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Lookout · Historic Route 66

Capitol View

OpenStreetMap
Looking west from Capitol View. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Capitol View sits along Historic Route 66 at 589 feet elevation, facing 270 degrees toward the west. The terrain drops just 9 feet over 600 meters, so the surrounding ground is nearly level. Duncan Park lies to the northwest at a distance of 0.9 miles and an elevation of 595 feet. Because the overlook faces due west, the view lines up directly with sunset; sunset times range from 16:38 at the December solstice to 20:31 at the June solstice. Springfield is the closest town, half a mile to the east, while Jacksonville is 30.9 miles west and Decatur is 37.4 miles east. This stop falls along the route between Ojito Wilderness Overlook and Madera Overlook.

Access
On the byway
Elevation
589 ft
View
West · 270°
Light
Best at sunset
Relief
9 ft drop
In view
1 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
Built between 1868 and 1888, this Second Empire and Renaissance Revival-style building was designed by Alfred H. Piquenard of the Chicago-based architecture firm Cochrane and Garnsey to serve as the Illinois State Capitol, replacing the then-31 year old former state capitol in the middle of Downtown
w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Built between 1868 and 1888, this Second Empire and Renaissance Revival-style building was designed by Alfred H. Piquenard of the Chicago-based architecture firm Cochrane and Garnsey to serve as the Illinois State Capitol, replacing the then-31 year old former state capitol in the middle of Downtown
w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Built between 1868 and 1888, this Second Empire and Renaissance Revival-style building was designed by Alfred H. Piquenard of the Chicago-based architecture firm Cochrane and Garnsey to serve as the Illinois State Capitol, replacing the then-31 year old former state capitol in the middle of Downtown
w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Built between 1868 and 1888, this Second Empire and Renaissance Revival-style building was designed by Alfred H. Piquenard of the Chicago-based architecture firm Cochrane and Garnsey to serve as the Illinois State Capitol, replacing the then-31 year old former state capitol in the middle of Downtown
w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Built between 1868 and 1888, this Second Empire and Renaissance Revival-style building was designed by Alfred H. Piquenard of the Chicago-based architecture firm Cochrane and Garnsey to serve as the Illinois State Capitol, replacing the then-31 year old former state capitol in the middle of Downtown
w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Built between 1868 and 1888, this Second Empire and Renaissance Revival-style building was designed by Alfred H. Piquenard of the Chicago-based architecture firm Cochrane and Garnsey to serve as the Illinois State Capitol, replacing the then-31 year old former state capitol in the middle of Downtown
w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Duncan Park595 ftnorthwest · 0.9 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

This overlook faces sunset — 0° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:0319:1118:35
June solstice05:3120:3119:50
September equinox06:4718:5718:22
December solstice07:1716:3815:55

Local time (America/Chicago). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Springfield0.5 mi east
  • Jacksonville30.9 mi west
  • Decatur37.4 mi east
← Before it: Ojito Wilderness OverlookAfter it: Madera Overlook →
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Common questions

How high is Capitol View?

Capitol View sits at about 589 feet (179 m).

What can you see from Capitol View?

From Capitol View: Duncan Park (NW, 0.9 mi).

Is Capitol View better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. The land falls away from Capitol View toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.

What is the nearest town to Capitol View?

Springfield, 0.5 miles E of Capitol View.

What is the next lookout after Capitol View?

Madera Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Capitol View.

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Community · From people who stood here

Locals make it Verified.

Capitol View — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.

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Field notes

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