In Illinois, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is primarily cultivated in a wheat-soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.] double-crop system. The University of Illinois wheat breeding program has been ongoing for over 75 years. Currently, it aims to improve the profitability of wheat-soybean double cropping by developing high-yielding, early-maturing wheat varieties with good grain quality. We aimed to estimate the genetic trends for grain yield, test weight, heading time, and plant height in the past 21 years of breeding at the University of Illinois to determine if these trends align with the program’s current breeding goals. We retrieved the phenotypic data from advanced yield trials, where 1,690 genotypes were evaluated from 2001 to 2021 in six locations, resulting in 67,362 observations. The presence of check genotypes allowed us to use the control population method to estimate the genetic trends, in which the check genotypes are utilized to separate genetic and nongenetic trends. Using mixed models, we identified a positive genetic trend for grain yield (33 kg ha-1 yr-1), heading time (-0.07 d yr-1), and test weight (0.91 g L-1 yr-1). Genetic trends were not significantly different from zero for plant height. Nongenetic and total phenotypic trends were not significant for grain yield. Our study revealed that the University of Illinois wheat breeding program has helped maintain the profitability of wheat-soybean double cropping in Illinois. Progress has been made by developing germplasm with higher grain yield and test weight without extending the growth cycle.