Northern Illinois is a region of Illinois generally located immediately along and north of I-80 and outside of Chicagoland. While largely rural, it does include Rockford, the third largest city in Illinois, as well as DeKalb, home of Northern Illinois University.
Illinois Driftless Area (Jo Daviess and Stephenson County as well as the western portions of Carroll Counties.)
Illinois River Valley (Kankakee, Grundy, Kendall and LaSalle Counties as well as portions of southern Will County.)
Kishwaukee Valley (The western portions of McHenry County as well as Boone and DeKalb Counties.)
Rock River Valley (Cities and Villages along the Rock River including Rockford, Dixon and Rock Falls-Sterling as well as the nearby countryside in Winnebago, Lee, Ogle and Whiteside Counties as well as the eastern portions of Carroll County.)
Northern Illinois is generally considered to be the area of Illinois north of I-80 and outside of Chicagoland. Another way to consider Northern Illinois is by the 815 and 779 area codes. Definitions might slightly differ to include Kankakee and Grundy counties, which may also be considered part of Central Illinois.
Northwestern Illinois topograhpy hilly with bluffs and cliffs, a stark contrast to the majority of the "Prairie State" that is mostly flat or with slightly rolling hills and farmland. This region is home to 9 of the 10 highest points in Illinois, with 8 in Jo Daviess County alone, including the highest point in Illinois, Charles Mound at {{ft|1235}}.
Culturally, the entire region is similar to many other rust belt rural areas. Residents tend to be politically conservative.
{{listing | type=go | name=Rockford International Airport | alt={{IATA|RFD}} | url=https://www.flyrfd.com | email= | address= | lat=42.195278 | long=-89.097222 | directions= | phone= | tollfree= | hours= | price= | wikipedia=Chicago Rockford International Airport | wikidata=Q1071990 | content=Is served by Allegiant Air with service to four destinations. }}
Chicago O'Hare International Airport ({{IATA|ORD}}) east, is the nearest full-service airport and is directly connected to Rockford by Interstate 90.
Dane County Regional Airport ({{IATA|MSN}}) north in Madison, Wisconsin, is about an hour and 20 minutes north of Rockford in Interstate 39/90 and is served by six airlines.
Dubuque Regional Airport] ({{IATA|DBQ}}) west in Dubuque, Iowa, is about a thirty minute drive from Galena.
A number of different major routes run through Northern Illinois:
Interstates:
Interstate 80 is a cross-country east-west route running through the region, from Indiana and Chicago to the east to the Quad Cities and into Iowa.
Interstate 88 (portions tolled) runs east-west from Chicago west through Rochelle, Dixon, Rock Falls and on towards the Quad Cities.
Interstate 90 (tolled) connects Rockford and its suburbs with Chicago to the east, and with Madison and Rock County, Wisconsin, to the north. It enters the area near Belvidere and heads northwest before entering Rockford. Once in Rockford, it joins I-39 and turns north exiting at the Wisconsin border.
Interstate 39 (portions tolled) runs north-south through the area to Central Illinois and Bloomington-Normal to the south. In Rockford, it joins I-90 and continues north to the Wisconsin border.
US Routes:
US Route 20 is a major cross-country east-west route running through the region. Entering just west of Belvidere from Chicagoland, it runs due west and joins I-39 just south of Rockford. From there, it bypasses the city, runs through Freeport and Galena, and crosses the Mississippi River into Iowa at Dubuque.
US Route 30 is a major cross-country east-west route running across the Northern Illinois region. Entering the area just east of Kendall County, it runs straight west and connects Dixon and Sterling-Rock Falls before entering Eastern Iowa at Clinton.
US Route 52 enters the region from the east in the Mendota area, just north of LaSalle-Peru, then angles northwest through Dixon and Mount Carroll, then at Savanna cross the Mississippi River into Iowa.
US Route 51 is a major cross-country north-south route running through the region. Starting in South Beloit, running south (sometimes concurrently with I-80/I-39/US 20) through the region around Rockford, Rochelle, and LaSalle-Peru, then into Central Illinois.
Illinois Routes:
Illinois Route 72 runs east-west and connects the middle part of the region, principally Byron.
Illinois Route 2, a trans region north-south route, IL 2 starts at the Wisconsin state line in South Beloit, connects Rockford and its suburbs with Oregon, Dixon and Sterling, ending in Sterling.
Illinois Route 26 runs north-south from the Wisconsin state line south of Monroe, connecting Freeport and Dixon, continuing into Western Illinois.
Companies like Kayak Starved Rock provide unique and educational guided kayak tours as well as kayak rentals to explore the towering St. Peters sandstone bluffs and Bald Eagles.
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