Quincy (Illinois)

Quincy is a small city of 40,000 in Adams County, Western Illinois. It is near the westernmost point in Illinois on the Mississippi River, and is home to some of the most impressive historic architecture in the region.

By Train
Quincy is served by Amtrak which comes into the Quincy Amtrak Station (QCY) at North 30th Street and Wisman Lane. Amtrak has two trains daily, originating in Chicago and terminating in Quincy. As of 12/2011, the trains depart Chicago at 7:35AM and 5:55PM and take approximately 4.5 hours.



By Plane
Quincy is served by Quincy Regional Airport-Baldwin Field, to the east of the city. It is easily accessible from the city center by going east on Illinois Route 104 (Broadway St.).

By Car
If coming from St. Louis, you can take I-70 west towards Kansas City. At exit 210B, take the ramp right for US-61 North towards Hannibal. Stay on US-61, and in Hannibal, take the ramp right for I-72 East / Mark Twain Avenue East towards '''Springfield IL. / Downtown Hannibal'''. At exit 4B, take ramp left for I-172 North towards Quincy. Get off at exit 14, Broadway St., to get to the center of town. This trip takes roughly two and a half hours with traffic.

If arriving from Chicago, take I-55 / Stevenson Expressway towards St. Louis. At Springfield, keep right and stay on I-72 West. Keep straight onto I-172 North. This trip takes about four and a half hours with traffic.

Get around
Quincy is best explored by car or on foot. There are many sidewalks in some of the historic districts, but parts of Broadway are not so pedestrian-friendly.

See
Quincy has four major historical districts. The Quincy Historic Business District displays a wide variety of architectural styles and shows the wealth of the years 1850-1930 when Quincy was the most important river town in Illinois. Quincy’s East End Historic District contains every formal style of architecture found in the Midwest from 1830-1930. This East End area has a collection of Italianate, Greek Revival, Romanesque, Queen Anne and Prairie designs. Quincy’s South End Historic District was the home of Quincy’s German population. The sturdy homes, some ornate and others very simple, stand as reminders of Quincy’s German heritage. The fourth major historical area is Quincy’s North End, containing a collection of Italianate, Queen Anne and Renaissance Revival designs found in the Midwest from 1858-1930.



Eat
Downtown Quincy is where many locally-owned restaurants are. Most of the restaurant chains have a location on Broadway Street, the main drag that cuts straight through the middle of the city.



Outside Quincy
For those who want (or have) to make their own food, Quincy has plenty of grocery stores to choose from.

Sleep
As with restaurants, the Broadway area is also a great place to find a hotel.



Go next
On the way out, you can follow the Great River Road north of Quincy towards Nauvoo, Illinois, and visit the sights there. Alternatively, you can drive south to Hannibal, Missouri, and see the Mark Twain sights