Best scenic drives in Illinois

There’s no shortage of scenic drives to take in the United States. According to the National Scenic Byway Foundation, there are 184 designated byway routes with beautiful vistas, as well as historic and cultural sites across the country. That means, no matter where you are in the U.S., a stunning drive isn’t too far away.

Some drives have reached celebrity status, one of the most well-known being Historic Route 66, stretching from downtown Chicago to Santa Monica Pier in California. For nearly 100 years, travelers have been hitting the 2,448-mile road that has more than 250 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Other famous drives include the Pacific Coast Highway in California, which hugs 650 miles of the state's coast; the Natchez Trace Parkway, a historic 444-mile route from Tennessee to Alabama and Mississippi; and the highest fully paved road in North America, Colorado's Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, which sits at a cool 14,264 feet at its peak.

Of course, there are plenty more drives that may not be as famous but are just as alluring. The Highland Scenic Highway in West Virginia gives riders a picturesque view through the Monongahela National Forest. Make a pit stop in the Cranberry Glades for an unusual site: bogs full of carnivorous plants. Further north, the Kancamagus Scenic Byway in New Hampshire is a particularly beautiful drive as the leaves turn in the fall, and won’t take you too long to drive, as it’s on the shorter side at only 34.5 miles long.

For those looking to take to the open road, Stacker compiled a list of the best scenic drives in Illinois using data from Tripadvisor as of March 2024. Note that Tripadvisor ranks attractions using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews and number of page views. As a result, a drive with a 5/5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4/5.

Once you locate the closest scenic drive near you, gather your favorite passengers, turn on an epic playlist and take in the beauty that Illinois has to offer.

#7. Ronald Reagan Trail

The trail is a self-guided drive that celebrates the 40th U.S. president. The route takes drivers all over northern Illinois. Cities along the trail include Princeton, Dixon, Eureka, Galesburg, Walnut, Washington and more. Each stop features something related to Reagan or his family. Stop by and visit Reagan’s boyhood home in Dixon.

- Rating: 4/5 (1 review) - Read more on Tripadvisor or ronaldreagantrail.net

#6. Great River Road in Illinois National Scenic Byway

The Great River Road takes drivers along the banks of the beautiful Mississippi River along Illinois’ western border. The 550-mile route starts from Dubuque, Iowa, in the north and travels all the way through the state, ending in Cairo, Illinois. Some can’t-miss stops along the way include the birthplace of jazz great Miles Davis in Alton, Galena’s Main Street lined with storefronts from the 1800s, Quincy’s historic district, more than 65 parks for outdoor adventures and Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois.

- Rating: 5/5 (1 review) - Read more on Tripadvisor or greatriverroad-illinois.org/Home

#5. Solidarity Drive

Enjoy amazing views of the Chicago skyline on this short drive (or walk or bike ride) between the Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium. The choice of name “Solidarity Drive” is in commemoration of Lech Walesa’s movement to bring freedom to Poland named the “Solidarity Movement.” The street is lined with three statues that honor Nicolaus Copernicus, Karel Havlicek and Thaddeus Kosciuzsko.

- Rating: 5/5 (4 reviews) - Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. DuSable Lake Shore Drive

A trip along DuSable Lake Shore Drive in downtown Chicago offers gorgeous views of the city skyline, neighborhoods and lakefront. Hop on the nearly 16-mile-long roadway to access many of the city’s most prominent attractions. DuSable Lake Shore Drive extends from near the Edgewater neighborhood close to Sheridan Road in the north to the South Shore neighborhood near East Marquette Drive.

- Rating: 5/5 (4 reviews) - Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. Grand View Drive

Grand View Drive is a short 2.5-mile scenic route through Peoria and Peoria Heights. According to EnjoyIllinois.com, this road once was called the “world’s most beautiful drive” by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1910. The route offers lovely views of the Illinois River Valley and historic buildings along the way. Grand View Drive has nearly two miles of paved sidewalk for hiking or biking. Stop by Grand View Park, 3210 Grandview Drive, to relax after your hike.

- Rating: 5/5 (292 reviews) - Read more on Tripadvisor or peoriaparks.org/places/parks/grand-view-drive-park

#2. Great Rivers Scenic Route

The Great River Road offers 33 miles of breathtaking scenery along the Mississippi River. The Meeting of the Great Rivers Byway is at the confluence of the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers. According to the National Scenic Byway Foundation, the route begins in Hartford at the intersection of Illinois Route 3 and New Poag Road, before winding west and north on Illinois routes 3, 143 and 100. The road takes drivers through Alton and along the forested river bluffs to Grafton and Pere Marquette State Park. The road then coincides with the much longer Great River Road that follows the Mississippi River. The south end of the route is at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site. Some of the cities along the way are Grafton, Chautauqua, Wood River and Elsah. Locations worth a stop include Piasa Park, the Clark Bridge in Alton, the National Great Rivers Museum at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, the Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge and the Lewis & Clark Museum in Hartford.

- Rating: 5/5 (238 reviews) - Read more on Tripadvisor or nsbfoundation.com/nb/meeting-of-the-great-rivers-national-scenic-byway

#1. Route 66

The Mother Road evokes a feeling of nostalgia for many drivers, as they experience all that this historic route has to offer. The 2,448-mile road, which was constructed in 1926, connects the Midwest to Los Angeles, as it travels through the country’s southwestern states. Enjoy a day, or weekend, traveling along Route 66 in Illinois, which leads southwest through Cicero, Joliet, Wilmington, Dwight, down through Pontiac and Springfield and into the St. Louis area. There are many ’50s- and ’60s- themed diners, ice cream parlors and other historic places of interest worth a stop. For more Route 66 road-trip ideas, visit shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/first-hundred-miles.

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,253 reviews) - Read more on Tripadvisor or illinoisroute66.org

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Sheeka Sanahori, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.