In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
O'Fallon, Illinois
Skip unless you have family at Scott AFB or need a cheap bed near St. Louis. One night max, then drive into the city.
O'Fallon is a suburban bedroom community 20 minutes east of St. Louis, best known for Scott Air Force Base and chain hotels. It has no major tourist sights; most visitors use it as a budget sleep base while visiting St. Louis or the Metro East area.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (humid), Dec–Feb (cold)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–90 excl. bed · Mid $90–150 excl. bed · High $150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
Get in
By air
- STL · St. Louis Lambert International
- About 30–40 min drive via I-64
- BLV · MidAmerica St. Louis Airport / Scott AFB
- Small airport, limited commercial flights; 10 min drive
Typical fares
- Taxi STL airport → O'Fallon
- about $60–80 (check)
- Uber/Lyft STL airport → O'Fallon
- about $40–60 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Car is essential. No public transit connects O'Fallon to St. Louis; taxis and Uber/Lyft are available but expensive for the 20-mile trip.
See and do
Known for
- Scott Air Force Base
- Chain hotels and restaurants
- Proximity to St. Louis
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | I-64 west, about 20 min | 20–30 min |
| East St. Louis | I-64 west, about 15 min | 15–20 min |
| Belleville | US 50 west, about 10 min | 10–15 min |
| Collinsville | I-64 west, about 10 min | 10–15 min |
Sleep
- I-64 / US 50 corridor
- All major chain hotels (Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn) along the highway; easy access to St. Louis.
Language
English everywhere, with strong regional accents; Spanish is the second language in the Southwest, Texas, Florida, California and New York. Some words differ from British English: restroom (toilet), check (bill), gas (petrol), trunk (boot), first floor (ground floor).
- Measurements are imperial: miles, Fahrenheit, gallons, pounds. 100 km ≈ 62 miles; 30 °C ≈ 86 °F.
- Small talk with strangers is normal and friendly; it is not a sales tactic.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No walkable downtown; everything is spread out along the highway.
- Restaurants are mostly chains; local options are limited.
- Traffic on I-64 can back up during rush hour (7–9 AM, 4–6 PM).
Very safe suburban town. Standard precautions: lock your car, don't leave valuables visible.
One and two days
No timed day plan for O'Fallon, Illinois yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Scott Air Force Base
- Chain hotels and restaurants
- Proximity to St. Louis
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: O'Fallon (Illinois), revision 4707120 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4707120
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
O'Fallon, Illinois
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Embassies in Washington, DC; consulates in Chicago.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ofallon-illinois). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.