Best Scenic Drives in Illinois: Great River Road, Route 66, River Roads & Shawnee Byways. Illinois is a better driving state than its flatland stereotype suggests. The official tourism program recognizes seven scenic byways, and they cover remarkably different landscapes: Mississippi bluffs, Route 66 towns, Illinois River valleys, northern farm country, southern sandstone hills and historic corridors that predate the automobile. The best drive depends on whether you care most about scenery, history, food or road-trip atmosphere.
Why this belongs in an Illinois trip
Scenic drives connect the Illinois cluster. Galena, Springfield, Starved Rock, Alton, Cahokia and Shawnee can feel like separate destinations until you understand the roads between them. Choosing a byway turns transfer time into part of the trip and helps you build logical regional itineraries instead of repeatedly returning to interstates.
Quick planning facts
- Enjoy Illinois currently highlights seven scenic byways across the state.
- Great River Road follows the Mississippi for roughly 550 miles within Illinois.
- Meeting of the Great Rivers is a concentrated 33-mile scenic route between Pere Marquette and the Lewis and Clark area.
- Historic Route 66 begins in Chicago and runs through Joliet, Pontiac, Springfield and the southwestern part of the state.
- Illinois River Road is a 291-mile byway connecting more than 100 nature-oriented destinations in the Illinois River Valley.
- Ohio River Scenic Byway follows about 188 miles around southern Illinois and passes through Shawnee country.
Great River Road
The Great River Road is the most varied scenic drive because it can function as either a one-day river excursion or a multi-day north-to-south route. Around Galena and northwest Illinois, hills and historic towns dominate. Farther south, the road moves through Quad Cities, river industry, bluffs and Great Rivers Country before reaching the lower Mississippi region.
Do not try to drive the full Illinois portion purely for mileage. Choose a regional segment and stop often. The road becomes memorable through towns, overlooks, locks, parks and riverfront meals, not from remaining behind the windshield for ten hours.
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route
This shorter route is ideal when you want a scenic drive without dedicating several days. It connects the Alton/Grafton area with Pere Marquette State Park and follows the dramatic meeting zone of the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers.
Autumn color and winter eagle season can add strong seasonal interest, while warmer months make riverfront patios and outdoor stops more attractive. The route pairs easily with Cahokia Mounds for a two-day western-Illinois plan.
Historic Route 66
Route 66 is scenic in a cultural rather than purely natural sense. The Illinois segment uses diners, murals, preserved gas stations, giant roadside figures, Lincoln history and old road alignments to turn the drive into a sequence of Americana stops.
A dedicated Route 66 trip deserves several days between Chicago and the St. Louis region. If you only have one day, choose a smaller corridor such as Joliet–Pontiac or Springfield and its nearby towns rather than claiming you “did” Route 66 by driving the interstate.
Illinois River Road
Illinois River Road is a strong choice for travelers who want nature and small towns without going as far south as Shawnee. The byway runs through a broad river valley and connects parks, wetlands, birding areas and communities between the Ottawa region and central Illinois.
Starved Rock and Buffalo Rock are natural anchors, while Peoria adds an urban riverfront and Grandview Drive. This route works especially well in autumn and during migration seasons.
Lincoln Highway
The Illinois Lincoln Highway crosses the northern part of the state and reflects early automobile history. It is less internationally famous than Route 66, which can make it more appealing to travelers who like small-town main streets, murals and agricultural landscapes without the same souvenir infrastructure.
Use it to link suburban Chicago with northern Illinois towns and eventually the Mississippi. It combines naturally with Galena or Great River Road if you have a week rather than a weekend.
Ohio River Scenic Byway and Historic National Road
The Ohio River Scenic Byway is the southern choice, running through forested and river landscapes near Shawnee National Forest, Cave-in-Rock and Metropolis. The terrain is hillier and more winding than many first-time visitors expect from Illinois.
Historic National Road tells a different story of transportation and settlement across the lower central part of the state. It passes quirky stops such as Casey as well as historic communities on the way toward the Metro East. Together, these byways show that “scenic” in Illinois can mean geology, rivers, historic roads or Americana.
