Illinois Scenic Byways Map: All 7 Routes By Designation

Illinois has 7 scenic byways mapped in the US Department of Transportation data, together covering about 1,759 miles of road. The longest is the Great River Road, running roughly 477 mapped miles. 2 of the state’s routes carry the top All-American Road designation. This interactive map plots every Illinois scenic byway — filter by designation, search any town or address, and click a route for its details.

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Scenic Byways

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Miles Mapped

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All-American Roads

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National Scenic Byways

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Filter by designation

Route data: US Department of Transportation scenic byway layers (geo.dot.gov). Location search by OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Routes show the mapped corridor and are for reference only – check current conditions before travelling.

How to use the Illinois scenic byways map

The map opens framed on Illinois. Each line is one scenic byway, coloured by designation. Zoom with the scroll wheel, click any route to see its name, designation, administering agency and mapped length, and use the designation checkboxes or the name filter to focus on the routes you want. Some byways continue across the state line — their full mapped length is shown.

Scenic byways in Illinois

Every scenic byway recorded in Illinois, with its designation and mapped length. Routes that run into neighbouring states are listed at their full length.

Scenic byway	Designation	Mapped length
Great River Road	National Scenic Byway	477 mi
Historic Route 66	All-American Road	448 mi
Illinois River Road	National Scenic Byway	280 mi
Ohio River Scenic Byway	National Scenic Byway	180 mi
Lincoln Highway	National Scenic Byway	177 mi
Historic National Road – Illinois	All-American Road	164 mi
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route	National Scenic Byway	33 mi

Byway designations in Illinois

All-American Road × 2 — the top federal tier, a destination drive in its own right
National Scenic Byway × 5 — a federally recognised route with outstanding qualities

Planning a scenic drive in Illinois

Start with the headline routes. Illinois’s All-American Roads — Historic Route 66, Historic National Road – Illinois — are the obvious place to begin. Check seasonal conditions before you travel — mountain and back-country byways can close in winter. For overnight stops along the way, see our Illinois campgrounds map, and for a different pace try the Illinois cycling map.

Scenic byways in neighbouring states

Crossing a state line? Continue the trip with Wisconsin scenic byways, Indiana scenic byways, Kentucky scenic byways, Missouri scenic byways, Iowa scenic byways, or return to the national US scenic byways map.

About this data

Route data comes from the US Department of Transportation scenic byway layers at geo.dot.gov, harmonised into a single dataset. It reflects what the transportation agencies publish and may lag local designations. Routes show the mapped corridor and are for planning only — check current road conditions before you travel.

Illinois scenic byways: frequently asked questions

How many scenic byways does Illinois have?

This map shows 7 scenic byways in Illinois, covering about 1,759 mapped miles.

What is the longest scenic byway in Illinois?

The Great River Road is the longest, at roughly 477 mapped miles.

Does Illinois have any All-American Roads?

Yes — Historic Route 66, Historic National Road – Illinois carries the All-American Road designation, the highest federal tier.

Daniel ODonohue

About the Author

I'm Daniel O'Donohue, the voice and creator behind The MapScaping Podcast ( A podcast for the geospatial community ). With a professional background as a geospatial specialist, I've spent years harnessing the power of spatial to unravel the complexities of our world, one layer at a time.