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

Overview

Southern Illinois is a region in the American state of Illinois. It is primarily agricultural, like most of Illinois outside Chicagoland, but includes some attractive, rolling scenery that contrasts with the flatness of Central Illinois to its north. Distinctly southern in contrast to any other region in Illinois, Southern Illinois has a number of unique influences from the Midwest and Upland South.

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

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Apr–May, Sep–Oct. Summer highs reach about 89°F; winter lows dip to about 27°F. Wettest: May and Apr. (climate data from nearby Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area)

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.
MWA Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois, Marion — 28 mi away. Directions
EVV Evansville Regional Airport, Evansville — 56 mi away. Directions
STL St. Louis Lambert International Airport, St Louis — 115 mi away (major hub). Directions

Lambert Field in St. Louis (STL) is the closest major airport to almost all of the region, with flights to and from most destinations in the U.S. and a few international destinations. From there BART Airport Shuttle, +1-800-284-2278, provides door-to-door service to Carbondale, and other destinations in Southern and Central Illinois for around $50. Call for a quote.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Budget & where to stay

No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.

Sample 3-day trip

Day 1: Carbondale — Sharp University Museum, Buckminster Fuller Dome Home, Carbondale Depot Museum.
Day 2: Cairo — Cairo Custom House Museum, Fort Defiance State Park, Magnolia Manor.
Day 3: Shawnee National Forest — explore the town.

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

Food for you

Southern Illinois's cuisine tends to be closely related to the rest of the Upland South, including Kentucky and Tennessee. Visitors can easily find staples, such as grits, breaded catfish, barbecue and other classic Southern dishes, especially along the southernmost counties. These items tend to be harder to find once you're closer to Central Illinois. "Burgoo," a spicy stew made from any ingredients that are available, is also relatively easy to find, though in southeastern Illinois (especially around Albion and Edwards County), a version is served called "chowder." Visitors should note that "chowder" can refer to the stew itself or the social event where it's served (i.e. "We're going to the chowder.")

What to ask about, for your diet

Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

Photos

Places in Southern Illinois

Carbondale

City / town · 28 listings

Cairo

City / town · 18 listings

Shawnee National Forest

Park · 12 listings

Salem

City / town · 10 listings

Centralia

City / town · 6 listings

Cobden

City / town · 6 listings

Metropolis

City / town · 5 listings

Giant City State Park

Park · 3 listings

Hamel

City / town · 2 listings

Marion

City / town · 2 listings

Staunton

City / town · 2 listings

Mount Vernon

City / town · 1 listings

Makanda

City / town

Sandoval

City / town

Understand

In contrast to northern and central Illinois, Southern Illinois was primarily settled by Southerners from Virginia and Kentucky, giving it a distinctive upland south culture. In general, the area's accent and culture share far more in common with Missouri and Indiana than Chicagoland and Wisconsin. The area is fiercely independent and, while friendly, does not particularly care for Chicago.

Several communities in the region have very old and unique histories as the area was the first one settled in the state and, given its relative remoteness, it attracted more than a few Utopian communities. Each town tends to be very proud of its unique history and views itself as distinct from other ones in the area.

The nickname "Little Egypt" is often used to refer to the region. This stems from the City of Cairo, located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Cities

Centralia
Carbondale
Makanda
Marion
Metropolis
Mount Vernon
Sandoval
Staunton

Other destinations

Shawnee National Forest
Giant City State Park
Shawnee Hills Wine Trail

Get in

Flights to and from St. Louis arrive at Williamson County Airport (MWA) (four flights daily, each way), which is also served by BART.

Metropolis is slightly closer to Nashville International Airport (BNA) than to Lambert Field.

Get around

Southern Illinois is largely connected by the following interstates:

Interstate 64: This major interstate connects Mount Vernon and the northern areas of the region to St. Louis and Evansville.
Interstate 57: The interstate connects Mount Vernon, Carbondale and Cairo to Chicagoland and Memphis.
Interstate 24: This interstate connects the region to Paducah and Nashville.

Several smaller routes also cross the region:

US 45: US 45 is a primary north-south route that connects Metropolis, Vienna and Eldorado to the Shawnee National Forest as well as Effingham and Paducah.
US 51: US 51 is a primary north-south route that connects Cairo and Carbondale. It also connects the area to Decatur and Bloomington-Normal.
Illinois 13: IL 13 is a primary east-west route that connects Carbondale, Harrisburg and Shawneetown.
Illinois 142: A northwest-southeast route connecting Mount Vernon, Eldorado and the Shawnee National Forest.

See

Little Grand Canyon, Cave-in-Rock, Shawnee Forest, Giant City, Jackson Falls, Bald Knob Cross, Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, Southern Illinois Wine Trail, Jonesboro Lincoln Park,

Do

Shawnee Adventure Guides offer guided rock climbing, rappelling, kayaking, canoeing, backpacking, and hiking in Shawnee National Forest.

See the "Home of Superman" in bustling Metropolis, IL, on the Ohio River in the Southern Edge of the state.

Eat

Drink

Like the south, Sweet tea is a popular drink in Southern Illinois.

Stay safe

In general, the area is safe. Like the rest of Illinois, weather is somewhat varied and extreme weather is possible.

Some towns in Southern Illinois lack infrastructure and funding for sufficient air conditioning in extreme heat events, and to avoid crowding some venues and public buildings with air conditioning will shut down before peak hours. Stay hydrated, have a cool place to go planned during hot days.