Downstate Illinois refers to all of
Illinois south of the
Chicago metropolitan area. This term is flexible, but because it is generally meant to refer to everything outside the Chicago area; some cities in
Northern Illinois, such as
Rockford (which is north of Chicago), are considered to be "downstate". Prior to the issuance of
2000 Census results, when it became part of the Chicago metropolitan area, even
DeKalb (located 65 miles west of Chicago) was often considered to be "downstate".