Car Rental - Illinois

Main Roads in Illinois

• Interstate 55 (I-55) takes you south-west from Chicago down to Springfield, then continues to the state border where it meets St Louis. From here, the road continues down through Mississippi.
• Interstate 57 (I-57) also starts in Chicago and takes you through the state down to the Shawnee National Forest in the south.
• Interstate 72 (I-72) cuts through the center of the state, from east to west, passing through Springfield.

Route 66: 300 miles of Route 66 passes through Illinois. It begins at Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain and then takes you southwest through the state, continuing all the way to California, closely following the route of the I-55.  

Great River Road: Follow of a section of the 2,000-mile Great River Road through Illinois. It takes you alongside the Mississippi River, starting in Galena in the northwest corner of the state. It would take 36 hours to drive the entire route, which passes through 10 states.

Speed Limits

• On rural interstates in Illinois, the speed limit is 70mph.
• This goes down to 65mph on four-lane highways and 55mph on all others.
• On interstates through downtown Chicago and other urban freeways, you’ll need to stick to 45mph.
• In residential areas the speed limit is 30mph.

Traffic

As it is one of the United States’ biggest cities, you’ll likely encounter traffic in Chicago. In general, you’ll find Illinois a relatively easy and pleasant state to drive around in your rental car.