Northwest Tollway
Encyclopedia
The Jane Addams Memorial Tollway in Illinois
is a 79-mile (127 km) segment of Interstate 90
from Interstate 190
in far northwest Chicago
to Illinois Route 75
, one mile (1.6 km) south of the Wisconsin
state line. For 16 miles (26 km), Interstate 90 is concurrent
with Interstate 39
and U.S. Route 51
. The highway is named after Jane Addams
, Nobel Peace Prize
winner and founder of the Settlement House
movement in the United States.
The tollway was built in the late 1950s and early 1960s from the O'Hare area (at the Tri-State Tollway) to the WI line north of Rockford
. The route is signed as I-90 on its entire length. From the Rockford Curve to the last exit in IL (IL-75), US-51 and I-39 also run with the Tollway.
East of Interstate 190, Interstate 90 merges into the Kennedy Expressway
.
Prior to September 7, 2007, the tollway was known as the Northwest Tollway.
State Line, until its interchange with Interstate 39
at Cherry Valley. East of the Interstate 39 interchange, the tollway is 4 lanes (2 each direction) until its interchange with Randall Road at Elgin
. From Elgin until its Eastern terminus, where it merges into the Kennedy Expressway
, the tollway is 6 lanes (3 each direction).
area (River Road eastbound and Devon Avenue
westbound), in Elgin
, near Marengo
(Eastbound), in Belvidere
(Westbound), and in South Beloit
. Interstate 39 travelers exiting/entering at Rockford
paid at the Cherry Valley toll plaza, but that toll plaza has been decommissioned southbound in 2003 and northbound in 2004 in due to traffic congestion. In Feb. 2006, the Marengo Westbound and the Belvidere Eastbound tolls were removed. Two two toll plazas near O'Hare and the one in Elgin each charge cash tolls of 80 cents (as of January 1, 2005) and I-Pass
tolls of 40 cents for a 2-axle passenger vehicle. The South Beloit toll plaza near the Illinois
and Wisconsin
state line is $1.00 (50 cents for I-Pass
users). Eastbound traffic does not pay a toll at Belvidere because of the removal of the Eastbound Belvidere plaza, but pays $1.60 at Marengo (I-Pass users pay $0.80). On the other hand, Westbound traffic pays no toll at Marengo but pays $1.60 at Belvidere (I-PASS users pay $0.80). This change was done to accommodate open road tolling
construction. Originally, a ticket system was used to compute tolls on the segment between Beloit and Elgin with each driver receiving a Hollerith card
upon entering and paying upon exiting, but it was replaced with a cash barrier system in the late 1970s. It was the only portion of the Illinois Tollways to use a ticket system. Remnants of the old system can still be seen at several interchanges on the system including at the State St. US Bus. Hwy 20 exit near Rockford.
The Jane Addams Tollway is maintained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority
.
on the Jane Addams Tollway—one at Belvidere, and one in Des Plaines near O'Hare. Both are over-highway oases. A motorist was struck by flying debris and killed on 7 December 2009 at the Belvidere Oasis following an explosion at a nearby crystal factory.
There is also a welcome center south of Beloit, WI
that is located on the IDOT portion of the highway between the border with Wisconsin and Illinois Tollway control.
navigated by local resident John Madsen who took 5 days to make the journey.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
is a 79-mile (127 km) segment of Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
from Interstate 190
Interstate 190 (Illinois)
Interstate 190 is an intrastate Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. I-190 runs west from I-90 to O'Hare International Airport. This is a distance of . Interstate 190 is the westernmost leg of the Kennedy Expressway...
in far northwest Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to Illinois Route 75
Illinois Route 75
Illinois Route 75 is an east–west state road in north-central Illinois. It runs from downtown Freeport at Illinois Route 26 to WIS 67 at the Wisconsin state line southeast of Beloit, Wisconsin. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
, one mile (1.6 km) south of the Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
state line. For 16 miles (26 km), Interstate 90 is concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with Interstate 39
Interstate 39
Interstate 39 is a highway in the midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois at Interstate 55 to Highway 29 in Rothschild, Wisconsin, approximately six miles south of Wausau. I-39 was designed to replace US Highway 51, which in the early 1980s was one of the busiest two-lane...
and U.S. Route 51
U.S. Route 51
U.S. Route 51 is a north–south United States highway that runs for 1,286 miles from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana to within of the Wisconsin-Michigan border. Much of the highway in Illinois and southern Wisconsin runs parallel to or overlaps Interstate 39...
