Illinois Travel Guide

Illinois is a Midwestern state anchored by Chicago - a global city of soaring architecture and lakefront - amid prairie farmland and the start of Route 66.

Known for: Chicago’s architecture and lakefront, plus the start of Route 66

Don’t miss: Chicago (Millennium Park, the Art Institute), the start of Route 66, and Lincoln’s Springfield

When to go: late spring through fall

Illinois unfolds across fertile plains, river valleys and a long Lake Michigan shoreline, its character shaped by Midwest agriculture, industrial cities and the great bend of the Mississippi River. Northern Illinois centers on the dense, skyline-packed Chicago and its lakefront, while central and southern regions mix small historic towns, rolling farmland and limestone bluffs.

Beyond Chicago’s museums, music clubs and architecture are signature destinations such as Starved Rock State Park with its canyon hikes, the leafy river town of Galena, the political and historical sites of Springfield and scenic stretches like Mississippi Palisades State Park and Castle Rock State Park. For history and folklore, southern sites including Cave-in-Rock State Park recall riverboat era stories and rugged river scenery.

Outdoor lovers will find everything from bluff-top trails and winter cross-country skiing to paddling and fishing on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers; the southern Shawnee hills and state parks provide rock formations, hardwood forests and extensive hiking in warmer months. Many parks and forested areas are also popular for birdwatching, hunting and dispersed camping.

Food and drink in Illinois range from Chicago’s legendary deep-dish and thin-crust pizza and hot dogs to farm-to-table fare across the state; the Chicago area is also a center for craft beer and inventive dining, while southern Illinois offers hearty comfort cooking and local wineries dotting the river valleys.

Come for the cultural powerhouse of Chicago - its architecture, museums and lakefront - but stay to explore small-town charm in Galena, dramatic canyon hikes at Starved Rock State Park and the riverside scenery of Mississippi Palisades State Park for a full Midwest mix of city energy and wide-open outdoors.

Illinois has a continental climate: the Lake Michigan shoreline and Chicago feel cooler and windier than the generally warmer, more humid southern and central parts of the state, so timing depends on whether you prefer city festivals or warm-slope hiking.

Most visitors get around Illinois by car for regional travel, using trains or flights into Chicago for longer distances and public transit or rideshares within cities.

Major Highways

Major interstates include I-90/I-94 running through the Chicago area toward Wisconsin, I-80 crossing northern Illinois east - west, I-88 linking Chicago with the Quad Cities, I-55 connecting Chicago and St. Louis, I-57 heading southeast from Chicago toward southern Illinois, and I-39/I-74 which serve central corridor cities such as Rockford, Bloomington - Normal and Peoria.