Illinois, the sixth-largest state in the nation, also has the nation's third-largest metropolitan area, with a large business concentration. It’s not clear how many of the state’s business owners applied for the program relative to other states, or what the financial impact has been in Illinois relative to other states (Washington was one of the first state's significantly impacted).

SBA spokeswoman Veronica Dymond noted that states initially became eligible to participate in the program one at a time as each state made a request to be declared in need of disaster aid. She said the Illinois declaration on March 17 was preceded by others that started receiving money from the program sooner.

The EIDL program is for businesses with fewer than 500 employees and has been attractive to owners because it includes a $10,000 advance that doesn’t have to be repaid. It was expanded to its current size in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and is distinct from the other pandemic-related federal loan program, the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, which ran out of money last week. Lawmakers are seeking to expand that larger program with new legislation moving through Congress now.