Nearly Half of Corn Grown in Illinois Leaves the State
Lyndi Allen
March 27, 2025
Illinois is ranked number 2 in the U.S. for corn production in 2024, harvesting 10.7 million acres and producing 2.3 billion bushels with an average yield of 217 bushels per acre. Of the corn produced, 49 percent was shipped out of state. The top five U.S. corn export markets in 2023/2024 were Mexico, Japan, Colombia, China, and Canada.


By Lindsay Croke
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June 30, 2025
When we think of Independence Day traditions, sweet corn on the cob is as iconic as fireworks and often even more central to the celebration. According to Instacart, purchases of sweet corn surge by 380% over the annual average heading into July 4th, outranking other grilling staples like baby back ribs and burgers. But corn's role in your Fourth of July celebration goes far beyond your plate. In Illinois alone, 8,300 acres of sweet corn are harvested annually, averaging 155 cwt per acre. That’s more than 128 million pounds of locally grown sweetness fueling summer cookouts across the state. And while sweet corn makes a big impression on the grill, most of Illinois’ corn crop isn’t sweet corn - it’s field corn. Less than 1% of the state’s crop is sweet corn, while the rest is used in products that are often invisible to consumers but vital to everyday life: fuel, packaging, fireworks, and even spirits.