. The highway is named after Jane Addams
Jane Addams
Jane Addams was a pioneer settlement worker, founder of Hull House in Chicago, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace...
, Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
winner and founder of the Settlement House
Settlement movement
The settlement movement was a reformist social movement, beginning in the 1880s and peaking around the 1920s in England and the US, with a goal of getting the rich and poor in society to live more closely together in an interdependent community...
movement in the United States.
The tollway was built in the late 1950s and early 1960s from the O'Hare area (at the Tri-State Tollway) to the WI line north of Rockford
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
. The route is signed as I-90 on its entire length. From the Rockford Curve to the last exit in IL (IL-75), US-51 and I-39 also run with the Tollway.
East of Interstate 190, Interstate 90 merges into the Kennedy Expressway
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
.
Prior to September 7, 2007, the tollway was known as the Northwest Tollway.
Route description
The Jane Addams Tollway contains 6 lanes (3 each direction) from its Northern terminus at Rockton Road, just south of the WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
State Line, until its interchange with Interstate 39
Interstate 39
Interstate 39 is a highway in the midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois at Interstate 55 to Highway 29 in Rothschild, Wisconsin, approximately six miles south of Wausau. I-39 was designed to replace US Highway 51, which in the early 1980s was one of the busiest two-lane...
at Cherry Valley. East of the Interstate 39 interchange, the tollway is 4 lanes (2 each direction) until its interchange with Randall Road at Elgin
Elgin, Illinois
Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
. From Elgin until its Eastern terminus, where it merges into the Kennedy Expressway
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
, the tollway is 6 lanes (3 each direction).
Toll barriers
There are four mainline toll barriers in each direction with two split plazas and two full plazas. The barriers are located around the O'Hare International AirportO'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
area (River Road eastbound and Devon Avenue
Devon Avenue (Chicago)
Devon Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare in the Chicago metropolitan area. It begins at Chicago's Sheridan Road, which borders Lake Michigan, and it runs west until merging with Higgins Road near O'Hare International Airport. Devon continues on the opposite side of the airport and runs...
westbound), in Elgin
Elgin, Illinois
Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
, near Marengo
Marengo, Illinois
Marengo is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,355 at the 2000 census.- Geography :Marengo is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Major Streets:...
(Eastbound), in Belvidere
Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere is a city in Boone County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,585 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Boone County. Belvidere is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
(Westbound), and in South Beloit
South Beloit, Illinois
South Beloit is a city located in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Interstate 39 travelers exiting/entering at Rockford
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
paid at the Cherry Valley toll plaza, but that toll plaza has been decommissioned southbound in 2003 and northbound in 2004 in due to traffic congestion. In Feb. 2006, the Marengo Westbound and the Belvidere Eastbound tolls were removed. Two two toll plazas near O'Hare and the one in Elgin each charge cash tolls of 80 cents (as of January 1, 2005) and I-Pass
I-Pass
I-PASS is the electronic toll collection system used by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority on its toll highways. It uses the same transponder as the E-ZPass system used in the Northeastern US, and the Indiana Toll Road's i-Zoom program....
tolls of 40 cents for a 2-axle passenger vehicle. The South Beloit toll plaza near the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
state line is $1.00 (50 cents for I-Pass
I-Pass
I-PASS is the electronic toll collection system used by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority on its toll highways. It uses the same transponder as the E-ZPass system used in the Northeastern US, and the Indiana Toll Road's i-Zoom program....
