Getting Around Town

Located in the heart of North Central Illinois, Mendota is at the junction of Interstate 39 and U.S. Route 34. Major east-west routes such as I-80 and I-88 are just minutes away via I-39, putting Mendota within 90 minutes from the five major markets of Chicago, Rockford, Quad Cities, Bloomington-Normal and Peoria. Other highways that intersect in the area are U.S. Routes 251, 52 and 34. Numerous interstate and intrastate truck lines provide overnight service to many Midwestern cities.

Mendota is an Amtrak community with convenient daily passenger service. The Illinois Zephyr with service between Quincy and Chicago and the Southwest Chief with service between Los Angeles, CA and Chicago has two daily stops here. Commercial shippers can use the Burlington-Northern, which provides freight service and reciprocal switching, to ship raw materials and finished goods.

Air service is provided by the Illinois Valley Regional Airport, located 15 miles south of Mendota. It has a 6,000-foot lighted asphalt runway. Grandpa’s Farm Airport, located on the edge of town, is equipped with a sod runway, ideal for private flyers.

River transportation is available on the Illinois River, 15 miles south on Route 251.

Access is definitely an asset for Mendota, allowing the many agricultural and industrial products produced here to be sent throughout the country and the world.