Illinois Route 66

Hamel Edwardsville Glen Carbon Troy Maryville Collinsville Fairmont City Mitchell Pontoon Beach Granite City Madison Venice Brooklyn East St. Louis

East St. Louis Regional Overview

Old Mississippi River Towns:
Southwestern Illinois came under control of the American colonies following capture of British posts by Gen. George Rogers Clark’s forces during the Revolutionary War. By the early 1800s there were still relatively few settlers along the western border of United States’ Indiana Territory. Many of these towns were established in those early years.

Relationship to Route 66:
Through its history, Route 66 spanned the Mississippi River to St. Louis across five historic bridges: McKinley Bridge (1926-29), MacArthur Bridge (1929-36), Chain of Rocks Bridge (1936-55), Martin Luther King, Jr. (formerly Veterans Memorial) Bridge (1955-67), and the Poplar Street (Bernard F. Dickmann) Bridge (1968-77). Each time the highway shifted to a new crossing, the road was rerouted through several different communities.

Hamel
This is a town that proudly proclaims its heritage with banners, calling itself “The Best Little Town on Route 66.” Established in 1818, this small town of less than 600 people wasn’t even an incorporated village until 1955. The community was named for Jack Hamel, a farmer who owned a large amount of land and [...]

Church of the Neon Cross
The large cross has historically signified safe travels for those driving Route 66.

Meramec Caverns Barn Advertisement (Hamel)
A restored example of early highway advertising.

Scotty’s Route 66 Bar & Grill
This roadhouse at the intersection of old 66 and Ill. 140 has been serving travelers since the late 1930s.

Homestead Rest Area
A rest area off of I-55 themed for Route 66.

Edwardsville
The third oldest city in Illinois, Edwardsville was first settled in 1805 when Thomas Kirkpatrick built a one-room log cabin on the ridge above Cahokia Creek. Edwardsville’s namesake, Ninian Edwards, was appointed territorial governor in 1809 when the Illinois Territory was established. He built a home here in 1819-20. Edwards served as governor of the [...]

Springers Creek Winery
Serving locally-produced wine, this charming winery is housed in an historic 1910 storefront grocery and an adjacent historic house.

St. Louis Street Historic District
Built in the 1880s and 90s, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the homes on St. Louis Street represent several architectural styles.

Leclaire Village Historic District
In 1890, this area just south of Edwardsville was the site of a model "utopian" village called Leclaire. Today, the village has been incorporated into Edwardsville, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Glen Carbon
In 1799, David Bagley, a Virginia Baptist minister passed through the Glen Carbon area and determined that it was a land of such expanse and luxuriant vegetation that he compared it to the Biblical “Land of Goshen.” In 1801, Colonel Samuel Judy received a military grant for 100 acres of land near the base of [...]

Yanda Log Cabin
Built in 1853, this historic cabin was renovated for the Village's Centennial Celebration in 1992.

Glen Carbon Covered Bridge
The bridge was constructed in 1976 to celebrate the 200th birthday of the United States.

Troy
In 1819, settler John Jarvis sold ten acres for $100 to James Riggen and David Hendershott. The community formerly known as Columbia was then mapped out, surveyed, and renamed Troy. Within a year, the village was populated by 120 people. Troy’s humble beginnings started with just a band mill, storehouse, taverns, and housing. Troy officially [...]

Maryville
German farmers started settling in the area near St. John Lutheran Church between 1840 and 1845. The area on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River was known as Ridge Prairie. The specific area near the church was called Pleasant Ridge.

Collinsville
Collinsville, a historic town on the bluffs of the Mississippi River, has a sweeping view of downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch, only ten miles to the west. In recent years, this town of 24,000 has evolved into a fast growing, “bedroom community” for St. Louis commuters. It is renowned for having the world’s largest [...]

Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower
The world's largest catsup bottle and a landmark roadside attraction. Restored to its original appearance and named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Historic Downtown Collinsville
Take a self guided tour that interprets several beautiful historic buildings, signs and homes of the area.

