I've lived in the Land of Lincoln my whole life, yet there are still some unique facts about Illinois that surprise me. For instance, we have a state snack (popcorn), a state fossil (Tulley monster), a state reptile (painted turtle), and a state pet (shelter dogs and cats). These little-known, quirky facts only amped up my fascination with my home state — and then I discovered even more.

So, in case you didn't know...

1. We're the nation's top producer of nuclear power.

Cue up the theme from The Simpsons because Illinois generates more nuclear energy than anywhere else in the United States. The Prairie State is home to 11 nuclear power reactors across six power plants, which produce half the state's electricity.

2. Our state dance is the Square Dance.

Did you know we have an official state dance? It's true, and it could not be more square...literally — it's the Square Dance! The classic American folk dance was officially designated as the state dance in 1990. Giddy up!

3. We have an official state soil.

We also have a state soil: drummer silty clay loam. It's a rich black soil that was first discovered in Drummer Township in 1929. In Illinois, we use it to grow corn and soybeans, two of our biggest crops.

4. We produce and process the most pumpkins in the world.

Of course, we also use our drummer soil to grow the largest amount of pumpkins in the world. In fact, the small town of Morton is known as the "Pumpkin Capital of the World" and hosts a Pumpkin Festival each year. Libby's (if you've ever made a pumpkin pie with canned pumpkin, you've likely used Libby's) plants 5,000 acres worth of pumpkins each year in Morton, as well as processes about 80% of the world's canned pumpkins at its factory.

5. The vast majority of our state is farmland.

If you haven't noticed, there are a lot of fields and farmland in Illinois. So much so, that about 80-85% of our state is actually comprised of farmland.

6. Our highest point is a gentle hill about half a mile above sea level.

Keeping on the theme of being a farm-forward state, Illinois is mostly flat. Our highest point is Charles Mound in Scales Mound Township, which is simply a wide rolling hill that only reaches about 1,235 feet above sea level.

7. The flow of the Chicago River was reversed.

Until 1900, the Chicago River flowed its natural route from inland into Lake Michigan. However, the flow was reversed by engineers so that wastewater wouldn't enter the lake. Now, Lake Michigan flows into the city, instead.

8. The tallest man ever recorded in history (so far) was born here.

Robert Wadlow was born in Alton, Illinois in 1918, where he was raised and became known as the Giant of Illinois and the Alton Giant. Wadlow's height was a staggering 8 feet 11 inches due to an unusually high amount of human growth hormone that his body produced. He died in 1940 but remains the tallest man ever known in history, and a life-size statue in Alton commemorates his life.

9. Before Springfield, Illinois had two other capital cities.

Springfield has been the capital of Illinois since 1837, but before it came two other capital cities: Kaskaskia and Vandalia. The first was KasKasKia in 1818, which lasted only two years until the capital switched to Vandalia in 1820, where it remained for 17 years.

10. You can't have a license plate that says "URANUS" on it.

According to the Illinois Secretary of State's Office, a driver cannot have a vanity license plate that says "URANUS." The planet's name was added to the 2023 list of permanently banned personalized and vanity plates in the state.

Did you know these unique facts about Illinois? If so, give yourself a pat on the back, because it was the first time I learned of many! To learn even more about Illinois, check out this top-rated Gangsters and Ghosts Tour in Chicago, which explores the city's speakeasies, bootleggers, and haunted hangouts.