Infrastructure Transportation Mendota is served by U.S Interstate 39, U.S. Route 34, U.S. Route 52, and many state highways including Illinois Route 251. Three Amtrak trains in each direction stop daily at the Mendota Amtrak station: the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg between Chicago and Quincy, and the Southwest Chief from Chicago to Kansas City and Los Angeles. (The California Zephyr passes through without stopping.) There are also two small airports near-by. Notable people William P. Bettendorf, inventor; city of Bettendorf, Iowa named for him; born in Mendota Bill Brown, former running back with the Minnesota Vikings Helen E. Hokinson, cartoonist for The New Yorker (1925–1949) Ray Jauch, running back for national champion 1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team; pro football coach; born in Mendota James Massey, cryptographer; lived in Mendota Jason Pohl, motorcycle designer with Orange County Choppers; born in Mendota Frank Seno, NFL running back and defensive back for the Washington Redskins (1943–1944 and 1949), and Chicago Cardinals (1947–1948); born in Mendota Chase J. Sexton, professional motocross rider with Honda HRC David C. Shapiro, dentist and Illinois state legislator; born in Mendota Otto Vogel, outfielder for the Chicago Cubs; born in Mendota Deacon White, professional baseball pioneer in Hall of Fame; lived in Mendota In popular culture The Arctic Monkeys, an English rock band, filmed their music video "One For the Road" at the Tri-County Fairgrounds in September, 2013. References External links Cities in Illinois Cities in LaSalle County, Illinois Populated places established in 1855 1855 establishments in Illinois Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area