The New Route 66: Illinois Edition

198 S Michigan Ave, Chicago IL

You are at the start of Route 66 on the Miracle Mile in Chicago.

Go one block south and turn left onto E Jackson Drive

Go two blocks east and turn right onto S Columbus Dr

Go South for 1.1 miles and merge onto US-41 S/DuSable Lake Shore Drive

In less than a mile you will take the I-55 S exit towards St. Louis

You are on the New Route 66 only 2,142 miles to go unless you take an exit then it will be more. So which exits should you take. I have more than a few suggestions so keep reading.

Exit 293C State St

Let’s assume you have already done sightseeing in Chicago and are ready to make some time out of town. It is too soon to stop so let’s keep going

Exit 293B I90 I94 East Indiana

Only if you want to go to Indiana

Exit 292 I90 I94 West Wisconsin

Only if you want to detour to Wisconsin

Exit 290 Damen Ave

Unless you know where you are going I would stay on the interstate.

Exit 288 Kedzie Ave

No services immediately off the exit

Exit 287 Pulaski Rd

This is an industrial exit

Exit 286 IL-50/Cicero Ave

No services are immediately available at this exit.

Exit 285 S Central Ave

Primarily an industrial exit

Exit 283 IL-43/Harlem Ave

No services directly off of this exit

Exit 282 IL-171

Highway interchange no services directly of this exit

Exit 279B US-12/US-20/US-45US-12/US-20/US-45/US-12/US-20/US-45

Unless you know where you are going this exit is mainly a highway interchange.

Exit 279A US-12/US-20/US-45

No services directly off of this exit.

Exit 277A I-294 N Wisconsin

This will take you back to I 94

Exit 276B North County Line Road 

No quick services at this exit

Exit 276A South County Line Road

No quick services at this exit

Exit 274 IL-83 N/Kingery Rd

Nothing is easily accessible at this exit.

Exit 273B N Cass Ave

No services immediately off this exit

Exit 273A S Cass Ave

No services immediately off this exit

Exit 271B N Lemont Rd

It’s a long drive to any services at this exit..

Exit 271A S Lemont Rd

Nothing easily accessible at this exit.

Exit 269 I-355 North/I-355 South

Highway Interchange to a toll road.

No immediate services.

Exit 268 South Joliet Road

No quick services at this exit, hold out for the next exit.

Exit 267 IL-53 Bolingbrook

This is the first exit I would recommend out of Chicago. There are restaurants and fuel. Bolingbrook is a nice community.

Weigh Station

Exit 263 Weber Rd

There is a lot in Romeoville. Which is a town that was on the original Route 66 configuration.

It is going to be a time burner, but there is some worthy restaurants here.

Exit 261 IL-126 W Plainfield

Plainfield has a lot to offer. It is unfortunately well off the beaten path.

Exit 257 US-30/Aurora/Joliet

This exit is a bonanza for restaurants and shopping. Pretty easy off and back on the interstate.

Exit 253 US-52/Shorewood/Joliet

More of Joliet at this exit, just not as much as the last exit.

Exit 250B I-80 West Iowa

Highway interchange, you really don’t want to see Iowa.

Exit 250A  I-80 Indiana

Highway interchange, think Grand Canyon and the beach and avoid this detour.

Exit 248 US-6/Joliet/Morris

There is a truck stop and some fast food that is not easy to navigate off the highway and back on.

Exit 247 Bluff Rd

There is a Love’s Truck stop, but not much else this is a pass for me.

Exit 244 Arsenal Rd

No immediate services off this exit.

Exit 241 North River Road

No services at this exit

Exit 240 Lorenzo Rd

There are a couple of truck stops at this exit. It is not the most convenient exit in Illinois.

Exit 236 IL-113/Kankakee/Coal City

No immediate services at this exit.

Exit 233 Reed Rd

No services without a long drive off the interstate.

Exit 227 IL-53 Gardner

Gardner has some gas stations and restaurants, but they are off the beaten path.

Exit 220 IL-47/Morris/Dwight

There is a Love’s Travel stop at this location to the south.

Exit 217 IL-17/Streator/Kankakee

The city of Dwight is off this exit. It has a few places to eat, but it is not going to be fast at all.

Exit 209 Odell

There is a pizza place and a service station just off the highway.

Exit 201 IL-23/Pontiac/Streator

Nothing directly off of this exit.

Exit 197 IL-116/Pontiac/Flanagan

Pontiac is primarily on the east side of the interstate. There are a couple of fast food restaurants. 

