2025's Most Underrated Towns In Illinois
Most travelers outside Illinois have difficulty naming a destination other than Chicago. Beyond the Windy City and the major metro areas of Springfield, Rockford, and Naperville, the small towns and cute villages are almost non-existent to them. While this is the story for most tourists visiting the Land of Lincoln, 2025 offers an excellent opportunity to go against the grain by heading off the beaten path to make remarkable discoveries.
These underrated gems present an authentic taste of the state in its rawest form, featuring backcountry beauty, hidden histories, curious cultures, and captivating culinary experiences. From overlooked Chicago suburbs like Geneva to quirky border towns like Metropolis, this post highlights 2025's most underrated towns in Illinois.
Geneva
Situated roughly an hour from Chicago and just 20 minutes outside Aurora, Geneva unsurprisingly gets overlooked for its more famous neighbors. But this should not stop you from experiencing beautiful parks and picturesque pathways in this delightful Fox River community. The Fox River Trail provides a multi-use route along the waterway accessible to bikers, hikers, and cross-country skiers throughout the year. It is the perfect escape to immerse in the backcountry and soak up storybook views of the Fox River. While riding along the route, you can pause to take a breather at Island Park. This idyllic oasis boasts a secluded, serene waterfront setting with a picnic pavilion for relaxation and unwinding.
Geneva's downtown corridor is lined with restaurants, breweries, pubs, and other watering holes, which calls for an after-hour bar crawl to meet the residents and sample their eats and drinks. Consider popping into Penrose Brewing Company for great-tasting Belgian-style ales and beers in a lively atmosphere.
Metropolis
It feels like only comic book fans know about this Ohio River community in Massac County, which gained notoriety for proclaiming itself as the "Home of Superman" in 1972. However, casual tourists can also enjoy exploring its numerous Superman-themed attractions, including the World's Largest Superman Statue in the heart of the town square. This 15-foot, 2-ton bronze sculpture underscores the town's claims of being Superman's birthplace and serves as a quirky roadside attraction that newcomers often seek a photo opportunity with. Meanwhile, the Super Museum thrusts you into a comic wonderland with more than 20,000 Superman-centric toys, comic books, shirts, and other memorabilia on display.
Beyond the Superman obsession, Metropolis has a curious military heritage that comes to life at Fort Massac State Park. The reserved sprawls over 1,500 acres, listed on the NRHP, and preserves the relics of early 1800s fortification on the banks of the Ohio River while offering recreational grounds for picnickers, boaters, campers, and anglers.
Grafton
Grafton's tiny population of less than 1,000 doesn't inspire vacationers to visit this riverfront community. Nevertheless, the town offers world-class attractions, starting with Pere Marquette State Park. This 8,000-acre protected area straddles the confluence of the Illinois River and Mississippi River, providing a playground for campers, hunters, birders, hikers, and nature photographers. Guests enjoy an authentic taste of marina life at the Grafton Harbor, with an opportunity to sail on the calm river waters. The site also features a floating winery where you get to sample at least 100 quality wines from around the world.
Finally, remember to pass by the Grafton Visitor's Center & Museum for some interesting backstory about the town. This resourceful center provides curious information depicting Grafton's past and valuable ideas about getting the most out of your visit.
Mount Carroll
Mount Carroll doesn't get the attention it deserves for a small town with an impressive combination of colorful arts and culture scenes and a lively bar and restaurant landscape. It is famously home to Timber Lake Playhouse, the state's oldest continuously operating professional theater. People gather in the rustic interior to watch compelling stage performances, ranging from classic plays to contemporary dramas. Downtown Mount Carroll has a cluster of pubs that demonstrate vibrant local nightlife. Those who enjoy exploring after hours can sample the refreshing cocktails at Mount Carroll Pub and mingle with friendly patrons as live music plays in the background.
But if you want to raise the stakes, Raven's Grin Inn promises to get your heart pumping and adrenaline flowing at abnormal rates. This haunted mansion tests your tolerance of claustrophobic situations with its hidden passageways, dark rooms, and trap doors inside a 19th-century home transformed into a playful house of horrors.
Highland Park
Highland Park ranks among 2025's most underrated towns in Illinois thanks to its proximity to Chicago, which puts it in the overbearing shadow of the Windy City. However, this North Shore gem promises vacationers a remarkable experience along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Rosewood Beach is a popular escape for nature lovers, spoiling them with a sandy stretch for lazy lounging and spell-binding lake views. Elsewhere, the Heller Nature Center invites environmentalists to explore its 97-acre oasis, which features an oak-hickory forest, natural wetlands, and tallgrass prairie with a bee apiary and three miles of walking trails.
Additionally, don't miss out on the exciting festivals in the town, highlighted by the Ravinia Festival, to be held from June 6, 2025. This annual extravaganza incorporates a variety of events, including jazz, folk, symphony, opera, and other musical performances.
Pittsfield
Many tourists consider this Pike County community as a mere stop on their way to Missouri, overlooking the rich state history that it harbors. The town's intriguing heritage intertwines with the life of Abraham Lincoln before his presidency. Pittsfield is home to the John Shastid House, an 1838 timber-frame house by John Shastid, who was friends with Abraham Lincoln when he practiced as a lawyer in Pittsfield. It preserves one of the places where the late president once slept in town. The gorgeous Pike County Courthouse showcases enduring old-world craftsmanship while harboring over 100 years of local history.
If you love accumulating vintage treasures and unique finds, stop by Pike County Collectibles and sort through its fine selection of antiques, primitives, and other archaic items worth adding to your haul.
Nauvoo
Although it is a shell of the once vibrant 1840s community that rivaled Chicago's numbers, Nauvoo remains a rich tapestry of history that exposes you to the origins of the first Mormon Church. Visitors can admire the Nauvoo Illinois Temple, a grandiose building that rises above the town skyline, reconstructed after the original church burnt down in 1848. The Nauvoo Historic District stays stalked with vintage sites and markers. A good example is the Nauvoo House, whose construction began in the 1840s and would later be renamed Riverside Mansion.
Meanwhile, guests can walk down the Trail of Hope and relive the experience of thousands of Mormon Church members as they escaped persecution along this route, abandoning their homes, properties, and lives in Nauvoo.
Woodstock
Woodstock may not host the big festivals that its more prominent neighbor Chicago is known for, but this little McHenry County municipality deserves more credit for giving us Groundhog Days. This annual festival pays homage to the popular movie of the same name starring Bill Murray, which was hot in the town. Woodstock also boasts a well-preserved Woodstock Square Historic District, listed on the National Register and a vivid reminder of the early days. This downtown oasis harbors a mix of rustic buildings with galleries, restaurants, and shops, highlighted by the Woodstock Opera House. Since opening its doors to the public in the late 19th century, the venue has evolved into a cultural hub, hosting engaging theatrical productions like dramas, concerts, and musicals throughout the year.
Lastly, spare time to shop at the award-winning Woodstock Farmers Market, where over 45 regional vendors converge to showcase the best of fresh farm produce and intricate handmade crafts.
Although Chicago remains by far the most exciting destination in Illinois, this doesn't stop travelers from experiencing its more laid-back neighbors and hidden gems in the remote areas of the backcountry of the United States. The highlighted towns above represent a fraction of 2025's most underrated towns in Illinois, depicting what tourists can expect when they venture outside the major metropolises. Whether exploring Mormon Church origins in Nauvoo or sailing down the Mississippi River in Grafton, unforgettable experiences abound that will make you embrace the true heart and soul of the Prairie State.
