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Historic Route 66All lookouts
Lookout · Historic Route 66

Des Plaines River

OpenStreetMap
Looking east from Des Plaines River. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Access
0.8 mi detour
Elevation
589 ft
View
East · 112°
Light
Best at sunrise
Relief
40 ft drop
Photos · Real imagery only
The Tri-State Tollway is a U.S. toll road maintained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) in northeastern Illinois which is considered one of the most heavily traveled highways in the country (according to the IBTTA, the tollway is the nation's 4th busiest toll road). It is actually
Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
59th street tank farm
vx700 · CC BY 3.0 · source
Cement silo
vx700 · CC BY 3.0 · source
McCook Reservoir Phase I
Allisonfore · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Locomotive at Summit, Illinois, 1967
davidwilson1949 · CC BY 2.0 · source
Destabilization from adjacent quarry caused condemnation and abandonment of this segment.
David Wilson · CC BY 2.0 · source
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

This overlook faces sunrise — 22° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox06:5619:0418:27
June solstice05:1720:3019:48
September equinox06:3918:5018:14
December solstice07:1616:2415:39

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

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Chicago12.9 mi east-northeast
  • Joliet21.5 mi southwest
  • Aurora24.5 mi west
← Before it: Viewing areaAfter it: Mississippi & Missouri River Confluence Point →
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Common questions

How high is Des Plaines River?

Des Plaines River sits at about 589 feet (180 m).

Is Des Plaines River better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise. The land falls away from Des Plaines River toward the sunrise, so at sunset the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.

What is the nearest town to Des Plaines River?

Chicago, 13 miles ENE of Des Plaines River.

What is the next lookout after Des Plaines River?

Mississippi & Missouri River Confluence Point is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Des Plaines River.

About · Real sources only

A east-facing scenic overlook on Historic Route 66, reported by OpenStreetMap.

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Community · From people who stood here

Locals make it Verified.

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

Confirmed by locals

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Field notes

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Nearby · Same byway

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