Map of Illinois with cities, counties and roads network

Exploration of the Land of Lincoln: Map of Illinois Featuring Counties, Cities, and Towns

Map of Illinois - Illinois map with cities, counties, and roads network. Use this detailed map to explore every county in the Prairie State, locate all administrative capitals (county seats), identify major cities and towns, and understand where Illinois borders Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, and Lake Michigan. The map is built for clarity, so we keep roads light; only the central spines are mentioned to help you place counties without turning this into a highway list.

Road-light orientation: I-90/I-94 arc along Lake Michigan through Chicago; I-88 and I-80 run west to the Mississippi; I-55 links Chicago, Bloomington, Springfield, St. Louis; I-39 runs north–south through Rockford-LaSalle-Bloomington; I-57 tracks Kankakee-Champaign-Effingham-Mt. Vernon to southern Illinois; I-72 crosses Quincy-Springfield-Champaign; I-70 moves St. Louis-Effingham-Terre Haute; I-64 spans St. Louis-Mt. Vernon-Evansville. These are simply signposts so you can follow the county grid.

Northern Illinois and the heart of the state (Chicago, Rock River, Illinois River, Bloomington-Normal, Peoria, Springfield)

Lake Michigan shoreline and Chicagoland counties

The map shows Illinois fanning southwest from Lake Michigan with the nation’s third-largest city as an anchor.

Cook County and the city of Chicago

• Cook County (seat: Chicago). Chicago’s label dominates the shoreline. Suburban municipalities such as Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park, Cicero, Harvey, Calumet City, and Des Plaines ring the city, but the county seat is unequivocally Chicago. Northwestern Cook borders Lake County; southwestern Cook meets Will and DuPage.

Collar Counties that ring the metro

• Lake County (seat: Waukegan). Tracks the Lake Michigan shoreline north to the Wisconsin line, with Libertyville, Gurnee, and Highland Park visible.

• DuPage County (seat: Wheaton). Home to Naperville, Downers Grove, Lombard, and Elmhurst, a dense town labels on the map west of Chicago.

• Will County (seat: Joliet). Joliet is bold; Bolingbrook, Plainfield, New Lenox, and Romeoville appear along the I-55 and I-80 axes.

• Kane County (seat: Geneva). Aurora and Elgin straddle the Fox River; Batavia and St. Charles complete the tri-cities.

• McHenry County (seat: Woodstock). North-suburban and largely exurban; Crystal Lake and McHenry are labeled near the Wisconsin border.

• Kendall County (seat: Yorkville). One of the state’s fastest-growing counties, set between Aurora, Plano, and Oswego.

• Grundy County (seat: Morris). A compact county along the Illinois River, southwest of Will.

• Kankakee County (seat: Kankakee). Kankakee and Bradley show on the Kankakee River southeast of Chicago.

Together, these counties form the Chicago metropolitan area, clearly shaded and labeled so you can match every suburb to its county without cross-referencing a highway atlas.

Northern tier: Rockford, the Driftless edge, and the Rock River valley

Move west from Chicagoland, and the map names the northern lattice of counties that touch Wisconsin or the Rock River.

• Winnebago County (seat: Rockford). Rockford is the northern hub, with Loves Park and Machesney Park visible.

• Boone County (seat: Belvidere). Immediately east of Rockford along I-90.

• Ogle County (seat: Oregon). Oregon and Rochelle show where the Rock River and I-88 corridors cross.

• DeKalb County (seat: Sycamore). DeKalb city and Sycamore sit on the Kishwaukee; the county stretches toward Kane.

• Lee County (seat: Dixon). Birthplace of Lincoln’s early Illinois career, with Dixon on the Rock River and Amboy nearby.

• Whiteside County (seat: Morrison). Sterling–Rock Falls spans the Rock River near I-88.

• Carroll County (seat: Mount Carroll). Rural river bluffs opposite Clinton, Iowa.

• Stephenson County (seat: Freeport). Freeport is printed large on the Pecatonica River.

• Jo Daviess County (seat: Galena). Illinois’ hill country at the Mississippi, with Galena and Elizabeth marked.

