* ProPublica Illinois asks…

What do people mean when they say “Downstate Illinois?” Where are they actually talking about?

* Amdor has a simple and mostly accurate answer…



Everything outside IDOT District One. The 55/45 split. https://t.co/V8ZmaxlNDO — John Amdor (@JohnAmdor) October 20, 2017

But parts of Kendall County, which isn’t in District 1, can be considered more suburban than Downstate. The official Chicago metropolitan area includes DeKalb County, which isn’t suburban.

I think it’s more of a state of mind in exurban regions. Like everything, it’s tough to define along the margins, like northern McHenry County, for instance.

* Back to ProPublica…

And, if “Downstate” contains certain connotations, it’s important for our reporters to understand them, so we can better choose our words both in how we write and how we talk.

They also posted a couple of defensive tweets…



it's a way Chicagoans try to minimize us; in my case, my house is exactly due west from the Loop. Not exactly 'down' geographically — The Uncouth Sloth (@TheUncouthSloth) October 18, 2017 If anything, it's divisive. Very us vs. them. And it's unfair and inaccurate to lump everyone not in Chicago metro with each other. — Sherry Skalko (@sskalko) October 17, 2017



Downstate is definitely not a monolith. Kankakee has more in common with the South and Southwest Sides of Chicago than it does with, say, Anna. And we haven’t even talked about the Metro East yet. Go to Edwardsville and you’d think you were in a leafy suburban Cook town.

* And this…



Downstate isn't offensive, but I think people in Central Illinois get offended if Champaign/Decatur/Bloomington are called southern. — Johnathan Hettinger (@jhett93) October 17, 2017

I have a theory that “the real southern Illinois” starts 45 miles south of wherever you live.

* I’ve lived in Chicago and loved it, but I was born and raised Downstate (with detours to Utah and Germany) and I’ve never been offended if somebody called me a “Downstater,” even though the term was probably coined by a snooty Chicagoan.

* The Question: Should people be offended by the terms “Downstate” or “Downstaters”? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.