Illinois is a state located in an area of the US considered to be the midwest. However, it is closer to the Eastern seaboard than the Western one. It is currently ranked 6th in the country, population-wise, with an estimated total of approximately 12.74 million residents. Whether you are visiting the state capital of Springfield or the urban center of Chicago, there are many reasons to visit the state. If you are going to count yourself on that list, you must use a VPN first. We’ll explain in a moment why it is so important shortly. Before we do, though, please take a look at our list of the best VPNs for Illinois.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 95 | |
| 4 |  | 9.0 | 110 | |
| 5 |  | 8.8 | 73 | |
Even though you might suspect some of the areas in Illinois to operate in the grey area, there is no actual evidence of the government’s indiscriminate monitoring of the internet. Of course, that does not mean you are safe from those that want to steal your private information. From being at a local coffee shop to visiting another establishment, there are the watchful eyes of cyberthieves lurking about. If you do not create a secured and private connection to a VPN server, you run a real risk of your sensitive being stolen. However, when you do, you make it extremely difficult for them to do so.
While the state nor the country censors websites, you may still have plenty of opportunities to take advantage of the second reason to use a VPN. That is to unblock geo-restrictions. If you try to watch any sporting event online involving one of the major state teams, you will be blocked if it is on TV. Additionally, if you try to access content from outside of the US, you will also run into those types of blocks. However, by connecting to a VPN in a different region, you can make the software think you are located elsewhere. In other words, you should be able to view the geo-blocked or blacked-out content.
What is the Best VPN for Illinois?
To best answer this question, we need to look at the most important factors while in the state. Because it is a US state, it is more important to focus on geo-restrictive properties. Here are the ones we used:
- A large group of servers to lessen disconnects
- The ability to get around blacked out and geo-restricted content in Illinois
- Fast Illinois servers that perform well in speed tests
- Multiple platform mobile device support, including those with Amazon Firestick
- Providers with a no-logs policy
- Strong encryption to help protect the privacy of users
Here is a more in-depth look at the best VPNs for Illinois.
1. Best VPN for Illinois: ExpressVPN
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Founded in 2009, ExpressVPN has a long track record of being one of the top VPN providers in the industry. Experts often tout them for the size, consistent speed, and quality of their network. With the addition of several features that the service offers, it is not hard to see why they are regularly one of the top choices in the community. Even though their service may be at a higher cost than some others, we feel the value, speed, and features more than make up for the difference.
You have likely heard of ExpressVPN as their reputation precedes the quality of the service. From a worldwide network of servers to extra features like MediaStreamer, ExpressVPN tops the competition. We use the service in our office and while traveling. From privacy protection to gaming, and streaming, their network provides excellent performance. Give the service a thorough test during the 30-day money-back guarantee. You can sign up for 12 months and get 3 months free, a 49% discount with our ExpressVPN deal.
2. Best VPN for Illinois: NordVPN
Since many stream sports on mobile phones these days, some wireless companies have given their users the ability to watch on their devices free of charge. Of course, that is offered in several different countries. If you are traveling abroad, though, you may have to miss out on seeing your favorite team in action. The solution is to connect to a VPN server from NordVPN. When you do, you make the blocking software think you are still in the correct region. That way, you won’t have to miss out on the great moments of your sport.
NordVPN was founded in 2012 but really took hold around 2017. Since then you have likely seen them front and center in television ads and as the cyber security sponsor for Liverpol FC. These branding efforts have to be quite expensive. That makes the value of their service even more impressive when you consider the price. Along with unlimited VPN, you also gain access to SmartPlay for streaming and NordLynx (WireGuard) for faster speeds. You can sign up for 24 months for just $3.29 a month. As a new member you will also have a month to test the service under their 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. Best VPN for Illinois: PIA
If you are looking for a VPN provider that does not keep logs, Private Internet Access has you covered. Over the years, they have developed a well-known reputation throughout the community. While some companies claim they do not keep logs, but then turn them over to authorities, The team at Private Internet Access continuously takes steps to make sure that they protect their users’ interests. If privacy is important to you, you will find that this one is the right choice to make.
We first noticed Private Internet Access gaining popularity in the P2P community. They have been touted by TorrentFreak for years and are quite well thought of in that space. While a good solution for file sharing, PIA is trusted by millions of users to help protect their online privacy. They are a US-based VPN service with a strong commitment to their users. Their no-logs policy has been tested over the years and PIA has proved their commitment to user privacy. At just $2.19 a month, the price is hard to beat as well.
4. Best VPN for Illinois: CyberGhost
If you are concerned about privacy, CyberGhost has you covered. Of course, different VPN providers have their headquarters in various places. CyberGhost, however, has its main offices located in Bucharest, Romania. What that means is they are outside the EU Data Retention Directive and they consider it unconstitutional. Additionally, Romania is not part of any kind of surveillance alliance. That includes the 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, and 14 Eyes agreements. If your provider has its main offices in one of them, the concern is that they may share your data with 13 other nations besides the one used.
If you are looking for an expansive VPN network then CyberGhost is a good choice. Since acquiring the service in 2017, Kape Technologies has expanded their network many times over. The CyberGhost footprint consists of over 6,200 VPN servers in 89 countries. Their server page highlights which locations are optimized for P2P traffic. You can also see which ones are physically located in the country versus being virtual servers. The virtual serves are located elsewhere but will still assign an IP address from the desired country. Gain full access to the CyberGhost network from just $2.29 a month.
5. Best VPN for Illinois: IPVanish
If you are like most gamers, you are aware that lag can cause big problems. Sometimes, that can be a result of a busy game server or a congested network. By connecting to a VPN like IPVanish, you can help stop that from happening. What that will do is re-route your gaming traffic to a less populated server. Doing so may help you get a better experience so that you can enjoy your favorite games. That could make the difference between winning the match, or losing it.
We remember when IPVanish launched in 2012. While the VPN space has changed quite a bit since then, the service continues to grow. IPVanish is especially popular with Kodi users. They developed a VPN app for Amazon Fire TV. You can also set up the VPN to run through your router. Having a background in CDN has given IPVanish a leg up on network connections in the United States. We find their American servers perform quite well. You can test their network risk-free for 30 days.