Bert’s Chuck Wagon Bar-B-Q
Classic 1950s-60s small diner that serves barbeque sandwiches and is known for its enchiladas and tacos.

Willoughby Heritage Farm and Conservation Reserve
Visit to learn about the family farm of the 1920s-50s, as well as the region's natural history.

Fairmount Park Racetrack
Opened in 1925, this popular horse racing track is the only one in Illinois outside of Chicago.

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
The largest Pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico and a prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fairmont City
A village in St. Clair County with a population of almost 2,500, Fairmont City has the highest percentage of Hispanic poplulation (55%) in the entire St. Louis Metropolitan area.

Gateway Classic Cars
Classic car consignments sales house with hundreds of cars.

Mitchell
This is an unincorporated community located at the junction of Interstate 270 and Illinois Route 203, part of former U.S. Highway 66. It is located about twenty miles north of East St. Louis. Neighboring towns include Granite City, Pontoon Beach, Edwardsville, and Hartford. A few years ago, Mitchell tried to become an independent city, but [...]

Luna Cafe
The cafe, built in 1924, is rumored to have been frequented by gangsters like Al Capone. The Luna is now a working man's bar frequented by locals and travelers on Route 66.

Pontoon Beach
The Village of Pontoon Beach is located approximately 10 miles northeast of downtown St. Louis in Madison County, Illinois. A community of 6,000 people, Pontoon Beach is bordered by the 2,300 acre Gateway Commerce Center, I-270 and I-255 and the communities of Granite City and Madison.

Granite City
The first European settlers began arriving in the Granite City area in the 1830s attracted by the rich bottom land east of the Mississippi River. Granite City was originally called Six Mile Prairie because its farmers had to travel six miles to St. Louis to sell their produce and buy supplies. An early ferry operated [...]

Debby’s Route 66 Frozen Custard/Sun Motel
A small frozen custard stand with a 1958 pink Cadillac parked out front.

Horseshoe Lake State Park
This 2,960 acre park is situated around an oxbow lake formed from a cut-off meander of the Mississippi River. A self-guided nature trail on Walker Island features several observation areas.

Lewis & Clark State Historic Site Visitors Center
This state-of-the-art interpretive center is located at the winter camp area of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Madison
Madison is a city located in Madison County. A city of about 4,500, it is home to Gateway International Raceway and the first Bulgarian Orthodox church in the United States.

Chain of Rocks Bridge
This site marks the end of the Illinois portion of Route 66. Originally a motor route, it now carries walking and biking trails over the river.

Gateway International Raceway
The site of more than 250 racing events each year.

Venice
This Madison County river town of 2,500 is in the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is joined to the city by the McKinley Bridge, the first crossing of Route 66. The bridge was owned by the city of Venice and operated as a toll bridge. After decades of disrepair due to the lack of toll [...]

McKinley Bridge
The first Route 66 alignment crossed the Mississippi River here from 1926-1929. After closing to vehicles, the bridge was reopened for pedestrians and bicyclists in 2007.

McKinley Bridge Roadside Park
Located on the east side of McKinley Bridge, this small roadside park includes an interpretive kiosk which describes the region's cities, transportation, geography, and industry.

Brooklyn
Brooklyn (popularly known as Lovejoy), is a village in St. Clair County, just north of East St. Louis. It is the oldest black town in the United States and was named for Elijah P. Lovejoy (1802-1837), an abolitionist from St. Louis. In 1829, led by “Mother” Priscilla Baltimore, a group of eleven families composed of both [...]

East St. Louis
Originally known as Illinoistown, this town is located in historic St. Clair County, along the Mississippi River opposite St. Louis, Missouri. About 1797 a ferry station was established on the site by Captain James Piggott, a pioneer and Illinois territorial judge, and in 1818 a village was laid out. The home of giant packing houses [...]

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bridge
Formerly called the Veterans Memorial Bridge when built in 1951, the bridge is still open to traffic.

Poplar Street Bridge
The fifth and final Route 66 alignment crossed the Mississippi River here from 1968-1977, and is also the bridge featured in "National Lampoon's Vacation." The bridge is still open to traffic.

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