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Posted August 4, 2026 - Updated August 30, 2026

Katy Trail Connector Bike Route starting from New Baden, Illinois (60.7 miles)

New Baden, Illinois super-resolution aerial panoramic photo

By DAN ROBINSON

Editor/Photographer

With the opening of the MetroBikeLink trail extension to MidAmerica Airport, cyclists can now start a Katy Trail ride from locations east of Silver Creek using the following route.

Disclaimer: this route involves 20.1 miles of riding on 2-lane or 4-lane highways that do not yet have parallel trails, primarily in Missouri between Alton, Illinois and Machens, MO. Some of these segments have bike lanes and shoulders wide enough for bikes, however, there are several segments with little or no shoulders (again, mostly on the Alton to Machens segments). You should travel on these with the appropriate caution and at your own risk.

Download GPX file of this route | View Route on Ride with GPS

Katy Trail multi-day trip using this route: The following is a four-day ride (40 to 50 miles per day) to Jefferson City, Missouri using this connector route:

Day 1: New Baden to Alton, Illinois (49 miles)
Day 2: Alton, Illinois to Chesterfield, Missouri (39 miles)
Day 3: Chesterfield to Hermann, Missouri (54 miles)
Day 4: Hermann to Jefferson City, Missouri (47 miles)

Detailed Directions

From New Baden Community Park, go west on East Illinois Street to just past South 4th Street.
After passing 4th Street, turn right (north) onto the alley between South 3rd Street and South 4th Street and continue north to Highway 161 (East Hanover Street).
Turn left (west) onto Highway 161 (East Hanover Street) and continue 90 feet to North 3rd Street.
Turn right (north) onto North 3rd Street and continue north to East Ash Street
Turn left (west) onto East Ash Street and continue west to North Franklin Street.
Turn right (north) onto North Franklin Street and continue north to Poos Drive.
Turn left (west) onto Poos Drive and continue west to County Line Road.
Turn right (north) on County Line Road and continue to Pfieffer Road.

County Line Road in New Baden
Turn left (west) onto Pfieffer Road and continue west to Highway 4. (Note: Pfieffer Road becomes Perrin Road after crossing Summerfield South Road).
Turn left (south) on Highway 4 across Interstate 64 (Caution: this 0.9-mile segment is a busy 2-to-4-lane road with highway ramps and a 55mph speed limit, but shoulders are wide).
Turn right (west) onto Airport Boulevard and continue to the MetroBikeLink trail entrance.
Continue west on the MetroBikeLink trail across Silver Creek to Rieder Road.

Frontage road, trail and Metrolink light rail tracks at Silver Creek
Turn right (north) on Rieder Road across Interstate 64 to Shiloh Valley Township Line Road. (Caution: this 0.6-mile segment is a busy 4-lane road with highway ramps and a 45mph speed limit, but shoulders are wide and traffic tends to be sparse outside of morning and evening rush hours).
MetroBikeLink Trail intersection with Rieder Road.
Turn left to go west/north on Shiloh Valley Township Line Road to Highway 50.
Shiloh Valley Township Line Road at Rieder Road
Turn left (west) on Highway 50 into O'Fallon (Caution: This 1.9-mile segment is on Highway 50, a busy 2-lane road with a 45mph speed limit. You may need to wait a long time for a safe gap in traffic to turn left across both lanes..
Continue west on Highway 50 for 450 feet and turn right (north) into the Moto Mart gas station parking lot.
Turn left (west) inside of the Moto Mart gas station entrance and travel around the outside edge of the parking lot to avoid pedestrian/vehicle traffic.
At the north entrance to the Moto Mart Gas station, turn right (east) onto Coral Sea Drive to Allied Way.
Turn left (west) on Allied Way and continue to Scott-Troy Road (Route 158).
Use the pedestrian signal to cross west across Scott-Troy Road (Route 158) then turn left (south) across Rec Plex Drive onto the Highway 50 Trail.
Continue south on the Highway 50 Trail. The trail will curve west at Highway 50.
The Highway 50 trail will end at Rec Plex Drive. Continue west on Highway 50 to South Highland Street at O'Fallon Community Park.
Turn right (north) on South Highland Street.
Take the first left turn, then turn to the immediate right (north) to enter the Community Park Trail.
Continue northwest on the Community Park Trail to the Apple Street Trail.
Turn right (north) onto the Apple Street Trail to East 2nd Street.
Apple Street Trail in O'Fallon
Turn left (west) onto East 2nd Street. and continue west to North Oak Street.
Turn right (north) onto North Oak Street and continue north across the railroad tracks and West State Street to West Madison Street.
Turn left (west) onto West Madison Street and continue west to the Illini Trail.
Continue straight onto the Illini Trail access ramp to the Illini Trail.
Illini Trail access spur at West Madison Street in O'Fallon. The main trail passes over the access spur on the bridge in the background. A ramp on the right connects the two trails.
Turn right (north) onto the Illini Trail and continue north to Illini Drive.
Follow the marked bike route north on Illini Drive to Kyle Road.
Turn left (west) onto Kyle Road to the Goshen Trail entrance.
Goshen Trail access at Kyle Road in O'Fallon.
Turn right (north) onto the Goshen Trail and continue north to Edwardsville. Follow the bike route signs where the trail route crosses under Interstate 55/70.
Goshen Trail bridge across Lockmann Road south of Troy.
In Edwardsville, continue north on the Goshen/Watershed Trail to Roxana.
The Watershed Trail will end at Madison Avenue in Roxana. Turn right onto Madison Avenue..
West end of the Watershed Trail in Roxana.
Continue west on Madison Avenue through Roxana and Hartford to the Confluence Trail. (Caution: A large portion of this road does not have shoulders, though the speed limit is 45 and below).
Madison Avenue between Roxana and Hartford.
Go north on the Confluence Trail to the Clark Bridge (US Route 67).
Confluence Trail access at Madison Avenue in Hartford.
Go west on US 67 across the bridge using the bike lane. (Caution: This 1.1-mile segment is on the highway's shoulder that has been marked as a bike lane).
Bike lane on US 67 on the Clark Bridge in Alton.
At the end of the bridge bike lane, the bike trail will curve to the right and end at the currently unnamed access road.
Turn left at the end of the trail, then continue west to US 67. (NOTE: maps show the West Alton Trail extending from the Lincoln Shields recreation area parking lot and paralleling US 67. This paved trail dead-ends into impassable overgrowth after a short distance, with no access to US 67 or St. Charles Street).
At US 67, turn right and continue west for 1.7 miles to St. Charles Street (Caution: US 67 is a high-speed four-lane divided highway, and the shoulders are narrow and graveled).
Turn right onto St. Charles Street and continue west to Missouri Route 94.
Highway 94 in West Alton.
Turn right onto Missouri Route 94 and continue to Saale Road. (Caution: The rest of this route is on shoulder-less two-lane roads. Highway 94 is the busiest of these roads, which this route avoids as much as possible).
Turn left (west) onto Saale Road and continue 4.5 miles to Dwiggins Road.
Turn left onto Dwiggins Road and continue west until the road ends at Missouri Route 94.
Turn left onto Missouri Route 94 and continue 1.7 miles to Ell Road. NOTE: Machens Road was previously the access point to the eastern terminus of the Katy Trail, which you will pass on this segment. It is currently closed to the public. This results in no access to the eastern terminus of the Katy Trail from this location. Cyclists will need to access the trail at the next road crossing to the west at Ell Road.
The closure of Machens Road blocks access to the eastern terminus of the Katy Trail.
Turn left (south) onto Ell Road. The Katy Trail intersection will be 1.4 mile south, on the left, 0.7 miles past the railroad tracks.
Katy Trail access on Ell Road west of Machens.

