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Recommended Websites
| Automobiles | Business | Consumer Info | Education | Entertainment |
| Environment | Genealogy | General Reference | Government | Health/Medicine |
| Jobs/Careers | News/Weather | Senior Adults | Taxes | Travel |
Automobiles
- Consumer Guide
- Reviews for both new and used vehicles
- Edmunds
- Information on both new and used vehicles, including mileage ratings
- Kelley
- Can also search for new and used cars by vehicle type
- Lemon Law
- When that car you always wanted becomes the car you never want to see again
- NADA
- Can also create chart for comparing vehicles
- Regional Scenic Routes
- Where you can drive and enjoy both the scenery and the vehicle
Business
- Better Business Bureau
- Make sure of companies' reliability and what you can do if they are not
- Big Charts
- An online resource to stock market quotes
- Illinois Business Portal
- Information on starting and running a business in Illinois
- Illinois Department of Commerce
- Find out what the state offers to promote Illinois business
- Illinois Secretary of State
- Information for doing business in Illinois
- Illinois Small Business Advisor
- Resources for small businesses in Illinois
- Motley Fool
- "Fool's" guide to money management
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Assists job seekers by describing careers with their suggested education requirements, job duties, and income ranges.
- United States Small Business Administration
- Find the information you need to become your own boss
- Thomas Register
- This well-known business directory is now available online
- Yahoo Finance
- Links to financial sites from different subject headings
Consumer Info
- Better Business Bureau
- Make sure of companies' reliability and what you can do if they are not
- Catalog Choice
- Eliminate unwanted catalogs from your mailbox
- Consumer.Gov
- Link to different government agencies addressing consumer issues
- Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Learn whether that desired item is safe or unsafe
- Direct Marketing Choice
- Take control of the advertising that fills your mailbox
- Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
- Be sure of your doctor's qualifications and licensure
- Illinois Legal Aid
- Find answers to your Illinois-related legal questions
- Identity Theft Resource Center
- Help for those who have been victimized by this modern crime
- National Do Not Call Registry
- Eliminate those unwanted sales calls
- Opt Out Prescreen
- Stop receiving pre-approved credit / insurance applications
- Product Recall Information
- Learn about the products that failed to perform in a safe manner
- Yellow Pages Go Green
- Stop receiving those unwanted phone books
Education
- Accredited Online Schools and Colleges
- In-depth information on top-ranked accredited national and regional online schools and colleges including degree programs, subjects of interest, accrediting agencies, and more.
- ACT
- Complete practice ACT tests online
- Affordable Colleges Online
- Information about pursuing your education online, financial aid, and other college-related issues.
- Campus Tours
- Visit the college you want to attend from the comfort of your own home
- Citing Sources
- Enter sources in their correct bibliographic form
- College Abacus
- Calculate your estimated net price direct from schools before you apply
- College Illinois
- Plan ahead for those upcoming college costs
- College Scholarships - American Educational Guidance Center
- Fill out school applications and discover scholarship opportunities.
- FAFSA
- Fill out an online application to receive student loans
- Federal School Codes
- Listing of the Federal School Codes to be used on the FAFSA applications
- GRE
- Be prepared for the test and learn where it is being offered
- Illinois Report Cards
- See how well your child's school performs
- Illinois State Board of Education
- Clearinghouse for education-related information in Illinois
- Online Degree Navigator
- Resource for reviews, ratings, and comparisons of the best online and on-campus college and university degrees.
- Online U
- Find that online course that will propel you to a new career.
- Petersons
- Learn all you need to know about undergraduate and graduate education
Entertainment
- American Film Institute (AFI)
- Find out what movies the Institute labels 'the best'
- All Music Guide
- Where to find information about that favorite song or that favorite group
- Billboard
- The magazine for almost everything musical
- Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
- Grand database of movies with credits to all who played a part in creating them
- MetroMix
- Find listing for nearly all forms of entertainment in Chicago
- Moviefone
- Find listings for the movies both in theaters now and those that are coming soon
- National Enquirer
- The place for celebrity gossip
- Northwest Special Recreation Association
- Provides opportunities through recreation for children and adults with disabilities
- Parents Television Council Reviews
- Find television shows and movies that are 'parent friendly'
- People
- Source for the latest Hollywood news
- Ravinia
- Home for fine arts on the North Shore
- Rotten Tomatoes
- Bold, honest movie reviews
- Stub Hub
- The place to go to either buy or sell tickets
- Ticketmaster
- Find just the tickets you want for that event you just want to attend
Environment
- Chicago Wilderness
- Care about the Natural Resources of Illinois
- Earth 911
- Find Local Recycling Centers by ZIP Code
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Learn about the issues and laws concerning the environment
- National Do Not Call Registry
- Preserve the quiet environment of your home by eliminating unwanted sales calls
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Find ways to protect Wildlife and Wild Places
- Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County
- See a list of local communities and the recycling services they offer
Genealogy
- Cook County Genealogy Online
- Site through which to find Cook County vital records
- Cyndislist
- Clearinghouse of different genealogy-related websites
- Ellis Island
- Find information concerning those who came through Ellis Island by name or ship
- FamilySearch
- Vital Records database with guides and forms to aid you in your search
- Illinois State Archives
- Historical Records held at different libraries around the state
- National Records and Archives Administration
- Collection of documents ranging from genealogies to veteran records
- National Genealogical Society
- Guidelines showing how to successfully research your family history
General Reference
- Area Code Locations
- Confirm the location of that unfamiliar number.