Mississippi River counties of the Quad Cities and beyond

Along the Mississippi River, the map highlights the Illinois side of the Quad Cities and the agricultural counties southward.

• Rock Island County (seat: Rock Island). Moline and East Moline partner with Rock Island across from Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa.

• Henry County (seat: Cambridge). Geneseo and Kewanee are the larger towns inland.

• Mercer County (seat: Aledo). South of Rock Island, along the river bends.

• Henderson County (seat: Oquawka). Narrow and river-bound, Oquawka sits right on the bank.

• Warren County (seat: Monmouth). Monmouth is bold between Galesburg and the river.

• Knox County (seat: Galesburg). A key rail city, Galesburg, appears large where US-34 meets I-74.

The Illinois River counties: Ottawa to Peoria and LaSalle–Bureau County

The Illinois River is a central thread on the map.

• LaSalle County (seat: Ottawa). Ottawa and La Salle–Peru cluster at the starboard of I-80; Streator appears to the south.

• Bureau County (seat: Princeton). West of LaSalle, with Spring Valley and Princeton shown along I-80.

• Putnam County (seat: Hennepin). Illinois’ smallest by area, pinned right on the river.

• Marshall County (seat: Lacon). Between LaSalle and Peoria counties, Lacon sits on the water.

• Stark County (seat: Toulon). A compact square west of Marshall, north of Peoria.

• Peoria County (seat: Peoria). Peoria is a bold urban label on the river’s big bend.

• Tazewell County (seat: Pekin). Pekin lies opposite Peoria; East Peoria and Morton appear along I-74 and I-155.

• Woodford County (seat: Eureka). Germantown Hills, Metamora, and El Paso give you placement north of Bloomington.

Central Illinois crossroads: Bloomington–Normal, Pontiac, Lincoln, and Clinton

This portion of the map is perfect for residents and students who want county-seat mastery.

• McLean County (seat: Bloomington). Illinois’s largest county by land area, with Bloomington–Normal at the center and Le Roy, Lexington, and Heyworth labeled.

• Livingston County (seat: Pontiac). Pontiac sits on I-55 between Dwight and Fairbury.

• De Witt County (seat: Clinton). West of Champaign, Clinton Lake shows as a blue patch.

• Logan County (seat: Lincoln). Lincoln is directly on the I-55 corridor.

• Ford County (seat: Paxton). North of Champaign with Gibson City visible.

• Piatt County (seat: Monticello). Between Champaign and Decatur.

• Macon County (seat: Decatur). The Sangamon River lakes and the city of Decatur are easy to spot.

• Sangamon County (seat: Springfield). The state capital, Springfield, is highlighted; Chatham, Auburn, and Rochester surround it.

• Menard County (seat: Petersburg). North of Springfield, a compact county with Athens labeled.

• Mason County (seat: Havana). Along the Illinois River, west of Logan and Tazewell.

West-central Prairie and the Great River Road

The pattern continues to the Mississippi and the western bluffs.

• Fulton County (seat: Lewistown). Canton appears large; the county spans Spoon River Country.

• Schuyler County (seat: Rushville). Between Fulton and Brown.

• Brown County (seat: Mount Sterling). A small but distinct square.

• Adams County (seat: Quincy). Quincy dominates the Mississippi Bend.

• Hancock County (seat: Carthage). Carthage and Nauvoo are labeled along the river.

• McDonough County (seat: Macomb). Macomb is central, home to WIU, with Bushnell shown.

• Warren County (seat: Monmouth) and Knox (Galesburg) have already placed connect here.

Lower Illinois River, Kaskaskia headwaters, and the Metro-East approach

As the map moves south toward St. Louis, counties narrow along rivers and rail.

• Greene County (seat: Carrollton). Between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.

• Jersey County (seat: Jerseyville). North of Alton, with the river confluence visible.

• Calhoun County (seat: Hardin). A unique peninsula between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

• Pike County (seat: Pittsfield). Large and rural north of Calhoun.

• Scott County (seat: Winchester) and Morgan County (seat: Jacksonville) lie east of Pike.

