Communities

The third-largest city in Illinois, Joliet is situated along the original 1926 alignment of Historic Route 66. In recent years, the city has attracted numerous businesses to develop downtown buildings around the historic Rialto Theatre, dubbed the “Jewel of Joliet.”

Incorporated in 1869 along the Joliet-Bloomington railroad, the rural community of Elwood was at one point home to the Joliet Arsenal, where a 1942 explosion claimed 42 lives. Today, the village is home to the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

Founded in 1836, the city of Wilmington was once home to numerous industries, including a sawmill, gristmill, and even a carding machine, all powered by the Kankakee River; the river is also home to a large island that splits the waters into two channels, giving the city the nickname “the Island City.” The Illinois and Michigan Canal — a 19th-century, 96-mile waterway connecting Lake Michigan to the Illinois River — passes through the city along with its 62.5-mile hiking and biking trail. Today, the city is located near the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, which is maintained by the U.S. Forest Service and is home to the state’s largest bison herd.

A 19th-century mining boomtown, Braidwood was named for resident James Braidwood, an employee of a local company charged with superintending the sinking of the city’s first deep mine shaft. Numerous fossils have been discovered in Braidwood, many of which are on display at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

Incorporated in 1888, Godley was another coal mining boomtown — a history that is honored at the Illinois Route 66 Mining Museum.

Founded under the original name of Sulphur Springs in 1834, the village changed its name to Braceville under the leadership of B.R. Dowd, who chose the name after his hometown of Braceville Township, OH. Braceville is located near Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area, where the state fossil of Illinois, the Tully Monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium) was discovered in 1957.

Named after founder Henry C. Gardner, this small village is home to the famous Two-Cell Jail built in 1906 as well as the famous Streetcar Diner — both popular photo ops!

Laid out on Jan. 30, 1854, parcels of Dwight were split four ways between five men who all had ties to the railroad in some capacity. The C&A Railroad Depot, which was built in 1891, served as the village hall for many years; today, it’s home to the Dwight Historical Society and the Dwight Chamber of Commerce.

The tiny village of Odell has always been defined by transit, beginning with the town’s founding by civil engineers who worked on the Chicago and Alton Railroad and later by Route 66. At one point, a pedestrian tunnel allowed churchgoers and schoolchildren to cross the Mother Road safely.

Well known for its collection of museums and murals — as well as its expansive city parks — the city of Pontiac is one of the most popular stops for Route 66 travelers. In fact, the city’s parks were once home to the popular Chautauqua assemblies and are today connected by one of Pontiac’s trademark features: its pedestrian Swinging Bridges.

Historians have long debated the unique name of this historic city; some hypothesize the name was derived from a Native American term referring to the Kentucky River. Remnants of the original Route 66 pavement can be seen south of town where the Mother Road intersects with US-24.

The small town of Lexington has been fortunate enough to have been visited by not one, but two U.S. presidents in its lifetime. Abraham Lincoln visited the city on many occasions — sometimes staying overnight — and then-President Theodore Roosevelt visited on July 15, 1902, when he was greeted by a crowd of 20,000 people.

While many Midwestern cities of the time were centered around a town square, Towanda was laid out around the railroad with a diagonal main street running parallel to the rail. Today, visitors can walk an original stretch of the Mother Road at the Towanda Route 66 Parkway & Arboretum, which is home to numerous markers honoring Route 66 businesses throughout the years as well as numerous species of trees.

Originally named North Bloomington when it was laid out in 1854, the town of Normal later derived its name from one of its most famous institutions, Illinois State Normal University — today known as Illinois State University. The town is home to numerous Route 66 attractions, including its rejuvenated Uptown district, home to specialty shops and boutiques, restaurants, and entertainment venues like the historic Normal Theater.

The fifth-most populous city outside the Chicago metro area, Bloomington originated from a settlement called Keg Grove, later known as Blooming Grove. Abraham Lincoln spent a great deal of time in Bloomington during his legal career — perhaps more than any other Illinois city besides Springfield — and prominent resident Jesse W. Fell played a key role in encouraging Lincoln to run for president. Bloomington is also home to Miller Park Zoo, which is thought to be the only zoo with live animals on the entirety of the Mother Road.