users). Eastbound traffic does not pay a toll at Belvidere because of the removal of the Eastbound Belvidere plaza, but pays $1.60 at Marengo (I-Pass users pay $0.80). On the other hand, Westbound traffic pays no toll at Marengo but pays $1.60 at Belvidere (I-PASS users pay $0.80). This change was done to accommodate open road tolling
Open road tolling
Open road tolling or free-flow tolling is the collection of tolls on toll roads without the use of toll booths. An electronic toll collection system is usually used instead. The major advantage to ORT is that users are able to drive through the toll plaza at highway speeds without having to slow...
construction. Originally, a ticket system was used to compute tolls on the segment between Beloit and Elgin with each driver receiving a Hollerith card
Punched card
A punched card, punch card, IBM card, or Hollerith card is a piece of stiff paper that contains digital information represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions...
upon entering and paying upon exiting, but it was replaced with a cash barrier system in the late 1970s. It was the only portion of the Illinois Tollways to use a ticket system. Remnants of the old system can still be seen at several interchanges on the system including at the State St. US Bus. Hwy 20 exit near Rockford.
The Jane Addams Tollway is maintained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority
Illinois State Toll Highway Authority
The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority is an instrumentality and administrative agency of the State of Illinois, United States. The roads, as well as the Authority itself, are sometimes referred to as the Illinois Tollway...
.
Oases
There are two oasesIllinois Tollway oasis
An Illinois Tollway oasis is a type of commercialized rest area sited along interstate highways that are toll roads in Illinois, United States. The seven oases offer food and gasoline vendors and are found in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, DeKalb, and Belvidere...
on the Jane Addams Tollway—one at Belvidere, and one in Des Plaines near O'Hare. Both are over-highway oases. A motorist was struck by flying debris and killed on 7 December 2009 at the Belvidere Oasis following an explosion at a nearby crystal factory.
There is also a welcome center south of Beloit, WI
Beloit, Wisconsin
Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, Beloit had a population of 36,966. The greater Beloit area is home to more than 91,000 residents.-Claim to fame:...
that is located on the IDOT portion of the highway between the border with Wisconsin and Illinois Tollway control.
Golden Corridor
From O'Hare to Huntley, the region around the Jane Addams Tollway is sometimes referred to as the "Golden Corridor", due to the proximity of commercial and business activity located along the corridor in Northwest Suburban Chicago. Several Fortune 500 companies, large malls, hotels, entertainment and exhibition facilities, restaurants, and retailers are located along the corridor, providing a "gold" mine of profit to communities along the Golden Corridor.History
The 76 mile portion of between O'Hare International airport and the Wisconsin state line opened on August 20, 1958. Prior to the opening, the first vehicle to officially travel the new roadway was a covered wagonCovered wagon
The covered wagon, also known as a Prairie schooner, is an icon of the American Old West.Although covered wagons were commonly used for shorter moves within the United States, in the mid-nineteenth century thousands of Americans took them across the Great Plains to Oregon and California...
navigated by local resident John Madsen who took 5 days to make the journey.
