Springfield: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Springfield is a city of 114,394 people in United States (Illinois), 184 m (604 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI), 6 km (4 mi) from the centre. It has 3 railway stations on record, including Springfield.
Key facts
Open Springfield in Google Maps
Daylight in Springfield runs from about 9 h 24 min a day in late December to 15 h 3 min in late June (computed for 39.8° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Springfield is served by 4 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI), 6 km (4 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,001 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Decatur Airport (DEC, 67 km), General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA, 96 km), Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (BMI, 97 km).
Flights to Springfield: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Springfield, Lincoln Depot, Springfield Union Station. Trains to Springfield
Buses to Springfield · Driving and car hire
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Home National Historic Site | 354,125 | 2010 |
| Lincoln Library | 272,600 | 2017 |
The busiest is Lincoln Home National Historic Site at 354,125 visitors in 2010. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Springfield
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Chicago, 283 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Indianapolis, 298 km — flights · trains · tours
- Louisville, 377 km — trains
- Milwaukee, 388 km
- Madison, 364 km
- St. Louis, 139 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Des Moines, 389 km
- Aurora, 245 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Rockford, 278 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Joliet, 232 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh, Ashikaga.
Common questions
Which airport serves Springfield?
Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI), 6 km (4 mi) from the centre, plus 3 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Springfield?
About 114,394 people live in Springfield, across 172 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Springfield in?
America/Chicago, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Springfield?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Springfield?
Chicago (283 km), Indianapolis (298 km), Louisville (377 km), Milwaukee (388 km), Madison (364 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.