Illinois Railway Museum
The Illinois Railway Museum (IRM, (reporting mark IRMX) is a railroad museum located in Union, Illinois, and the largest railroad museum in the United States. Locally, it belongs to Coral Township. Its origins go back to 1953.
A museum inside Coral Township
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 14°, with about 31" of snow a year. When to go ↓
Dorr Township is the nearest base
Dorr Township is 7 miles northeast, with 6 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Chicago
Chicago is about 51 miles southeast and Milwaukee is about 64 miles northeast (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
May, June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 70–83°. When to go ↓
Established in 1953
Illinois Railway Museum dates from 1953. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
When to go
Here is how the weather at Illinois Railway Museum changes month by month.
Illinois Railway Museum
The Illinois Railway Museum (IRM, (reporting mark IRMX) is a railroad museum located in Union, Illinois, and the largest railroad museum in the United States. It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area at 7000 Olson Road in Union, Illinois, 55 miles (89 km) northwest of downtown Chicago.
- Type
- Museum
- Established
- 1953
- Elevation
- 873 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 26K a year
Lodging near Illinois Railway Museum
Lodging nearby is in Dundee Township (23) and Algonquin Township (14).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Illinois Railway Museum | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coral Township | in town | — | 2 1 campground · 1 RV park | 3,731 | $393K | — |
| Dundee Township | 14 mi southeast | 20 min | 23 20 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground | 64,737 | $278K | — |
| Algonquin Township | 13 mi east | 20 min | 14 10 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 89,435 | $304K | — |
| Dorr Township | 7 mi northeast | 10 min | 6 2 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 21,614 | $267K | — |
| Woodstock | 7 mi northeast | 10 min | 6 2 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 25,740 | $246K | A− |
| Elgin | 17 mi southeast | 25 min | 17 15 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins | 115,476 | $273K | B− |
| Crystal Lake | 10 mi east | 15 min | 7 6 hotels · 1 motel | 42,288 | $311K | B |
| West Dundee | 13 mi southeast | 20 min | 8 6 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs | 8,570 | $361K | B |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also within reach
Also within 58 miles are these.
Big draw53 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
Big draw49 mi Stadium & arenaWrigley Field
Big draw57 mi MuseumBarack Obama Presidential Center
Big draw54 mi Stadium & arenaRate Field
Big draw50 mi Stadium & arenaUnited Center
32 mi Theme parkSix Flags Great America3.0M visitors a year
Big draw52 mi MuseumArt Institute of Chicago1.5M visitors a year
36 mi Stadium & arenaAllstate ArenaPhoto credits
Soldier Field: Photo by Joon Han Contact: [email protected], CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wrigley Field: Ryan Dickey, CC BY 2.0 · Barack Obama Presidential Center: AlphaBeta135, CC0 · Rate Field: User Enoch Lai on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · United Center: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Six Flags Great America: Feather Better, CC BY 4.0 · Art Institute of Chicago: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0 · Allstate Arena: Nkon21, CC BY-SA 4.0
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A visit to Illinois Railway Museum: questions
Is Illinois Railway Museum in Coral Township?
Yes. It’s inside Coral Township, IL.
When is the best time to visit Illinois Railway Museum?
May, June, July, August and September, with highs of 70–83°.
How far is Illinois Railway Museum from Chicago and Milwaukee?
About 51 miles southeast of Chicago and about 64 miles northeast of Milwaukee, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Illinois Railway Museum?
Chicago Rockford (RFD), about 29 miles away. The nearest big hub is Chicago O'Hare (ORD), about 36 miles.
Where should I stay near Illinois Railway Museum?
Dundee Township (14 mi, 23 places to stay), Algonquin Township (13 mi, 14 places to stay) and Dorr Township (7 mi, 6 places to stay).
Tips from Coral Township
Ask a question, or answer one, in Coral Township’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.