# Great River Road south: Dubuque to Hannibal

> 3-day road trip of about 401 km (249 mi) with 9 stops, from Dubuque to Hannibal. About 4 h 27 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b19-mississippi-quad-cities/

**At a glance:** 3-day road trip of about 401 km (249 mi) with 9 stops, from Dubuque to Hannibal. About 4 h 27 min of driving in total. Iowa caves, the Quad Cities, Burlington’s crooked Snake Alley, the Mormon town of Nauvoo and Mark Twain’s Hannibal along the middle Mississippi.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 401 km (249 mi) |
| Driving | 4 h 27 min |
| Suggested days | 3 |
| Stops | 9 |
| Route | Dubuque → Hannibal |
| States | IA, IL, MO |
| Updated | May 8, 2026 |

## Route description

From Dubuque take US-61 south toward Maquoketa; Maquoketa Caves State Park lies just north-west of that town, about an hour away. Bring a flashlight and old clothes if you want to crawl into the smaller caves. Return to the river at Bellevue or Sabula and follow the Great River Road south past bluff towns and the lock and dam at Clinton to Davenport.

Davenport is one of the Quad Cities, which also include Bettendorf in Iowa and Moline and Rock Island in Illinois. Watch barges pass Lock and Dam 15 from the visitor center on Arsenal Island; bring ID to enter the island. From Davenport, US-61 runs south-west through Muscatine to Burlington, about 130 km, a river town of brick buildings with the switchbacks of Snake Alley.

Cross the Mississippi at Fort Madison and follow IL-96 south along the river to Nauvoo, founded in 1839 by Latter-day Saints. The restored historic district has free tours, crafts and wagon rides from spring to autumn, and the Nauvoo State Park has a campground. IL-96 continues along the river past Hamilton and Quincy, with levees and farmland.

From Quincy, take I-172 south and I-72 west across the Mississippi to Hannibal, about 40 minutes. Mark Twain’s boyhood home and museum sit on the historic main street, and Riverview Park on the bluff north of downtown looks over the river. Summer is busy with river cruises and Tom Sawyer Days in July. Flooding sometimes closes river roads in spring, so check before you go.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Dubuque** (IA)
2. **Maquoketa Caves State Park** (Maquoketa, IA): More caves than any other park in Iowa, from walk-through passages to crawl spaces, linked by boardwalks in a wooded limestone ravine. Bring a headlamp; some caves close in winter to protect bats.
3. **Davenport** (IA)
4. **Burlington** (IA)
5. **Snake Alley** (Burlington, IA): A brick street from 1894 with seven tight switchbacks down a bluff, often called one of the crookedest streets in the world. Drive it downhill only, or walk it; park at the top on Columbia Street.
6. **Nauvoo** (IL)
7. **Historic Nauvoo** (Nauvoo, IL): Restored brick homes and workshops of the Latter-day Saint town of the 1840s on a bend of the Mississippi, with free tours, wagon rides and craft demonstrations. The rebuilt temple overlooks the flats.
8. **Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum** (Hannibal, MO): The white clapboard house where Samuel Clemens grew up, with a whitewashed fence recalling Tom Sawyer and several museum buildings. One ticket covers them all; parking is on the streets of the old town.
9. **Hannibal** (MO)

## FAQs

**How long is Great River Road south: Dubuque to Hannibal?**
3-day road trip of about 401 km (249 mi) with 9 stops, from Dubuque to Hannibal. About 4 h 27 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Great River Road south: Dubuque to Hannibal?**
We suggest 3 days: about 4 h 27 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Great River Road south: Dubuque to Hannibal start and end?**
It starts in Dubuque and ends in Hannibal.

**Which states does Great River Road south: Dubuque to Hannibal pass through?**
Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.