Route Details (Food, Restrooms, Lodging, Bike Shops)

Total Distance: 60.7 miles
Maximum Grade: 3.3%
Dedicated trails or low-traffic road segments: 40.6 miles total
On-highway road segments: 20.1 miles total:
- Illinois Highway 4 near Mascoutah (0.9 miles)
- Rieder Road (0.6 miles)
- Highway 50 in O'Fallon (1.5 miles)
- Madison Avenue in Roxana and Hartford (3.3 miles)
- US Highway 67 on the Clark Bridge (1.1 miles)
- US Highway 67, Highway 94, Saale Road, Dwiggins Road, Ell Road at West Alton (12.7 miles)
Lodging available near the route:
- Best Western Plus across Interstate 64 from MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, 0.1 miles from the route
- Super 8 Wyndham on Eastgate Drive in O'Fallon, 0.1 miles from the route
- Multiple hotels on Illinois Highway 157 in Edwardsville, 1.5 miles from the route via the MCT Nature Trail
- Tiffany Inn Bed & Breakfast and The Cracker Factory, 0.5 miles from the route in Alton
- AirBNB/Vrbo houses are sometimes available near the route in O'Fallon, Edwardsville and Alton.
Bike shops along/near the route:
- Bike Surgeon on East State Street in downtown O'Fallon, right on the route
- The Cyclery in Edwardsville, right on the route
Restaurants/groceries/food/restrooms along/near the route:
- Moto Mart convenience store in New Baden, 300 feet (1 block) from the route
- Good Old Days restaurant in New Baden, 400 feet (1 block) from the route
- Berkemann's Baker's Dozen bakery in New Baden, 400 feet (1 block) from the route
- Market Center IGA grocery store in New Baden, 0.5 miles from the route
- Subway in New Baden, 0.7 miles from the route
- Dominos Pizza at Highway 4 and Perrin Road in Mascoutah
- Pilot Truck Stop at Highway 4 and Perrin Road in Mascoutah, right on the route
- MidAmerica Airport passenger terminal, right on the route
- Moto Mart and Shell convenience stores on Scott Troy Road at Highway 50 in O'Fallon, right on the route
- Schnucks grocery store on Highway 50 in O'Fallon, right on the route
- Multiple restaurants on Highway 50 in O'Fallon
- Multiple restaurants in downtown O'Fallon
- Dierbergs grocery, Target and multiple restaurants on Troy Road in Edwardsville, 0.2-0.7 miles off of the route
- Numerous restaurants on Illinois Highway 157 in Edwardsville, 1.5 miles from the route via the MCT Nature Trail
- Multiple restaurants in Alton, 0.5-1.0 miles from the route
Coffee shops along/near the route:
- The Red Porch Cafe in New Baden, right on the route
- Starbucks on Highway 50 in O'Fallon, 0.3 miles from the route
- Sweet Katie Bee's, right on the route on East 2nd Street in O'Fallon
- Dutch Brothers Coffee on Troy Road in O'Fallon, right on the route
- Starbucks on Illinois Highway 157 in Edwardsville, right on the route
- Germania Brew Haus in Alton, 0.1 miles from the route
- Post Commons in Alton, 0.8 miles from the route
Public transportation:
- The St. Louis Metrolink light rail trains allow bicycles on board (but not trikes). The newest Metrolink station, located on this route at MidAmerica Airport, is opening sometime in the summer of 2026. Shiloh-Scott is the nearest operating station, located 2.9 miles from the route via the MetroBikeLink trail.