Question: why does the corn in illinois lean to the east

title: Geography of Illinois
text: The first is Northern Illinois , dominated by the Chicago metropolitan area , including the city of Chicago , its suburbs , and the adjoining exurban area into which the metropolis is expanding . The `` collar counties '' are the five counties that surround the centrally located Cook County in the Chicago metropolitan area : DuPage County , Kane County , Lake County , McHenry County , and Will County . The term `` Chicagoland '' is sometimes used to describe the metro area , including Chicago , its suburbs within Cook County , and the so - called collar counties . The term is said to have been coined by Chicago Tribune publisher Robert R. McCormick . The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce defines it as all of Cook , and DuPage , Kane , Lake , McHenry and Will counties . The region is cosmopolitan , densely populated , industrialized , and settled by a wide variety of ethnic groups .