This is not a great stop in my book.

Rest Area

Very nice rest area with bathrooms and picnic table. Looks big enough to have maps and free coffee.

Exit 187 US-24/Chenoa/El Paso

The city of Chenoa has some fast food restaurants and at least one service station.

Exit 178 Lexington

Right off the interstate there is a service station and a fast food restaurant that makes a quick stop at this exit. To see Lexington will take an investment of time I am not willing to give.

Exit 171 Towanda

There is nothing immediately off the exit. If you want to go into Towanda or get on the original Route 66 you can do that easily here.

Exit 167 I-55 Business S//Veterans Pkwy

This exit will take you into the heart of Bloomington/Normal. There are countless restaurants, hotels, and almost any kind of store you could want. Probably the most restaurants available until you get to St. Louis.

Exit 165 US-51 Business/Bloomington/Normal

This exit will take you into the north side of Bloomington/Normal. There are more restaurants to explore at this exit.

Exit 164 I-39 North/US-51 North/Rockford

This exit will take you to Rockford and Southern Wisconsin.

Exit 163 I-74 Peoria

No Immediate services at this exit, It will take you straight west to Peoria.

Exit 160 US-150/IL-9/Market St/ Pekin

This exit into Bloomington hosts a plethora of restaurants, hotels, and shopping. There is a Walmart not far off the exit to the west.

Left of Y I-74E Indianapolis/Decatur

Right of Y I-55S St.Louis/Springfield

This is not marked as an exit, but you want to stay in the right lanes to stay on I-55 and continue to St. Louis.

Exit 154 Shirley

Other than getting on to the old Route 66 there is not much to see at this exit.

Rest Area

The Funks Grove rest area is a really nice big building and walking paths. Nice bathrooms, maps, and free coffee.

Exit 145 US-136/McClean/Heyworth

McClean is right off the highway. There is not a lot to see here, but you can get on the old Route 66 here.

Exit 140 Atlanta/Lawndale

Atlanta is a small town. It does have some fuel and food options that are easy to access.

Exit 133 I-55 Business/Lincoln

This exit will take you into Lincoln, it is a long drive for services in my opinion. Their are better exits coming up.

Exit 127 I-155 North/Peoria/Hartsburg

This is your second chance to go to Peoria. 

There are no service immediately available at this exit

Exit 126 IL-10/IL-121/Lincoln/Mason City

This is the best exit for Lincoln. There is a Mexican restaurant named El Mazatlan that is fantastic at this exit. I ate there several years ago and it defied my normal opinion that the further you go north the worse the Mexican food gets.  That being said you will be really close to the Mexican border in a couple of days so their will be plenty of chances at great Mexican food.

Exit 123 I-55 Business N Lincoln

No services immediately available at this exit. You would have to go back into Lincoln to find anything.

Exit 119 Broadwell

There is nothing at this exit that will help you with your journey.

Exit 115 Elkhart

Elkhart has a couple of restaurants, but nothing looks fast about this stop.

Exit 109 IL-123/Williamsville/Petersburg

This exit features a Love’s Travel stop and a Huddle House on the Westbound side that are pretty convenient.

Weigh Station

Exit 105 I-55 Business/ Sherman

There are a couple of restaurants in Sherman, I would hold out for Springfield.

Rest Area

Nice pull off with restrooms

Exit 100B W Sangamon Ave

There is a Walmart and several restaurants on the west side of the interstate. This will require some maneuvering, but not a long way.

Exit 100A IL-54 E/ E Sangamon Ave/Clinton

This exit does not offer as much as the Westbound exit does.

Exit 98B IL-97/ E Clear Lake Ave

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located at this exit.

There is also a Illinois Visitors center at this exit. Free coffee anyone?

There are several restaurant options at this exit.

Exit 98A I-72 E/US-36 E/ Decatur

If you're hungry or looking for fuel this isn’t the exit.

Exit 96B IL-29 N/South Grand Ave

This exit takes you into the heart of Springfield. There are lots of good restaurant choices off of this exit.

Exit 96A IL-29 S/ Taylorville

All the action is at the previous exit. There are no services immediately available this direction.

Exit 94 Stevenson Dr/E Lake Dr

This exit has a lot of hotels and restaurants. The nicer hotels are just to the west of the exit.

Exit 92A-B I-72/6th St

This exit is technically on I-72, but there is a Golden Corral and Walmart just off the exit if you are so inclined, otherwise stay left on I-55 St Louis. On the way to this exit in your rearview mirror you should be able to see the three smokestacks that look like the scenery in the Simpsons. There has been a debate on if it is Springfield MO IL MA. I think it is Springfield IL when you are driving East it looks just like the cartoon version without the Lincoln silhouette on the buildings. 

