Freeport (Illinois) - city and county seat and largest city of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States

Freeport, Illinois is in the Illinois Driftless Area.

Understand

Get in

Freeport is easily accessible on Business U.S. Highway 20 (running east to Rockford and west to Galena) and Illinois Highway 26 (running north to Monroe, Wisconsin, and south to Dixon). Freeport also supports a small airport, Albertus Airport on the south edge of town for small to mid-sized aircraft.

Get around

See

• Lincoln Douglas Debate Statue.

• Winnesheik Players Theatre.

• Jane Addams Bike/HikingTrails.

• Pecatonica River Trails.

• Three breweries: Generations Brewing Company, Wishful Acres Farms & Brewing, Lena Brewing Company.

• Winery: Famous Fossil Winery.

• Stephenson County Historical Museum: Home of Structo Toys.

Do

• Lindo Theatre, Downtown movie theatre.
• Krape Park. Hiking and Canoeing on Yellow Creek.

Buy

• Mrs. Mike's Potato Chips. 70 E. Monterey Street. https://www.mrsmikes.com/ Mrs. Mike's is a regional potato chip and pretzel brand famous for its "Fresh as a Daisy" taste. The chips are produced locally on Monterey Street and distributed nationally. Mrs. Mike's previously bought the famous Freeport Pretzel Company and now produces pretzels as well as potato chips. All products are available for purchase at the Monterey Street location.

Eat

• Union Dairy.
• Ice Cream Bar.

Drink

Sleep

Freeport has several national hotel chains in town including:

• Country Inn & Suites.
• Hampton Inn.
• Super 8.
• Baymont Inn. Other locally owned hotels are the Town House Motel and West Motel.

Campgrounds in the area include:

• Lena KOA 10 miles west of Freeport in Lena, IL.
• Emerald Acres, 7 miles south of Freeport off of Pearl City Road.

Connect

Go next

• North: Monroe, Wisconsin - on IL-26 then WI-69 - known as "The Swiss Cheese Capital of the USA".
• South: Dixon - on IL-26 - known as the "Petunia Capital of Illinois" and "The Catfish Capital of Illinois", also boyhood home of the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Regan.
• East: Rockford - on US-20 - third largest city in Illinois.
• West:
  • Stockton - on US-20 - gateway to Jo Daviess county and home of J.K. Kraft's first cheese plant.
  • Galena - on US-20 - once a major port on the Mississipi River and home of the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant.