Day 1: Chicago IL to Springfield IL
Postcard from Springfield, Illinois
First 202 miles done. Feat: three flash flooding alerts, two tornadoes, two weird giants, one delicious hot dog, a number of charming small cities, a glorious sunny entrance into Springfield. An eventful birthday, I say.
Driving from Chicago to Springfield Cheat Sheet
Accommodation in Springfield:
- La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham,1121 Lejune Dr, Springfield, IL, 62703
Where to eat and what to see between Chicago IL and Springfield IL
- Launching Pad, 810 E Baltimore St – btw East & Daniels -, Wilmington. Home of the Gemini Giant. I had a great hot dog and a Route 66 branded root beer.
- Route 66 Museum,110 W Howard St, Pontiac. Worth stopping at least to take a picture of the murales
Driving from Chicago to Springfield FAQ
There are 202 miles between Chicago and Springfield.
You can drive from Chicago to Springfield in about 3 hours but it really depends on a few factors including traffic (leaving Chicago) and the weather. It took me about 7 hours both cause I stopped for lunch and to take some picture but mostly cause of the heavy rain.
Driving from Chicago to Springfield you pass from a number of pretty charming towns.
Excluding Chicago for obvious reasons the main attractions from Chicago to Springfield are a few classic iconic figures such as the Launching Pad in Wilmington and the Hot Dog Muffler Man in Atlanta. The small towns of Joliet and Pontiac are worth a stop.
It depends on the season. In summer you can drive from Springfield to Cuba with any car. In coldest months a mid size SUV is more practical cause the weather can get pretty nasty.
Route 66 pictures: photos taken from Chicago to Springfield
My itinerary on the Route 66
- Route 66 the ultimate American road trip
- Day 1: Chicago to Springfield
- Day 2: Springfield to Cuba
- Day 3: Cuba to Carthage
- Day 4: Carthage to Oklahoma City
- Day 5: Oklahoma City to Amarillo
- Day 6: Amarillo to Tucumcari
- Day 7: Tucumcari to Santa Fe
- Day 8: Santa Fe to Gallup
- Day 9: Gallup to Bluff
- Day 10: Bluff to Chambers
- Day 11: Chambers to Sedona
- Day 12: Sedona to Kingman
- Day 13: Kingman to Barstow
- Day 14: Barstow to Santa Monica
