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We map Midwestern stereotypes in relation to Chicago.
We map Midwestern stereotypes in relation to Chicago.

How Chicago sees the Midwest, how the Midwest views Chicago

Our map of state stereotypes breaks down how we in the city view our region. Yes, it's largely corn and pigskin. But just imagine what New York thinks of us.

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As Blur once sang, "Yes, they're stereotypes, there must be more to life." Of course there is—like poking fun at downstate Illinois, for example. In that spirit we looked out at our vast, flat surroundings and plotted the first stereotypes that came to mind. To be honest, Nebraska was tough. Like, there's that whole "the football stadium is the biggest city" thing… Wait, what were we talking about?

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What's interesting about the Midwest is what a flexible term it is. People from Minnesota immediately name North Dakota as part of the region, but see Ohio as just about touching New York (it's next to the next state). Meanwhile, Ohioans never consider the Dakotas because no Big Ten teams play there.

What do you think: Does the Mason-Dixon line run through Kankakee? Is industrial Michigan basically just how it's depicted in Robocop? Can you think of anything interesting to say about Nebraska (Bruce Springsteen fans, you hush up)? Leave your thoughts and comments below.

If you want to go micro and see what we Chicagoans think of each other, check out our neighborhood insult map.

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