Kishwaukee Valley, Illinois travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

The Kishwaukee Valley is a region in the greater Northern Illinois area primarily located near the Kishwaukee River's two branches. It includes the entirety of Boone and DeKalb Counties as well as western portions of McHenry County. The Kishwaukee's northern branch rises near Woodstock while the southern branches forms near Shabonna, a rural community south of DeKalb.

1 things to do

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Kishwaukee Valley

Magic Waters Waterpark

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 85°F; winter lows dip to about 20°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: May and Jun. (climate data from nearby Chicago)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
RFD Chicago Rockford International Airport, Chicago/Rockford — 21 mi away. Directions
ORD Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago — 42 mi away (major hub). Directions

Most of the major towns in the area are accessible from either I-88 or I-90 (particularly DeKalb, Belvidere and Huntley. More rural areas are accessible through local numbered routes.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 2-day trip

Day 1: DeKalb — Northern Illinois University, Blackwell History-Education Museum, Ellwood House Museum and Park.
Day 2: Sycamore — Farmers Market, Summer on State: Back to the Future, Treasures From the Attic.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Places in Kishwaukee Valley

DeKalb

City / town · 10 listings

Sycamore

City / town · 4 listings

Map

Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.

Understand

For a number of years, the Kishwaukee Valley was a largely rural area with a number of smaller industrialized areas (largely DeKalb, Belvidere and Woodstock). The explosion of growth in the Chicagoland region coupled with increased transportation access (via I-90 and I-88) to both Chicago and Rockford made for a corresponding increase in population and development in the area. Today, it is a diverse area with a mixture of agriculture, industry and services.

Cities

DeKalb - home to the inventor of barbed wire and to Northern Illinois University.
Malta - home to the Kishwaukee College.
Sycamore - DeKalb's "twin city" located to the northeast.
Woodstock - the county seat of McHenry County.

Get in

Most of the major towns in the area are accessible from either I-88 or I-90 (particularly DeKalb, Belvidere and Huntley. More rural areas are accessible through local numbered routes.

In terms of public transit, both Woodstock and Harvard have stops on Metra's (Chicago's commuter rail's) Union Pacific Northwest Line. DeKalb and Sycamore are also a short drive from Metra's Elburn station on the Union Pacific West Line. Chicagoland's Pace Bus Service also provides limited service to Woodstock and Harvard.

Get around

While some communities are accessible by Metra, car is by far the most popular and convenient form of travel. Some major routes in the area include:

US 20: This major east-west route connects Marengo, Belvidere and Rockford.
IL 23: This major north-south route connects to DeKalb, Sycamore, Marengo and Harvard.
IL 173: A major east-west route in the northern portion of the area, it connects Harvard to Rockford's northern suburbs.