Cairo, IL Road Trips
Plan drives from Cairo, IL with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Trip Routes
3
Longest Drive
411.7 mi
Waukegan, IL
Quickest Drive
47m
McClure, IL
Plan Around Cairo, IL
Continue From Cairo, IL
Good next legs if this city is only one stop in a longer road trip.
Trips from Cairo, IL
Cairo, IL by the Numbers
Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Population
1,699
Median Income
$35,493
Median Home Value
$28,200
Median Age
43.2
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.
Cairo, IL at a Glance
Founded
1818
Elevation
315 ft
Area
9 mi²
Notable People from Cairo, IL
A sampling of people born in Cairo, IL.
Caroline Smith
1906–1994
American diver (1906–1994)
Rex Ingram
1895–1969
American actor (1895/1903–1969)
Christopher Jackson
1975
American actor, singer, musician, and composer
Charles Hayes
1918–1997
American politician (1918-1997)
Tyrone Nesby
1976
basketball player
Ted Joans
1928–2003
American artist (1928-2003)
Estelle Yancey
1896–1986
American blues singer (1896–1986)
Hale Woodruff
1900–1980
African American artist (1900–1980)
Pop Hart
1868–1933
American artist (1868–1933)
Landmarks & Historic Sites
Attractions and heritage-registered places located in Cairo, IL.
Cairo Historic District
historic district in Cairo, Illinois, United States
Old Custom House
custom house in Cairo, Illinois
City data from Wikidata (Q575306), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.
Traveler Guide to Cairo, IL
Cairo (pronounced KAY-ro) is in Illinois on a small strip of land in between Missouri and Kentucky as well as the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, made famous in Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. It was briefly a thriving community, but descended into industrial decline and racial violence for several decades, leaving it almost entirely abandoned.
The town was in former times a major port, but is now a semi-ghost town as a result of the decline of the river trade. During the American Civil War, it was used by U.S. Grant as a supply hub, but his military occupation of the town diverted much trade towards Chicago and Cairo could never quite get it back. Elements of the boom period still exist, with some beautiful manors from the late 19th century still standing in the residential section of town. While a small community still exists, it is mostly a site for urbex and some local history.
1 Cairo Custom House Museum, ☏ +1 618 734-9632. 14th and Washington Ave. An American Civil War and local history museum. M-F 10AM-noon, 1-3PM. 2 Fort Defiance State Park. This once neglected state park has come back into better days thanks to local efforts. It looks out over the Ohio and Mississippi rivers as the two powerful water flows attempt to combine. Safford Memorial Library, 1609 Washington Ave, ☏ +1 618 734-1840. M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-noon. Home to Civil War documents, antiques, and paintings. 3 Magnolia Manor, 2700 Washington Ave, ☏ +1 618 734-0201. (updated Dec 2017)
Levee Footrace, ☏ +1 618 734-4400. A 5000- and 10,000-meter run held on the Mississippi River Levee is held the second Saturday of November. St Mary's Park. This city park once played host to Theodore Roosevelt, but now hosts the city's residents with recreation facilities.
Andy's Drive-In, ☏ +1 618 734-4361. Cairo Truck Stop, ☏ +1 618 734-9161. Chris's Cafe, ☏ +1 618 734-9880. Dairy Hut, ☏ +1 618 734-1266. Mack's Barbecue, ☏ +1 618 734-9847. Nonny's, ☏ +1 618 734-1883. 2203 Sycamore. Nu Diner, 300 Washington Ave, ☏ +1 618 734-2373.
Belvedere Motel, 3901 Sycamore St, ☏ +1 618 734-4020. Days Inn, ☏ +1 618 734-0215. I-57 and US 51. Garden Inn Motel, ☏ +1 618 734-9554. US 51. Relax Inn, 214 Washington Ave, ☏ +1 618 734-0285.
US 51. Head south on US Highway 51 from Interstate 57. 1 Cairo Regional Airport (CIR IATA) (4 mi (6.4 km) northwest of town on the other side of the interstate.).
Travel tips adapted from Cairo (Illinois) on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.
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