Lincoln Highway (Illinois)
Illinois' 179 miles of the first U.S. transcontinental highway, from Lynwood across prairie towns to the Mississippi at Fulton.
Also known as Illinois Lincoln Highway National Scenic Byway
- Length179 miles[1]
- Drive timeFive to six hours to visit the whole byway[1]FHWA's "time to allow"
- RoadsLargely US 30, with Illinois 38 through the DeKalb and Dixon area[2]
- Start and endLynwood, at the Indiana line, to Fulton on the Mississippi River[1]
- Fees and passesNo fees to drive the byway[1]
- Best seasonNot verified
- SurfaceNot verified
- Vehicle notesNot verified
- Seasonal closuresNot verified
Before you go
Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.
About the drive
The Lincoln Highway was America's first successful transcontinental highway. Its Illinois section, a National Scenic Byway, runs 179 miles from Lynwood near the Indiana line to Fulton on the Mississippi.
Along the way it passes through downtown Joliet, Aurora, Geneva and DeKalb, then rail-crossroads Rochelle and Dixon, Ronald Reagan's boyhood home. In Fulton, a working Dutch windmill stands by the river.
Plan on five to six hours with stops. The interstates run nearby, so it's easy to drive part of it.
Stops along the way
-
Lynwood
Eastern end, with a Lincoln Highway interpretive mural.
Official information · 41.52643, -87.53866 · about 2.1 mi from the route line
-
Joliet
Downtown Joliet and the restored Rialto Square Theatre.
Official information · 41.52504, -88.08173 · about 0.2 mi from the route line
-
Dixon
Ronald Reagan's boyhood town on the Rock River.
Official information · 41.83893, -89.47955 · about 0.1 mi from the route line
-
DeKalb
College town on the route.
Official information · 41.92948, -88.75037 · about 0.0 mi from the route line
-
Fulton
Western end on the Mississippi, home of the working Dutch windmill De Immigrant.
Official information · 41.86726, -90.15958 · about 0.3 mi from the route line
Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Food along the way
Farmers markets within about 25 miles
- Yaeger's Farm MarketDeKalb, IL · about 0.0 mi from the route
- Twin City Farmers MarketSterling Il, IL · about 0.1 mi from the route · listed as year-round
- DeKalb Farmers' MarketDekalb, IL · about 0.1 mi from the route
- Geneva French MarketGeneva, IL · about 0.2 mi from the route
- Batavia Farmers' MarketBatavia, IL · about 0.3 mi from the route
Markets keep their own seasons and hours, so check with the market before you go. Find more in the Farmers Market Finder.
Sources
- America's Byways: Lincoln Highway, Illinois (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Journey Along the Lincoln Highway (Enjoy Illinois, Illinois Office of Tourism) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Illinois Lincoln Highway Interpretive Mural - Lynwood (Enjoy Illinois) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.
Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).