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.

A poster about illinois ag export facts on corn
The United States Capitol building featuring its iconic white dome against a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
By Lyndi Allen March 19, 2026
The Illinois congressional delegation understands Illinois corn farmers’ priorities and challenges better this week after meeting with ICGA leaders in Washington, D.C.
monarch sticker
By Tara Desmond March 19, 2026
Illinois corn farmers can request free milkweed seed through IL Corn’s Monarch Program to help restore habitat and support monarch butterflies.
Shane and David
By Tara Desmond March 19, 2026
Farmer and agronomist David Kleinschmidt shares how cover crops help reduce erosion, improve soil health and how farmers can get started.
staff at Topflight
By Tara Desmond March 12, 2026
Meet Julie Day in our Inside the Elevator series as she shares her journey to TopFlight Grain and what it takes to handle 42 million bushels during harvest.
Clint
By Tara Desmond & Clint Gorden March 12, 2026
Illinois farmer Clint Gorden shares how using wheat as both a cover crop and cash crop helps improve soil health, support wildlife and still make conservation pay.
AI on the farm
By Tara Desmond March 12, 2026
AI is transforming agriculture from autonomous tractors to crop AI tools but farmers remain essential to the future of ag.
Show More