Historic Route 66 - Illinois 66
Historic Route 66 - Illinois is a State Scenic Byway in Illinois. Within Illinois it covers roughly 320 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Historic Route 66 - Illinois with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Route 66 begins in downtown Chicago and runs southwest across Illinois toward St. Louis, the first leg of the Mother Road. The Illinois stretch is rich in classic roadside Americana — the Gemini Giant at the Launching Pad, the Cozy Dog Drive In in Springfield where the corn dog on a stick was popularized, and old gas stations and diners. It passes Abraham Lincoln's Springfield along the way.
- starts in downtown Chicago
- Gemini Giant
- Cozy Dog Drive In
- Lincoln's Springfield
- Route 66
Plan a drive on Historic Route 66 - Illinois →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.