Historic US Highway 51

CITY STATE Miles Time in Minutes North/South Total Miles Total Hours to Drive Town Tidbits
Hurley WI 0 0 0 0 Potato River Falls; Willy’s Still; IRON Horse Saloon; The Munch; Bear Chasers Lodge Bar and Grill
Mercer WI 22.8 25 25 0.42 “Loon Capital of the World”.  Mercer has the highest concentration of common loons in the world.
Manitowish Waters WI 10 12 12 0.62 Little Bohemia (Dillenger/FBI shootout), 50+ miles of paved bike trails, North Lakeland Discovery Center
Woodruff/Minocqua WI 22 24 49 1.02 Lumberjack show, Worlds Largest Penny and Home of the Min-Aqua-Bats, the oldest amateur ski show
Tomahawk WI 31.5 34 83 1.58 Tomahawk on the Wisconsin River. 
Merrill WI 23 25 108 2.00 Home to Counsil Grounds State Park, Sawmill Brewing Co, Northwoods, Maple Farm, River Bend Trail
Wausau WI 19.4 23 131 2.38 Rib Mtn State Park, Yawkey House Museum,  Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Granite Peak Ski Area
Mosinee WI 15.5 18 149 2.68 Mosinee Brewing Company. Breweries. Mullins, River Park
Stevens Point WI 21 24 173 3.08 University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point,  Point Beer Brewery
Plainfield WI 25.9 27 200 3.53 Hometown of Ed Gein, an American murderer known as “the Butcher of Plainfield” which inspired ‘Psycho’
Hancock WI 7.8 10 210 3.70 Greenwood State Wildlife Refuge with the Ice Age Trail system running through it.
Coloma WI 7.7 8 218 3.83 Home to several recreational lakes, including Pleasant Lake, Wood Lake, and Mecan Lake, hike Ice Age Trail
Westfield WI 12 12 230 4.03 Amish House Market, Beane’s Wood Lake Resort, and Pioneer Memorial Park
Portage WI 26.1 28 258 4.50 Cascade Mtn Ski Area, Fort Winnebago, Wisc River, Surgeons Quarters, Indian Agency House, Portage Canal
Madison WI 38.4 49 307 5.32 University of Wisconsin, Olbrich Botanical Gardens,  annual Wisconsin Cheese Mart Festival
Stoughton WI 19.1 31 338 5.83 Livsreise Norwegian Heritage Center and annual Syttende Mai celebration in May, Historic Opera House
Edgerton WI 13.5 19 357 6.15 Rock River, Known locally as “Tobacco City U.S.A.” because of the importance of tobacco growing in the region
Janesville WI 11.7 18 375 6.45 Lincoln-Tallman House, Rock County Historical Society,  Rotary Botanical Gardens
Beloit/South Beloit WI/IL 13.1 25 400 6.87 Beloit College, USA headquarters of eBates, Beckman Mill , DC Estate Winery
Roscoe IL 6.6 12 412 7.07 Illinois Route 251 begins at the Wisconsin border, where it picks up the former alignment of U.S. Route 51
Rockford IL 11.7 23 435 7.45 City of Gardens,  Anderson Japanese Gardens, Burpee Museum of Natural History, Rockford Art Museum
New Milford IL 7.9 18 453 7.75 Kishwaukee River, Atwood Park
Holcomb IL 9.4 14 467 7.98 Named for William H. Holcomb, General Manager of the Chicago and Iowa Railroad at the time
Rochelle IL 11.1 16 483 8.25 Hub City, Rochelle Railroad Park  at the intersection of the BNSF and Union Pacific Railroads
Mendota IL 28.6 35 518 8.83 Mendota Lake Park. Union Depot Railroad Museum. Hume-Carnegie Museum
Peru IL 15.9 24 542 9.23 Hegeler Carus Foundation, Matthiesson State Park, Westclox Museum, I&M Canal National Heritage Area
Tonica IL 9.2 14 556 9.47 Old railroad town with population about 750
Lostant IL 5.5 8 564 9.60 Eat at The Lost-Ant Café
Wenona IL 7.3 10 574 9.77 Old railroad town with population about 1000
Rutland IL 12.6 16 590 10.03 Little farm town of 259 people
Minonk IL 6.5 9 599 10.18 Sutton’s Park, New Millenia Park
Panola IL 8.6 13 612 10.40 Panola is one of the smallest communities in Illinois , Population 44
El Paso IL 3.8 7 619 10.52 South Point Park
Kappa IL 5.2 8 627 10.65 Illinois 251 (Old 51) terminates at the intersection of I-39 and U.S. 51, located south of Kappa.
