Stockton, IL

Perched along Route 20 between Freeport and Galena, Stockton sits right where northern Illinois farmland rolls into the scenic hills of the Driftless Area. The village got its start as a railroad stop in the late 1800s, and you can still see that history in the tidy brick downtown and quiet residential streets. For anyone looking for a slower pace of life, it offers a relaxed small-town feel with easy highway access across the region.

ATTRIvoShandor / CC BY-SA 3.0

Stockton also holds a unique claim to fame as the home of Kraft's very first commercial cheese plant, opened back in 1914. Brewster Cheese carries on that dairy tradition today, anchoring a local economy that sits alongside historic storefronts, community museums, and well-kept parks. It is an unpretentious, close-knit village surrounded by open country and beautiful ridgeline views.