Route 66 - Northern Illinois Road Trip

145.2 miles: 4 hours, 3 minutes

You may hear the rumble of high-speed traffic running parallel on Interstate 55, but what will strike you most as you drive along nostalgic Route 66 in northern Illinois is its pulse that remains on the Mother Road. Maybe it’s because this is the segment of the road that was paved from end to end—or that its fans created a project to highlight the road’s history.

flickr/lucyb_22

Bloomington to Wilmington

83.2 miles: 1 hours, 57 minutes

As you leave Bloomington on the flat, two-lane road dotted with occasional farmhouses, you’ll pass towns like Towanda, which still hosts an annual Boy Scout pancake breakfast. Stop at “Wayside Exhibits” and “Experience Hubs” that can be found in Bloomington, Wilmington and the towns of Pontiac and Dwight to learn more about the stories behind the road.

Recommended Stops

Miller Park Zoo

1020 S. Morris Ave. Bloomington, IL 61701

Route 66 Association Hall of Fame & Museum

110 W. Howard St. Pontiac, IL 61764

Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum

205 N. Mill St. Pontiac, IL 61764

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Wilmington to Chicago

62.0 miles: 2 hours, 5 minutes

You’ll soon start to leave the rural towns behind and break into suburban Chicagoland. Though the road is often marked SR 53, attractions like the Route 66 Raceway remind you of the road’s origin. By now, the two-lane thoroughfare has become a divided highway, and before you know it, greenways give way to the train yard near Ogden Avenue and the busy city.

Recommended Stops

Harrah’s Joliet Casino

151 N. Joliet St. Joliet, IL 60432

Joliet Area Historical Museum

204 N. Ottawa St. Joliet, IL 60432

Capri Ristorante

324 Burr Ridge Pkwy Burr Ridge, IL 60527

Navy Pier

600 E. Grand Ave. Chicago, IL 60611