AMERICA, ONE BEAUTIFUL ROAD AT A TIME

The scenic side
of Illinois.

Named routes to browse, photographs to inspire, and practical notes for the drive.
WI Great River Road Bluff to Road To River · Public Domain. Jay Olson-Goude · Photo credits
PICK A ROAD. MAKE A MEMORY.

Scenic routes to explore

7 route & road-trip ideas

Arkansas · Illinois · Iowa · Kentucky · Louisiana · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Tennessee · Wisconsin

Great River Road

All-American Road · National Scenic Byway

Throughout history, the Mississippi River influenced many lives: the Dakota, Chippewa, and Hopewell cultures; early French voyagers; African-Americans seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad; and many more. Through its charming river towns and metropolitan cities, historic sites and cultural artifacts, today s Great River Road still links resources, people, and history.

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Illinois · Indiana · Maryland · Ohio · Pennsylvania · West Virginia

Historic National Road

All-American Road

The Historic National Road was the nation's first federally funded interstate highway. It opened the nation to the west and became a corridor for the movement of goods and people. Today, visitors experience a physical timeline, including classic inns, tollhouses, diners, and motels that trace 200 years of American history.

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Illinois · Missouri · Kansas · Oklahoma · Texas · New Mexico · Arizona · California

Historic Route 66 · U.S. Road Trip

All-American Road · National Scenic Byway

Explore selected surviving sections of the Mother Road, from Midwestern towns to Southwestern desert and the California coast. Build a trip around specific signed alignments, roadside history and the communities that make the journey distinctive.

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Illinois

Illinois River Road

National Scenic Byway

The Illinois River Valley imparts feelings of awe at the power of the river winding its way through a land form carved by glacial melt water. Experience the seasonal colors and rhythms of the forests, wetlands, bluffs, and prairies on your own or follow one of seven different nature activity guides.

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Illinois

Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route

National Scenic Byway

Here, the Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois Rivers meet to form a 35,000-acre floodplain. The Mississippi, a working river, is also an environmental treasure. Historic 18th Century river towns, islands, bars, points and bends create beautiful scenery beneath limestone bluffs that are covered by forests extending over nearly 20,000 acres.

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Illinois · Indiana · Ohio

Ohio River Scenic Byway

National Scenic Byway

This history-rich byway meanders along the banks of the Ohio River, hugging its shoreline and offering almost continuous views of the river. The history of the Ohio is found both in rural landscapes and quaint river communities, covering periods from Native American habitation through western settlement, affecting transportation patterns and industrialization.

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Multistate routes appear in each relevant state. Some entries describe a byway, others a selected stretch or a broader road trip; routes can overlap.