Here’s Why Illinois Is A Bigfoot Hotspot (According To The Data)

In the interests of full disclosure, I'm going to go ahead and admit that I'm a sucker for these sorts of stories.

If it's about cryptids (an animal or being that is believed by some to exist, but lacks scientific evidence to support its existence), I'm totally in on it. Some examples of cryptids would be:

• Bigfoot/Sasquatch
• Yeti
• Loch Ness Monster
• Chupacabra
• Mothman
• The Jersey Devil
• Werewolves

Sadly, Illinois residents haven't been reporting that they've seen Yetis, Chupacabras, werewolves, the Jersey Devil, or the Loch Ness Monster. There have been multiple reports involving Mothman, but the cryptid that Illinoisans are seeing most is Bigfoot.

If you thought Bigfoot was strictly a Pacific Northwest phenom, think again. Illinois continues to rank among the top states in the U.S. for Bigfoot sightings, and the data backs it up. In the most recent tallies from the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), Illinois sits around 5th in the nation in the number of reported sightings, with just over 300 incidents on record. That puts us right up there with traditionally “hot” states like Washington, California, Florida, and Ohio.

So, Why Does Illinois Show Up So Often On Bigfoot Radar?

When people who don't live here think of Illinois, other than Chicago, they think of farmland and prairies.

But, as Illinoisans, we know that our state has significant tracts of woods, river corridors, and less‑traveled terrain. Like the dense oak and hickory forests of the Shawnee National Forest to woodlands and bluffs along the Rock, Vermilion, Fox, and Illinois rivers. These areas offer plenty of cover and remote terrain where mysterious sightings tend to cluster.

There Are Plenty Of Years-Old Reports And Sightings Of Bigfoot In Illinois

But there are plenty more from more recent years. For example, here are a few from the last three years (hat tip to BFRO.net):

• October 2024, Peoria County: A truck driver reported a close‑range sighting just before dawn, describing a large, upright figure near a rural roadway, recorded as a Class A BFRO sighting.

• April 2024, Kendall County: A daylight encounter near the Fox River south of Plano involved two witnesses who saw a tall, fur‑covered creature crossing a road. This is considered to be a high‑quality report.

• 2023, Will County: A family in Custer Park described multiple unexplained incidents, prompting ongoing discussion in cryptid circles.

Click here to check out the Bigfoot Field Researchers Association's Illinois sightings page.