[ur-ban-uh] 
| 1. | a city in E Illinois, adjoining Champaign. 35,978. |
| 2. | a city in W Ohio. 10,762. |
| Ur·ban·a (ûr-bān'ə) A city of east-central Illinois adjoining Champaign. It is a trade, medical, and educational center. Population: 38,700. |
Urbana
city, seat (1833) of Champaign county, east-central Illinois, U.S. Urbana is contiguous with Champaign (west), about 135 miles (220 km) southwest of Chicago. The two cities are often called Champaign-Urbana. The area was first settled in 1822, and in 1833 the city was founded as the county seat and named for Urbana, Ohio. It shares with Champaign the main campus of the University of Illinois (established in 1867 as Illinois Industrial University). On October 9, 1871, much of the city was destroyed by fire-one day after the huge fires in Chicago and in Peshtigo, Wisconsin.
Learn more about Urbana with a free trial on Britannica.com.
ə