• Cass County (seat: Virginia) joins Menard and Mason around the river.

This completes Part 1’s sweep—from Lake Michigan through Chicagoland, the Rock River and Illinois River valleys, Bloomington–Normal, Peoria, Springfield, and the western bluffs—keeping your focus on counties, county seats, and the main cities visible on our map.

East-Central, Wabash Valley, Metro-East, and Southern Illinois (Shawnee Forest to the Ohio and Mississippi)

Champaign-Urbana and the east-central grid to Indiana

The map’s east-central quadrant is dense with well-labeled seats and college towns.

• Champaign County (seat: Urbana). Champaign–Urbana are twin labels along I-74 and I-72; Rantoul and Mahomet appear.

• Vermilion County (seat: Danville). On the Indiana line, Hoopeston and Georgetown are marked.

• Iroquois County (seat: Watseka). South of Kankakee, towns like Gilman and Onarga dot US-24.

• Edgar County (seat: Paris). East of Coles, right on the state line.

• Coles County (seat: Charleston). Mattoon is the larger city; both are shown.

• Douglas County (seat: Tuscola). Between Champaign and Coles, Arcola is noted for its Amish heritage.

• Moultrie County (seat: Sullivan) and Shelby County (seat: Shelbyville) occupy the Kaskaskia River lake region.

• Cumberland County (seat: Toledo) sits between Shelby and Jasper along I-70.

• Clark County (seat: Marshall) meets Indiana opposite Terre Haute.

• Jasper County (seat: Newton) and Richland County (seat: Olney) continue the Embarras River valley.

• Lawrence County (seat: Lawrenceville) and Crawford County (seat: Robinson) follow the Wabash River southward.

Effingham to the I-57/I-70 crossroads and the Kaskaskia Plain

• Effingham County (seat: Effingham). A bold label at the junction of I-57 and I-70, with Teutopolis nearby.

• Fayette County (seat: Vandalia). A former state capital on the Kaskaskia River, Vandalia is clear along I-70.

• Bond County (seat: Greenville) and Clinton County (seat: Carlyle) sit west of Fayette, the latter hosting Carlyle Lake.

• Marion County (seat: Salem). North of Jefferson, with Centralia spanning multiple counties.

• Wayne County (seat: Fairfield) lies south of Clay (seat: Louisville).

• Edwards County (seat: Albion) and Wabash County (seat: Mount Carmel) hug the Wabash River.

Metro-East and the St. Louis fringe on the Illinois side

The map marks the Illinois counties that form Greater St. Louis (Metro-East).

• Madison County (seat: Edwardsville). Urban centers, Alton, Granite City, and Collinsville are labeled.

• St. Clair County (seat: Belleville). East St. Louis, O’Fallon, and Fairview Heights appear along the I-64/I-255 belt.

• Monroe County (seat: Waterloo). South of St. Clair along the river.

• Jersey and Calhoun (seats Jerseyville, Hardin) have already completed the confluence region.

• Macoupin County (seat: Carlinville) and Montgomery County (seat: Hillsboro) stretch north and east of Metro-East.

• Christian County (seat: Taylorville) is east of Sangamon, while Greene (Carrollton) and Jersey (Jerseyville) meet the Mississippi.

Mount Vernon south to the Shawnee Hills and the Ohio River

Southern Illinois shows a tapestry of small counties that students often study by river and ridge.

• Jefferson County (seat: Mount Vernon). A key junction county where I-57 and I-64 cross.

• Franklin County (seat: Benton) and Williamson County (seat: Marion) anchor the Herrin–Marion coal basin; Carterville and Johnston City are labeled.

• Jackson County (seat: Murphysboro). Carbondale is a large university city just east of the seat.

• Perry County (seat: Pinckneyville) and Randolph County (seat: Chester) run along the Kaskaskia and Mississippi.

• Washington County (seat: Nashville), north of Randolph along I-64.

• Hamilton County (seat: McLeansboro), White County (seat: Carmi), and Gallatin County (seat: Shawneetown) trace the lower Wabash and Ohio Rivers.

