Freeport, Illinois is a small, affordable, walkable Midwestern city with a pleasant historic downtown, riverfront parks and trails, and a steady calendar of community events and local restaurants that make multi‑week assignments feel comfortable rather than isolating.
For bigger‑city options and weekend variety, Rockford and Dubuque are both within driving distance (under 75 miles), offering museums, larger dining scenes, regional festivals and airports—so you get a quiet, manageable home base with easy access to more to do.