Exit list
| County | Location | Plaza # |
Mile |
Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnebago Winnebago County, Illinois Winnebago County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 295,266, which is an increase of 6.1% from 278,418 in 2000... |
South Beloit South Beloit, Illinois South Beloit is a city located in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area... |
0 | West end of US 51 overlap; signed as exit 1 | ||
| Rockton Rockton, Illinois Rockton is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States located on the banks of the Rock River. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area... |
3 | Northern end of Jane Adams Tollway - Rockton Road – Roscoe Roscoe, Illinois Roscoe is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, a suburb of Rockford incorporated in 1965. The village is in a suburban area along the Rock River. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 10,785, up from 6,244 at the... |
Signed as exit 3, southbound traffic enters the Tollroad after this exit. | ||
| 1 | 3.5 | South Beloit Toll Plaza | |||
| Rockford Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated... |
4 | 9.2 | – Machesney Park Machesney Park, Illinois Machesney Park is a village located in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,499 at the 2010 census, up from 20,759 at the 2000 census... |
Toll at southbound entrance and northbound exit | |
| 2 | 13 | East Riverside Boulevard – Loves Park Loves Park, Illinois Loves Park is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. In recent years, the city spread across the eastern Winnebago county line and now reaches into Boone County, Illinois... |
Toll at southbound entrance and northbound exit | ||
| 15.5 | |||||
| 17.5 | East end of I-39/US 51 overlap | ||||
| Boone | Belvidere Belvidere, Illinois Belvidere is a city in Boone County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,585 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Boone County. Belvidere is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
21 | Irene Road | Westbound exit only | |
| 5 | 23.5 | Belvidere Toll Plaza (westbound) | |||
| 24.5 | Belvidere Oasis | ||||
| 25 | Genoa Road – Belvidere Belvidere, Illinois Belvidere is a city in Boone County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,585 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Boone County. Belvidere is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
||||
| McHenry McHenry County, Illinois McHenry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 308,760, which is an increase of 18.7% from 260,077 in 2000. Its county seat is Woodstock. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest county, in... |
Riley Riley, Illinois Riley, elevation , is an unincorporated community in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. Being small, the population was not listed in the 2000 census.-Geography:... |
7 | 38 | Marengo-Hampshire Toll Plaza (eastbound) | |
| Kane Kane County, Illinois Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :... |
Hampshire Hampshire, Illinois Hampshire is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States.-Geography:Hampshire is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:... |
43 | |||
| Huntley Huntley, Illinois Huntley is a rapidly-growing village in McHenry and Kane Counties, Illinois. In 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the village's population to be 22,923. As of the 2000 Census, the village had a mere 5,730 people, meaning the village's population has more than tripled in eight years... |
46.5 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||
| Elgin Elgin, Illinois Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois... |
8 | 52.5 | Randall Road Randall Road Randall Road is a major north-south county highway in McHenry and Kane County, Illinois. The road is named after Norman Randall, a prominent area landowner in the 1930s. It serves as the western extent of the Fox Valley suburbs in the Chicago metropolitan area. Its southern terminus is in Aurora,... |
Toll at eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
| 9 | 54 | Elgin Toll Plaza | |||
| 11 | 55 | ||||
| Cook Cook County, Illinois Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than... |
13 | 56 | |||
| Hoffman Estates Hoffman Estates, Illinois Hoffman Estates is a northwestern suburb of Chicago in Illinois. The village is located primarily in Cook County with a small section in Kane County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 49,495 and estimated to be 52,520 in 2003... |
14A | 58 | Beverly Road | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance, toll at westbound exit | |
| 14 | 60 | Toll at exits | |||
| 10 | 62.5 | Barrington Road | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance, toll at westbound exit | ||
| Schaumburg Schaumburg, Illinois Schaumburg is a city located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately northwest of O'Hare International Airport. As... |
12 | 66 | Roselle Road | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance, toll at westbound exit | |
| 15 | 68.5 | , West Suburbs, Northwest Suburbs | Toll at eastbound exit | ||
| Arlington Heights Arlington Heights, Illinois Arlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census.... |
18 | 71 | Arlington Heights Road | Toll at eastbound exit | |
| Des Plaines Des Plaines, Illinois Des Plaines is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It has adopted the official nickname of "City of Destiny." As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 58,720. It is a suburb of Chicago, and is next to O'Hare International Airport... |
74 | Elmhurst Road | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| 74.5 | Des Plaines Oasis | ||||
| 76.5 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||||
| Rosemont Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States located immediately northwest of Chicago. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that... |
17 | 77 | Devon Avenue Toll Plaza (westbound) | ||
| 77.5 | Westbound entrance only | ||||
| 77.5 | – Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is... , O'Hare Airport O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop... |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |||
| 78 | – Milwaukee | ||||
| 19 | 78.5 | River Road Toll Plaza (eastbound) | |||
| Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
79 | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |||