(This page's most recent update is April 2025)
If you follow The Ancestor Hunt, you know that we specialize in curating and presenting links to Free Online Genealogy Records, Collections, and Indexes by genealogical category. Everything that is online for free has not been captured in our link lists, as some specific categories and resources have not been curated as yet, or we may never do.
However, there are archives, libraries, unique document collections, and specialized genealogy websites throughout the state. With the list below, you should have exposure to the great majority of free online resources for the state.
- Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
- Access Genealogy – Illinois
- Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
- American History & Genealogy Project – Illinois
- Ancestry Free Index Collections
- Arlington Heights Memorial Library
- Augustana College Digital Collections
- Aurora Public Library District Local History and Genealogy
- Belleville Archives and Genealogy
- Bradley University Digital Collections
- Byron Public Library District Local History and Genealogy
- CARLI Digital Collections
- Chicago History Museum
- Chicago Public Library Digital Collections
- Chronicling America – Illinois
- Clark County Digital Collections
- College of DuPage Digital Collections
- Cook Memorial Public Library District Genealogy
- Cyndi’s List – Illinois
- David Rumsey’s Historical Maps
- Dead Fred
- Death Indexes – Illinois
- DeKalb County History Center
- DePaul University Digital Collections
- Digital Commons Collections
- Digital Public Library of America – Illinois
- Eastern Illinois University Digital Collections
- Encyclopedia of Chicago
- FamilySearch
- FamilySearch – Illinois Online Genealogy Records
- FamilySearch Catalog
- FamilySearch Wiki – Illinois
- FindAGrave
- Genealogy Trails – Illinois
- Google Books – Illinois
- HathiTrust – Illinois
- Homicide in Chicago 1870-1930 (Northwestern University)
- I Dream of Genealogy
- Ida Public Library Genealogical Materials
- Illinois College Digital Collections
- Illinois Digital Archives
- Illinois Institute of Technology Digital Collections
- Illinois Periodicals Online
- Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) System
- Illinois State Archives Databases
- Illinois State Genealogical Society
- Illinois State Historical Society
- Illinois State Library
- Illinois State University Digital Collections
- Illinois Wesleyan University Digital Collections
- Interment.net – Illinois
- Internet Archive – Illinois
- John A. Logan College Library Archives
- Knox College Digital Collections
- LDS Genealogy – Illinois
- Lewis University Digital Collections
- Library of Congress Digital Collections
- Lincoln Library – Sangamon Valley Collection
- Linkpendium – Illinois
- Loyola University Chicago Digital Collections
- McHenry Public Library District Genalogy and Local History
- National Archives and Records Administration
- National Archives at Chicago
- National Archives Online Exhibits
- National Archives Resources for Genealogists
- National Louis University Digital Collections
- Nationwide Gravesite Locator
- New Horizons Genealogy – Illinois
- Newberry Library
- North Central College Digital Collections
- Northeastern Illinois University Archives and Special Collections
- Northeastern Illinois University Digital Collections
- Northern Illinois University Digital Collections
- Northwestern University Digital Collections
- PastPerfectOnline Collections
- Peoria Public Library
- Pritzker Military Museum and Library
- Sanborn Maps – Illinois
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago Digital Collections
- Smithsonian Digital Library
- South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society
- Southern Illinois University – Carbondale Digital Collections
- Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville Digital Collections
- Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center
- The Official Land Records Site
- United States Social Security Death Index
- University of Chicago Digital Collections
- University of Illinois – Chicago Digital Collections
- University of Illinois – Springfield Digital Collections
- University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign Digital Collections
- Upper Mississippi Valley Digital Image Archive
- Urbana Free Library
- US GenWeb – Illinois
- US GenWeb Archives – Illinois
- Western Illinois University Digital Collections
- Wheaton College Digital Collections
- Wilmette Public Library Local History Digital Collection
In addition, here is the list of over 8,965 curated Illinois genealogy collection links from The Ancestor Hunt, by category:
- Newspapers
- Yearbooks
- Births
- Marriages
- Deaths
- Alumni Records
- Cemetery Records
- Church Records
- Coroner Records
- Criminal Records
- Directories
- Divorce Records
- Immigration Records
- Institutional Records
- Military Records
- Mortuary Records
- Naturalizations
- Obituaries
- Photos
- Probate and Wills
- School Records
- Tax Records
- Voter Records
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!