The geography of Illinois made it a valuable territory for the Underground Railroad. The state is situated between the slave states of Missour, Kentucky, and the southern tip is only about eight miles from Arkansas and Tennessee. Illinois also has the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers that as boundaries.

Alton was one of the major underground route towns. It was the home of the Illinois Anti-Slavery Society, which was founded in 1837, and Elijah Lovejoy, who was the publisher of an abolitionist newspaper.

Two major underground routes began at Quincy, across the Mississippi River from Hannibal, then went northeast toward Chicago. One route included stops in Galesburg, Toulon, Princetom, Aurora, Elgin, and Byron. The second major stop started at Quincy, then to Dillion and Delavan.

Another route included safehouses in Ottawa, Peru and Magnolia.

One of the major routes even picked up at Jacksonville and Griggsville and then connected to a line that began at Dillion and Springfield.

Another line ran through Hancock, McDonough, and Fulton Counties and included stations in Mendon, Round Prairie, Plymouth, Roseville, canton, and Farmington.

A line through Ogle County included safe houses at Sugar Grove and Buffalo Grove.

Another started in Sparta and ran north through Springfield, Delavan, Dillion, Elm Grove, Tremont, Deacon Street, Groveland, Morton, Washington, Metromora, Crow Creek, Work Ford, and Greenville and connected to the Quincy/Dillion line.