Transportation

Oregon has great regional connectivity.

Oregon is conveniently located at the crossroads of two well-surfaced and easy-to-travel Illinois highways, which intersect in the heart of Oregon’s downtown district:

  • Route 2 is a 74-mile highway from Sterling, IL, to South Beloit, IL, at the border with Wisconsin. The downtown traffic count is 5,000 –9,500 vehicles each day.
  • Route 64 is a 136-mile highway from Savanna, IL, at the border with Iowa, all the way to Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive (US-41). The downtown traffic count is between 5,250 and 9,250 vehicles per day.
  • The intersection of Route 2 and Route 64 averaged 9,500 vehicles per day in 2015.

We also have easy access to two U.S. interstates: i-39

  • Interstate 39 is a 320+ mile highway just 20 minutes from Oregon, which runs between central Illinois and north central Wisconsin, carrying between 28,700 and 29,800 vehicles per day in our vicinity. The state of Illinois has designated I-39 as a major economic development corridor. Six interstate highways intersect I-39 (I-43, I-55, I-74, I-80, I-88, and I-90), which is truck-friendly and less congested than other interstates.
  • Interstate 88 is a 140-mile highway that’s within 30 minutes of Oregon, which interchanges with Interstate 80 on the western border of Illinois, and with Interstates 290 and 294 in Hillside, IL, near Chicago. It’s part of the Chicago-Quad Cities Expressway and carries between 15,000 and 22,100 vehicles per day in the segment south of Oregon.


Lee Ogle Transportation System/LOTS helps Lee and Ogle County residents get to where they need to go. LOTS provides curb to curb service for all ages. LOTS vehicles are equipped with lifts for disabled persons. Rides can be scheduled to community resources – a doctor’s appointment, the bank, your favorite restaurant, your community college.

Hours of operation are Monday – Friday from 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Contact LOTS at (815) 288-2117

Learn more about LOTS here

Oregon’s Direct Rail Access

Oregon is in the enviable position of having direct access to rail, as BNSF operates tracks along the city’s southern border, providing connections and rail service from the East Coast to the West Coast. Meanwhile, neighboring Rochelle’s Union Pacific (UP) state-of-the-art intermodal facility — one of the largest in the Midwest — is located only 30 minutes from Oregon and can be easily accessed using our existing highway and rail systems.

A private rail spur is also available on the outskirts of town, and the city may explore the possibility of acquiring the property containing the local rail spur connection to Mt. Morris as an additional means of attracting potential industrial development opportunities. See the IDOT railroad map

Oregon Nearby Airports

Ohare AirportThe Chicago Rockford International Airportis 20 miles northeast of Oregon, offering both passenger and cargo services. The airport is also a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ #176) that offers tremendous tax savings, including relief from tariffs and duties, to businesses that import/export goods and raw materials.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport is a relatively easy 90-minute drive to the east, while the Quad City International Airport is only 90 minutes away to the west, by way of I-88.

Meanwhile, Rochelle Municipal Airport (AKA “Koritz Field”) is less than 30 minutes southeast of Oregon, with a 5,000-foot runway to support charter and general aviation operations.