Springfield is the
capital of the
U.S. state of
Illinois and the
county seat of
Sangamon County with a population of 116,250, as of the
2010 U.S. Census, making it the sixth most populated city in the state. It is the largest city in
central Illinois. As of 2013, the city's population was estimated to have increased to 117,006, with just over 211,700 residents living in the Springfield
Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Sangamon County and the adjacent
Menard County. Present-day Springfield was first settled by European Americans in the late 1810s, around the time Illinois became a state. The most famous past resident is
Abraham Lincoln, who lived in Springfield from 1837 until 1861, when he went to the White House as President. Major tourist attractions include a multitude of historic sites connected with Abraham Lincoln including his
presidential museum,
his home from 1837 to 1861, his
tomb at
Oak Ridge Cemetery, and the historical town of
New Salem, with a short drive from the city.