Things to Do in Illinois 2 guides

Why visit Illinois

One of the world's great cities on a Great Lake, wrapped in a thousand miles of prairie, river bluffs and Route 66.

Illinois runs from the skyscrapers and lakefront of Chicago down through a checkerboard of prairie farmland to the rolling hills and river bluffs where the Mississippi and Ohio meet. Beyond the big city lie Abraham Lincoln's Springfield, the Route 66 corridor and the wine-country hills of the south. Use this hub to plan your trip: browse our city guides below, or start with Chicago and work outward across the prairie.

Known for
Chicago, Lincoln & Route 66
Best for
City breaks, history & road trips
Capital
Springfield
Main gateway
Chicago O'Hare Int'l (ORD)
Time zone
Central (CT)

Trip planner Plan your trip to Illinois

Best time to visit — season by season

Spring
Mar–May

A welcome thaw across the prairie, with lakefront tulips and blossom in Chicago's parks. Expect fast-changing weather — warm afternoons, chilly mornings and the odd late-season storm rolling in off the plains.

Summer
Jun–Aug

Peak season for the lakefront, festivals and beer gardens, when Chicago comes alive along Lake Michigan. It turns hot and humid statewide, with afternoon thunderstorms common over the flat farmland to the south.

Fall
Sep–Nov

Arguably the best all-round window: crisp, clear days, thinning crowds and golden colour through the Shawnee Hills and along the river bluffs. Ideal for Route 66 driving and small-town harvest fairs.

Winter
Dec–Feb

Cold and often snowy, with biting winds off the lake giving Chicago its 'Windy City' bite. The city dresses up for the holidays and museums shine, but southern Illinois stays milder and greener than the north.

Regions of Illinois

  • Chicago & the lakefront

    The powerhouse north-east corner, where Chicago pairs the Art Institute, Millennium Park and Navy Pier with miles of Lake Michigan beaches and the suburbs and forest preserves fanning out around it.

  • Central Illinois & the Lincoln country

    The heart of the prairie, where Springfield anchors the Abraham Lincoln sites and the state capitol, and Peoria sits on the Illinois River — the classic stretch of historic Route 66 runs right through the middle.

  • The Illinois River valley

    A green ribbon through the farmland north-east of Peoria, where Starved Rock State Park's canyons and waterfalls, Matthiessen and the river towns of the valley draw walkers and paddlers.

  • Southern Illinois & the Shawnee Hills

    The wild, wooded south, where the Shawnee National Forest hides the sandstone formations of the Garden of the Gods, wine-trail vineyards and the point where the Ohio meets the Mississippi at Cairo.

  • The Mississippi River bluffs (the west)

    The scenic western edge, where the Great River Road follows the Mississippi past the bluffs and eagle-watching overlooks around Grafton and Alton, on the way toward the Metro-East and St Louis.

Getting around

Chicago is the one place you don't need a car: O'Hare and Midway feed an extensive 'L' train and bus network, and the walkable Loop and lakefront reward staying put. Everywhere else, a rental car is essential — Springfield, Peoria and the Route 66 and river towns are spread across the prairie and thinly served by transit. Amtrak's Lincoln Service links Chicago, Springfield and St Louis if you're sticking to the corridor, but distances between the smaller towns are long and the interstates flat and fast, so plan on driving to see the wider state.

The highlights Illinois's signature sights & road trips

Illinois at a glance

Suggested routes

Route 66 across Illinois

2–3 days

The classic Illinois road trip, tracing the Mother Road from the big city down through the prairie to the Mississippi. Run it south-west from Chicago, stopping for vintage diners, murals and roadside Americana along the way.

  1. Chicago — Route 66 begins downtown at Adams Street
  2. Joliet — classic early stretch and the old Route 66 museum
  3. Pontiac — murals and the Route 66 hall of fame
  4. Springfield — Lincoln country and the Cozy Dog Drive In
  5. Litchfield — the Ariston Café and the road toward St Louis

Prairie capital & river-valley loop

3–4 days

A central-Illinois loop pairing Lincoln's Springfield with the Illinois River — history, a working river city and the state's best canyon hiking, all within an easy drive.

  1. Springfield — basecamp for the Lincoln sites
  2. Peoria — riverfront city on the Illinois River
  3. Starved Rock State Park — canyons and waterfalls upriver
  4. Matthiessen State Park — quieter canyons next door
Map of Illinois

Cities in Illinois

States near Illinois

Illinois travel FAQ

When is the best time to visit Illinois?

Late spring and autumn are the sweet spots. September and October bring crisp, clear days, thinner crowds and golden colour through the southern hills and along the rivers — ideal for Route 66 and small-town trips. Summer is peak season for Chicago's lakefront and festivals but can be hot and humid, while winters are cold and snowy in the north.

How many days do you need in Illinois?

Chicago alone easily fills three to four days between its museums, architecture, the lakefront and the food. Adding a loop out to Springfield's Lincoln sites and a stretch of Route 66, or a trip to Starved Rock and the river valley, pushes a well-rounded visit to about a week.

Do you need a car in Illinois?

In Chicago, no — the 'L' trains, buses and a walkable core mean a car is more hassle than help, and both airports connect straight to the transit network. Beyond the city it's a different story: Springfield, Peoria, Route 66 and the river country are spread across the prairie and best reached by rental car, though Amtrak's Lincoln Service links Chicago, Springfield and St Louis along the central corridor.

What is Illinois best known for?

Illinois is best known for Chicago — its skyline, deep-dish pizza, blues and jazz, and world-class museums and architecture on Lake Michigan. It's also Abraham Lincoln's home state, with his Springfield sites, and the birthplace of much of historic Route 66, which begins in downtown Chicago and runs south-west across the state.

How much of Route 66 runs through Illinois?

Route 66 begins in downtown Chicago and runs roughly 300 miles south-west across the state to the Mississippi at the St Louis border. It's one of the best-preserved stretches of the old road, threading through Joliet, Pontiac, Springfield and a string of prairie towns full of vintage diners, murals and roadside Americana — an easy two- or three-day drive.

Which Abraham Lincoln sites can you visit in Illinois?

Springfield is the centre of Lincoln country: you can visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site where he lived, his law offices, the Old State Capitol and his tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Nearby Lincoln's New Salem is a reconstructed frontier village where he spent his early adult years.

What is there to do in Illinois outside of Chicago?

Plenty. Springfield offers the Lincoln sites and the state capitol; Peoria sits on the Illinois River with its riverfront and Wildlife Prairie Park; Starved Rock State Park draws hikers to its canyons and waterfalls; the Shawnee National Forest and Garden of the Gods anchor the wooded south; and the Great River Road follows the Mississippi bluffs past Grafton and Alton.

Is Illinois flat, or is there scenery beyond the prairie?

Central Illinois is famously flat farmland, but the state has real scenery at its edges. The Illinois River valley around Starved Rock has canyons and waterfalls, the Shawnee Hills in the far south rise into forested ridges and sandstone formations, and the Mississippi bluffs along the western Great River Road give sweeping river views and some of the Midwest's best winter eagle-watching.