• Saline County (seat: Harrisburg) borders the Shawnee National Forest.

• Hardin County (seat: Elizabethtown) is Illinois’ least populous, buffeted by the Ohio’s bluffs.

• Pope County (seat: Golconda), Massac County (seat: Metropolis), Pulaski County (seat: Mound City), and Alexander County (seat: Cairo) complete the far-southern tip where the Ohio meets the Mississippi.

• Union County (seat: Jonesboro) and Johnson County (seat: Vienna) sit west and north of Massac, respectively, and extend into Williamson and Pulaski counties.

Southeastern interior from Mt. Vernon to the Wabash

• Marion and Clay have already noted that the I-57 corridor is centered.

• Richland (Olney) and Jasper (Newton) continue west of the Wabash; Lawrence (Lawrenceville) and Crawford (Robinson) cling to the state line.

• Wayne (Fairfield) and Edwards (Albion) create the rural heartland between I-64 and the river.

Western river bend from Quincy to Alton (recap and quick-learn)

• Adams (Quincy), Pike (Pittsfield), Calhoun (Hardin), Jersey (Jerseyville), Greene (Carrollton), Madison (Edwardsville), St. Clair (Belleville), and Monroe (Waterloo) line the Mississippi from north to south on the map, each shaded distinctly for quick memorization.

Why this county-first map works for residents, travelers, and students

• Residents can confirm jurisdiction and services - taxes, courts, and elections follow county lines.

• Travelers can string visits by county: Galena in Jo Daviess, Starved Rock near LaSalle, Springfield in Sangamon, Cahokia Mounds in St. Clair, Shawnee vistas in Pope and Hardin.

• Geography students can memorize Illinois’ 102 counties by river sequence: Rock-Illinois-Kaskaskia-Wabash-Ohio-Mississippi, using county seats as anchors instead of mile markers.

  Frequently Asked Questions about the Illinois County Map

  How many counties are shown in Illinois?

  Illinois shows 102 counties, each shaded and labeled with its county seat.

  Where is the state capital indicated?

  Springfield in Sangamon County is clearly marked as the capital and county seat.

  Where is Chicago and which county is it in?

  Chicago appears on Lake Michigan in Cook County with Chicago as the county seat.

  Which collar counties around Chicago are shown?

  DuPage (seat Wheaton), Lake (seat Waukegan), Will (seat Joliet), Kane (seat Geneva), McHenry (seat Woodstock).

  Where are Rockford and Peoria located on the map?

  Rockford sits in Winnebago County; Peoria lies in Peoria County along the Illinois River.

  Where are Champaign-Urbana and Bloomington-Normal shown?

  Urbana is the seat of Champaign County beside Champaign; Bloomington is the seat of McLean County with Normal adjacent.

  Which counties make up the Metro East near St. Louis?

  Madison (seat Edwardsville) and St. Clair (seat Belleville) lead the Metro East along the Mississippi River.

  Where are the Quad Cities counties marked?

  Rock Island County (seat Rock Island) and nearby Henry County are highlighted along the Mississippi opposite Iowa.

  What borders frame Illinois on the map?

  Wisconsin to the north, Iowa and Missouri along the Mississippi to the west, Kentucky across the Ohio River to the south, and Indiana to the east with Lake Michigan at the northeast corner.

  Road-light cues for simple orientation only

  road-light I-90 and I-94 near Chicago, I-80 across the north, I-55 Chicago to Springfield, I-57 through the east-central corridor, and I-64 across the south.

  Which rivers are lightly shown for reference?

  The Mississippi on the west, the Ohio on the south, the Wabash on the southeast, and the Illinois River through the center provide clean orientation lines.

  What are some key county seats to spot quickly?

  Wheaton in DuPage, Joliet in Will, Geneva in Kane, Waukegan in Lake, Rockford in Winnebago, Edwardsville in Madison, Belleville in St. Clair.

  Can I print or copy this map from the website?

  No. Printing, copying or redistributing this map is not permitted. Please view it online only. For licensed use or classroom permissions, contact us.