right between their cities. This new school opened in 1868 and was called Illinois Industrial University and they had 77 students. Thus, the city kept growing, overcoming adversities like fires which destroyed a lot of the cities, and saw a continued boom throughout the 1900s.