Hudson IL 5.5 8 635 10.78 Evergreen Lake, Comlara Park
Normal/Bloomington IL 6.8 11 646 10.97 Art Deco theatre, McLean Co Museum of History, Constitution Trail, Prairie Aviation Museum, Illinois State U
Randolph IL 10.7 18 664 11.27 Mary’s River Covered Bridge, Fort de Chartres and Fort Kaskaskia and Pierre Menard State Historic Sites
Heyworth IL 5.1 8 672 11.40 Eat at Hornet’s Nest or Prairie Fire Grill or Epiphany Farms Restaurant
Wapella IL 7.3 10 682 11.57 Small Ag town population 513
Clinton IL 5 7 689 11.68 Clinton Nuclear Generating Station is located six miles away on Clinton Lake, Dewitt Co Museum
Maroa IL 8.6 12 701 11.88 Full House Craft Beer & Gaming Lounge
Decatur IL 13.8 21 722 12.23 Along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur, Scovill Zoo, Decatur Park District
Elwin IL 4.8 7 729 12.35 Population 119
Macon IL 4.8 6 735 12.45 Eat at Mattie’s or  Whit’s End 51 ,  Population 1,130
Moweaqua IL 6.7 9 744 12.60 Pottawatamie word that means “she that weeps”, eat at Salty Farmer or Crazy Ladies Café
Assumption IL 8.3 11 755 12.78 Assumption lays claim to the deepest coal mine (abandoned in the 1930s) in the state at over 1000′
Dunkel IL 4.8 8 763 12.92 Small unincorporated town, All that remains of Dunkel today are a few houses and a grain elevator
Pana IL 6.6 12 775 13.12 City of Roses, Kitchell Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992
Oconee IL 7.9 11 786 13.30 Population 138
Ramsey IL 10.6 13 799 13.52 Population 895, eat at Boondocks
Vandalia IL 13.2 17 816 13.80 Kaskaskia River, Vandalia Lake, Capital of Illinois when it became a state in 1818.
Vernon IL 11.6 13 829 14.02 Population 103, eat at Joyce’s Café or Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar
Patoka IL 3.3 5 834 14.10 Population 525, eat at The Lucky Marble
Sandoval IL 10.1 12 846 14.30 Population 1127, eat at Bub’s Pub
Centralia IL 6.6 9 855 14.45 Raccoon Lake, Foundation Park, Lake Centralia, Crooked Creek Winery
Irvington IL 7.9 12 867 14.65 Population 659, eat at Becker’s Snack Shack
Richview IL 4.7 7 874 14.77 Population 232, small village
Ashley IL 4.3 8 882 14.90 Population 462, eat at Lantern Pub Family Restaurant
Tamaroa IL 15.9 19 901 15.22 Population 533, eat at the Black Sheep Saloon
Du Quoin IL 9.3 13 914 15.43 Best known for hosting the annual DuQuoin State Fair and the Street Machine Nationals
De Soto IL 13.8 18 932 15.73 Population 1381, named for Hernando de Soto, discoverer of the Mississippi River. Eat at Gressa’s Café
Carbondale IL 6.3 8 940 15.87 Southern Illinois Univ, Several Festivals thoughout the year
Anna/Jonesboro IL 20.3 26 966 16.30  Choate Mental Health and Development Center in Anna.  Joneboro was site of a Lincoln-Douglas debate
Ullin IL 15.9 21 987 16.65 Population 449, eat at Triple E Bar-B-Que
Pulaski IL 4.6 6 993 16.75 Village of 235, named in honor of Polish Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski.
Mounds IL 7.2 10 1003 16.92 City of 616, eat at Drive Thru 51 or Huckleberry’s Pub
Cairo IL 8.3 11 1014 17.10 Fort Defiance State Park, Mississippi-Ohio River Confluence, Cairo Custom House Museum, Magnolia Manor
Wickliffe KY 6.9 11 1025 17.28 Wickliffe Mounds State Park and National Trail of Tears Site
Bardwell KY 8.6 11 1036 17.47 Bardwell is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Carlisle County, Magnolia Manor Museum
Clinton KY 14.9 18 1054 17.77 Clinton is a home rule-class city and the county seat of Hickman County
Fulton/South Fulton KY/TN 14.4 21 1075 18.12 Banana Capitol of the World, annual Banana Festival featuring the world’s largest banana pudding
Union City TN 11.9 18 1093 18.42 Discovery Park of America which is a museum with many exhibits pertaining to local history
Troy TN 9.2 14 1107 18.65 Full Throttle Sloonshine Distillery
Newbern TN 18.8 20 1127 18.98 The Historic Depot downtown serves as a railroad museum and an Amtrak station, Depot Days Festival
Dyersburg TN 9.5 18 1145 19.28 Forked Deer River,  birthplace of the famous clown Emmett Kelly
Ripley TN 22.8 29 1174 19.77 Lauderdale County Tomato Festival, Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge, Tully State Forest, Ripley Park
Covington TN 15.1 20 1194 20.10 Drive down the Main and Maple Streets of the South Main Historic District
Millington TN 21.9 32 1226 20.63 Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, Memphis International Raceway, and the USA Baseball Stadium
Memphis TN 16.9 27 1253 21.08 “Home of the Blues” and “Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Graceland, Hotel Peabody
Southaven MS 13.2 14 1267 21.32 Tanger Outlets Southaven. Liberation Escape Rooms. Snowden Grove Park
Hernando MS 12.7 14 1281 21.55 Recognized as a “Playful City USA” and is home to the award-winning Hernando Farmers Market
Senatobia MS 16.5 20 1301 21.88 Senatobia was originally a rest stop on the trail leading to Hot Springs, Ark
Batesville MS 24.2 25 1326 22.30 Batesville Mounds, a designated Mississippi Landmark and a destination on the Mississippi Mound Trail,
Grenada MS 40.7 39 1365 22.95 Grenada’s Downtown Historic District, nestled in the curve of the Yalobusha River
Winona MS 26.5 29 1394 23.43 Christ’s Cross at the Crossroads 120′ Tall
Durant MS 31.1 40 1434 24.10 Founded in 1858 as a station on the Mississippi Central Railroad, later part of the Illinois Central
Canton MS 34.4 41 1475 24.78 Birthplace of the Mississippi Art Colony, Movie Capital of MS
Jackson MS 25.8 27 1502 25.23 “The City with Soul”, 29 museums spread out around the city, three cultural and historic districts to explore
Crystal Springs MS 25.5 29 1531 25.72 Crystal Springs, Tomato Festival, Concerts in the Park
Hazelhurst MS 9.9 17 1548 26.00 The annual Robert Johnson Blues and Heritage Festival
Beauregard/Wesson MS 10.7 14 1562 26.23 Wesson Attendance Center and Copiah-Lincoln Community College.  Historical Cotton Center
Brookhaven MS 11.3 20 1582 26.57 Lincoln County Historical and Genealogical Society Museum and Military Memorial Museum
McComb MS 26.6 33 1615 27.12 McComb Railroad Museum and Percy Quinn State Park
Magnolia MS 9.8 16 1631 27.38 City of Magnolia’s Annual Mardi Gras Ball
Kentwood LA 17 18 1649 27.68 Kentwood Historical and Cultural Arts Museum-honors local WWII veterans, Britney Spears hometown
Amite City LA 14.8 23 1672 28.07 Major oyster processing center and home of the Oyster Festival.
Independence LA 6.5 11 1683 28.25 “Little Italy” hosts the Sicilian Heritage Festival, Home to Amato’s, a Louisiana Native Winery
Hammond LA 10.8 19 1702 28.57  Southeastern Railroad Museum
Ponchatoula LA 5.7 12 1714 28.77 Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival held annually in April and is one of the biggest festivals in the region.
Laplace LA 28.3 28 1742 29.23 “Andouille Capital of the World,” the annual Andouille Festival held  each October at the Hwy 51 Park