Where to stay
Compare available accommodation for your dates, budget and preferred location before you finalize your route.
Scenic-drive trips are easier when you sleep inside the region you are exploring. Galena, Alton/Grafton, Peoria, Springfield and Carbondale/Shawnee all make useful bases depending on the byway. Avoid choosing one “central” hotel that forces you to repeat the same highway every morning.
Compare current availability and choose a base that fits the route rather than adding unnecessary driving.
Search hotels along your Illinois scenic driveThese routes are specifically built around driving. Compare rental terms, one-way fees and mileage policies before constructing a route that starts in Chicago and ends near the Mississippi or southern Illinois.
Compare rental cars with DiscoverCarsHow to fit this into a wider Illinois itinerary
For a first Illinois road trip, combine only two byways—for example Route 66 plus Great Rivers, or Great River Road plus northern Illinois. A trip that attempts all seven becomes an exercise in collecting road names instead of experiencing regions.
The 10-day Illinois road trip in this cluster uses parts of several corridors without pretending to complete them. That is often the best approach: use scenic roads where they improve the journey and return for a dedicated Route 66 or Great River Road trip later.
Practical planning advice
Scenic byways are slower than interstate routing. Town stops, overlooks, river traffic, farm equipment and winding roads all add time. Plan daily mileage conservatively and avoid scheduling a timed attraction at the end of a long scenic segment.
Season changes the drives. Autumn can be beautiful and crowded; winter can bring ice and limited rural services; spring flooding can affect river corridors; summer heat and storms influence outdoor stops. Check road and park conditions before committing to a long rural detour.
Official sources and useful planning links
Frequently asked questions
What is the most scenic drive in Illinois?
Great River Road offers the broadest variety, but the best choice depends on your route. Meeting of the Great Rivers is excellent for a shorter trip, while the Ohio River Scenic Byway is best for southern Illinois landscapes.
Is Route 66 actually scenic?
Yes in a cultural sense: historic towns, roadside architecture, neon, diners and old-road atmosphere are the main appeal rather than continuous natural vistas.
How many byways can I do in one week?
Two major corridors is usually enough if you want time for stops. More can work only if some are short segments within the same geographic route.
Do I need a rental car?
Yes unless you are driving your own vehicle. These trips depend on flexible stops that public transport cannot provide.
How to plan scenic-road mileage
A useful target is to plan fewer miles than you would on an interstate transfer day. Fifty scenic miles with overlooks, towns and lunch can take longer than 150 freeway miles. Build the day around two or three anchor stops, then treat everything else as optional.
Fuel before entering the quietest rural segments and download directions. Scenic byways often encourage detours onto local roads where mobile signal is weaker and services are farther apart. The point is not danger; it is avoiding preventable frustration.
Three sample scenic-drive weekends
Great Rivers weekend: base around Alton or Grafton, drive the Meeting of the Great Rivers segment, visit Pere Marquette and add Cahokia Mounds on arrival or departure. This is the easiest scenic-road trip for travelers approaching from St. Louis.
Northern Illinois weekend: combine the Lincoln Highway with Galena or a Great River Road segment. This gives you small towns, agricultural landscapes and historic roads without the long drive to southern Illinois.
Southern Illinois weekend: use the Ohio River Scenic Byway as the spine for Shawnee National Forest, Cave-in-Rock and river towns. Stay two nights in the region instead of trying to return to Chicago each evening.
Scenic drives with an electric vehicle
An EV can handle Illinois byways comfortably when charging is planned before the rural segment. Do not assume every small town charger is fast, available or compatible with your schedule. Identify primary and backup charging stops and use meal or museum time for charging when possible. Great River Road and Route 66 have more services than the quietest southern stretches, but infrastructure changes quickly, so use a current charging app rather than a static list.
Cold weather, high speeds and cabin heating can reduce range, while scenic driving with frequent stops may change efficiency in the other direction. Keep a reserve rather than planning arrival at single-digit battery percentages. The goal is to enjoy the route, not turn every overlook into a range calculation.
Plan with these Illinois guides
- Great River Road Illinois guide
- Illinois Route 66 travel guide
- Best Route 66 stops in Illinois
- Illinois fall foliage guide
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