Rural American Driving 4K | Southern Illinois

Southern Illinois (also known as "Little Egypt") is the southern third of the state of Illinois. The southern part of Illinois has a unique cultural and regional history. Part of downstate Illinois, the Southern Illinois region is bordered by the two most voluminous rivers in the United States: the Mississippi River and its connecting Missouri River to the west, and the Ohio River to the east and south with the Wabash as tributary.

The area has a population of 1.2 million people,[1] who live mostly in rural towns and cities separated by extensive farmland and the Shawnee National Forest. The two higher density areas of population are Metro-East (pop. 700,000+), which is the partly industrialized Illinois portion of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, and the Carbondale-Marion-Herrin, Illinois Combined Statistical Area, centered on Carbondale and Marion, a two-county area that is home to 123,272 residents.

The first European settlers were French colonists in the part of their North American empire called Illinois Country. Later settlers migrated from the Upland South of the United States, traveling by the Ohio River. The region was affiliated with the southern agricultural economy, based on enslaved African Americans as workers on major plantations, and rural culture. Some settlers owned slaves before the territory was organized and slavery was prohibited. Many areas developed an economy based on coal mining. Much of Southern Illinois is still culturally affiliated with the Mid-South: Western Kentucky, Southwestern Indiana, West Tennessee, and the Missouri Bootheel. The people speak with similar accents throughout this area. Southern Illinois, the earliest settled and once the wealthiest part of Illinois, is known for its rich history and the abundance of antebellum architecture remaining in its small towns and cities.

[duncar]

theres so much beauty in what many call "boring"

[benjiijneb]

As someone who's moved away from Southern Illinois, finding this video was a blessing! Being from Du Quoin, I used to drive this road to work all the time to Herrin hospital. Thank you for this!

[markm]

I miss home so much. Joined the army and obviously can’t be there too often. I’m from northern illinois but everyone knows once you get past Aurora it’s the same thing across the rest of illinois.

[DrivingAsia-]

The scenery is very beautiful and very livable

[torronbrown]

Southern Illinois looks so much like the actual southern United States nothing seems Midwestern about this part of Illinois

[shrekyearsago]

Ain’t nothing better then cruising down rural America at dawn while listening too some music

[PaigeNature]

i come from southern minnesota and this reminds me a lot of home. great footage! i’ll have to visit sometime.

[bernardpaul]

You passed the greatest frozen custard stand in perhaps the whole world, The Custard Stand in Sesser. It is worth standing in line, sometimes as long as 45 minutes, for their specialties. My personal favorite is the Turtle Pecan Flurry. Better hurry, though. They will be closing for the winter on Halloween night.

[Drivingusa]

Really enjoy your videos love driving roads of USA 🇺🇸

[Frizzl]

I come from Germany and I like it so much! Thank you

[traveltimes]

Beautiful footage, what a lovely area.

[lindacolboth]

Love that you call it SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.

[cosettelaplante]

Back in the day, I sometimes took backroads from Carmi to Albion and from Fairfield to Carmi (some were gravel roads and some were blacktop roads)... Now I live in the city and back roads means cutting through subdivisions and strip malls.

[ChicagoJ]

I used to live in the area. Lived in Marion, then went to school in Carbondale. This is the scenic route going north, although most of southern Il is the scenic route. 😂

Much nicer drive than going up 57. Although south is even nicer where the mountains start to open up. Just a little south of herrin, Shawnee national forest area.

Very hot summers, no cities close by, bees and spiders that look like mutants haha.

But very friendly nice place to live. Especially if you have a little money and can get a nice country house.

[redmanr]

50 years ago, prior to 1974, Illinois was 65 mph on 2-lane roads, but little good it did, it only applied to cars, it was 55 for trucks (under 4 tons) and 50 for trucks over 4 tons.

[chuaysantan]

Beautiful road, nice home to live in from Thailand

[MarcusSchmalzlockus]

You should build some castles and half-timbered houses to improve the landscape.

[ianmangham]

Beautiful, better than 1060 West Addison, more grass here.

[paulacopher]

I live in Southern, Illinois and I hate it!!

[stephaniepersin]

More would subscribe if you describe what you passed. Only people who would know each place driven are natives to this area.