- Encyclopedia Britannica
- Merriam-Webster Online
- Offers access to both a dictionary and a thesaurus
- Roget's Thesaurus
- Wikipedia
- The online encyclopedia created by users like you and me
- World Book Encyclopedia
- ZIP Code Boundary Map
- Search a national map for ZIP Code areas
Government
- Cook County
- Help for finding answers to questions concerning county-wide issues
- Cook County Assessor's Office
- Help for finding answers to questions concerning your property
- Cook County Election Department
- Where to register to vote for the next election and see who will be running at that time
- County Office
- Find your county assessor, courts, and other county government offices.
- Illinois Legal Aid
- Find answers to your Illinois-related legal questions
- State of Illinois
- Official doorway to sites concerning statewide issues
- US Government
- Official doorway to sites concerning national issues
- US Government Telephone and Email Directory
- Find a way to contact that representative or senator you want to speak with
Health/Medicine
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Offers a wide range of sites and articles regarding health issues
- Healthy Children
- Comprehensive site for beneficial child & family information
- Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
- Be sure of your doctor's qualifications and licensure
- Mayo Clinic
- Find information about specific symptoms and diseases
- Medlineplus
- Government-sponsored website for health news and information
- NIH (National Institutes of Health)
- Information about health-related topics including clinical trials and hotlines
- NIMH (National Institutes of Mental Health)
- Information about mental health-related topics
- Quackwatch
- Nonprofit organization's website warning people of medical fraud
Jobs/Careers
- Career Builder (Chicago Tribune)
- Glassdoor
- Metro Chicago Jobs
- Monster Board
- Neuvoo
- Yahoo! Hot Jobs (Daily Herald)
News/Weather
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Chicago Tribune
- Daily Herald
- CBS 2 (WBBM) Chicago
- NBC 5 (WLS) Chicago
- ABC 7 (WMAQ) Chicago
- CW 9 (WGN) Chicago
- Fox 32 (WFLD) Chicago
- National Weather Service (NOAA)
- The Weather Channel
Senior Adults
- AARP
- Learn about all of the information and opportunities available to the young at heart
- About Assisted Living
- Provides easy-to-understand guides and information, written by medical professionals, on a variety of topics in assisted living.
- Administration on Aging
- Discover the many benefits that are available to seniors courtesy of the U.S. government
- City of Chicago – Senior Services
- See what activities and opportunities are available for seniors in the Chicagoland area
- Kenneth Young Center – Senior Services
- Receive support and assistance from someone right here in your neighborhood
- Medicare
- Find the plan and provider that will the best source of caring for your medical needs
- National Council on Aging
- Read important information regarding the issues that are important to senior adults
- Senior Living Map
- Locate Senior and Assisted Living Centers throughout the state of Illinois
Taxes
- Internal Revenue Service
- Information and forms to be used to file your federal income tax return
- IL Department of Revenue
- Information and forms to be used to file your state income tax return
- Tax forms for other states
- Links to other states' tax forms
Travel
- Bicycle Maps
- Links to full color maps of popular trails in the area
- CDC
- Health information for worldwide travelers
- Choose Chicago - Things to Do
- Finding events to experience right in our own backyard
- CTA (Chicago Transit Authority)
- Public Transportation schedules for Chicago
- Currency Converter
- See how much your money is worth in over 160 different currencies
- Fodors
- Help in planning that trip to that place you've always wanted to visit
- Illinois Bureau of Tourism
- Find Places to Go and Things to See right here in Illinois
- Mapquest
- Where one can find a destination and directions how to get there
- Metra
- Maps and Information for local passenger train travel
- NPS.gov (National Park Service)
- Just the place to go in order to find a way 'back to nature'
- Pace Bus
- Maps and Information for the bus system
- Road Scholar
- Travel the world with others who are young at heart
- RTA
- Maps and Information for the Regional Transportation Authority
- U.S. State Department
- All the information you need before you travel outside the United States
Last Updated: October 3, 2016