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Illinois East Central Region

Regional Hubs

  • Champaign
  • Urbana
  • Danville
  • Rantoul
  • Hoopeston
  • Watseka

Counties

  • Champaign
  • Vermillion
  • Iroquois
  • Douglas
  • Piatt
  • Ford

Key Industries

  • R&D Manufacturing
  • Distribution
  • Healthcare
  • Food Processing
  • Agriculture
  • Higher Education

Major Employers and Headquarters

Large Employers:

Corporate HQ:

Higher Education

Unique Facts

  • Population 361,000+; Workforce approximately 160,000
  • The Research Park at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is home to 120+ companies, with more than 2,100 employees and 800 student interns
  • Champaign-Urbana has been ranked one of the top 5 startup cities by Silicon Prairie and has been ranked among the nation’s top 10 cities for the number of venture capital firms (per capita)
  • The East Central Region is a prime growing region for corn and soybeans. Researchers at the University of Illinois collaborate with local farmers to leverage their expertise and use local farms as testbeds for research and development of early-stage companies.
  • The Carle Illinois College of Medicine (established in 2015) is the world's first engineering-based college of medicine and is leveraging advanced technology to train physician-innovators

Region Specific Assistance

Lauren Gibson, AICP
217-986-0062
lauren.gibson@illinois.gov

Kala Lambert
217-836-8376
kala.lambert@Illinois.gov

The Illinois Department of Commerce is Your One-Stop Resource

  • Site Selection
  • Customized Workforce Training
  • Regional & Local Collaboration
  • Expedited Permitting, Licensing & Other Approvals
  • Connection to Key Stakeholders and Civic & Business Partners
  • Potential Financial Support
  • And more!