Exit 90 Toronto Rd

There is a Cracker Barrel at this exit and few other services. You really kind of missed the boat if you didn’t stop in Springfield, unless you were waiting for a Cracker Barrel. The view of the lake is magnificent from the highway. It makes you want to stop and join in on the fun.

Exit 88 Chatham/E Lake Dr

Unless you have a place to go on the lake this exit doesn’t have much to offer.

Exit 83 Glenarm

No immediate services at this exit.

Exit 82 IL-104/Auburn/Pawnee

If you are desperate for gas there is a Circle K, I would keep going.

Exit 80 Divernon

The only convenient service is a funeral home. I am hoping this is not your exit.

Exit 72 Farmersville/Girard

No immediate services at this exit.

Rest Area

Nice rest area with the kind of building that has free coffee, maps, and bathrooms.

Exit 63 IL-48/IL-127/Raymond/Hillsboro

There are no services at this exit.

Exit 60 IL-108 W Carlinville

There are no immediate services at this exit.

Exit 52 IL-16/Gillespie/Litchfield

Litchfield is a pretty good sized town with a decent selection of restaurants and a few hotels. It is just a little too far off the interstate for me to call it a good stop, unless you just want to get off the road for a bit.

Exit 44 IL-138/Mt Olive/Benld

There is not a lot at this exit,.

Exit 41 Staunton

There is nothing immediately off the road at this exit.

Exit 37 Livingston/New Douglas

There are a couple of small cafes in the town of Livingston to the west of the interstate. 

Exit 33 IL-4/Staunton/Lebanon

Very small town of Worden is off to the west. This exit is a pass for me.

Exit 30 IL-140 Alton/Greenville

There is a Love’s Travel Stop at this exit. It is time to make sure you will have plenty of fuel to get through St. Louis. You do not want to be running close on fuel on the east side of St. Louis and be forced to try and find something until you can get well past the Arch.

Rest Area

Exit 23 IL-143/Edwardsville/Marine

There is a gas station just off the exit. Going into Edwardsville will require a pretty big time commitment. I would recommend Doc’s Smokehouse if you are going to take the time to sit down and eat. 

Exit 20B I-270 West Kansas City

This will take you around downtown St Louis to Kansas City. 

There are no immediate services at this exit.

Exit 20A I-70 East Indianapolis

This is a highway interchange and has no immediate services available.

Exit 18 IL-162 Troy

There are a couple of truck stops where you can fuel up. There are a couple of restaurant options at this exit as well.

Exit 17 US-40 E/St Jacob/Highland

No immediate services available, you would have to backtrack off the interstate to the previous exit.

Exit 15B IL-159 N/Maryville

There is nothing really convenient at this exit.

Exit 15A IL-159 S/Collinsville

Nothing convenient at this exit.

Weigh Station

Exit 11 IL-157/Collinsville/Edwardsville

There are nice hotels and restaurants at this exit. This would be a good stopping point if you are heading into rush hour in St. Louis. From here on out I would start thinking I am not going to stop until I see the Arch and get past downtown St. Louis, unless of course you are going downtown to see the Arch.

I will always recommend not stopping at any exit between here and the Mississippi River. East Saint Louis has always been one the most dangerous cities in the US. Your chances of being a crime victim are at last report 1 in 26. It is just not worth taking a chance and I could not in good conscience suggest stopping.

Exit 6 IL-111/Woodriver/Washington Park

Nothing immediately available at this exit. I would not stop at this exit.

Exit 4B IL-203 N/Granite City

No immediate services available. I would not stop at this exit.

Exit 4A IL-203 S Collinsville Rd

No immediate services available. I would not stop at this exit.

Exit 3C Exchange Ave

You can see the Arch. Smile and do not stop at this exit.

Exit 3B I-70 West Kansas City

Exit for going to Kansas City.

Exit 3A I-64 East/ IL-3/Louisville

No Immediate services available

Exit 2C Martin Luther King Bridge

Do not take this exit unless you know where you are going.

Exit 2B ML King Bridge/Downtown/St Louis

Stay in the middle lanes for I-44

Exit 2A Third Street

Do not take this exit unless you have a good plan.

Exit 1 IL-3 S/Sauget

Just say no and cross the Mississipi River and get on I-44 the second leg of the New Route 66.

Welcome to Missouri