Illinois · 0 national parks · 8 other NPS sites
Does Illinois have a national park?
Last verified Sources ↓
No. Illinois has no national park, but it has 8 National Park Service sites, including Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail and Lincoln Home National Historic Site. The nearest national park to Chicago is Indiana Dunes National Park, 33 miles away as the crow flies.
At a glance
Illinois, by the numbers
| National parks | None |
|---|---|
| NPS sites | 8 see nps.gov |
| Nearest to Chicago | Indiana Dunes 33 mi straight-line, ≈ 50 min drive (est.) |
From Chicago
The closest national parks to Illinois
Measured from Chicago, Illinois' largest city (2,731,585 people, Census 2025 estimate). Straight-line miles; drive times are our rough estimate.
| Park | Straight line | Drive (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana Dunes National ParkIN | 33 mi | ≈ 50 min |
| Gateway Arch National ParkMO | 258 mi | ≈ 6 h 10 min |
| Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOH | 319 mi | ≈ 7 h 30 min |
| Mammoth Cave National ParkKY | 331 mi | ≈ 7 h 50 min |
8 NPS sites
Illinois' National Park Service sites
Monuments, historic sites, trails and more: every place the National Park Service lists for Illinois, grouped by type. Links go to nps.gov.
3 National Historic Trail · 2 National Historic Site · 2 National Monument · …Show all 8Hide
National Historic Trail · 3
- Lewis & Clark National Historic TrailIA · ID · IL · IN · KS · KY · MO · MT · NE · ND · OH · OR · PA · SD · WA · WV
- Mormon Pioneer National Historic TrailIL · IA · NE · UT · WY
- Trail of Tears National Historic TrailAL · AR · GA · IL · KY · MO · NC · OK · TN
National Historic Site · 2
National Monument · 2
National Historical Park · 1
From the NPS Data API; the same list as Illinois' page on nps.gov. Trails and other multi-state sites appear under each state they cross.
FAQ
Illinois, answered
- Does Illinois have a national park?
- No. Illinois has no national park, but it has 8 National Park Service sites, including Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail and Lincoln Home National Historic Site. The closest national park to Chicago is Indiana Dunes National Park, about 33 miles away in a straight line.
- What is the closest national park to Chicago?
- Indiana Dunes National Park, about 33 miles from Chicago in a straight line, roughly 50 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Chicago is Illinois' largest city.
Sources · 4
- 1.Illinois: parks and places (nps.gov) · National Park Service
- 2.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 3.City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025 · U.S. Census Bureau
- 4.2025 Gazetteer Files: Places · U.S. Census Bureau
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