U.S. Route 45 in Illinois
Encyclopedia
In the U.S. state
of Illinois
, U.S. Route 45
is a major north–south highway that runs from the Irvin S. Cobb Bridge
over the Ohio River at Brookport north through rural sections of eastern Illinois and then through the suburbs of Chicago to the Wisconsin
border east of Antioch. This is a distance of 428.99 miles (690.39 km). U.S. 45 is the longest numbered route in Illinois.
campus. Entering downtown Champaign, Illinois
as Neil Street, US 45 then goes east on Springfield Avenue, running concurrently with US 150. Farther east of downtown Champaign, it again serves as a boundary for the U of I
campus. Following Wright Street, US 45 then moves east on University Avenue, forming the northern border of the University. This path continues to Cunningham Avenue in Urbana, Illinois
. US 45 then turns onto Cunningham Avenue northward towards Chicago
.
. US 45/52 intersects with Illinois Route 17
in Kankakee and Illinois Route 102
in Bourbonnais
. Just west of Peotone
, US 52 takes a westward course, and US 45 heads north. From this point on until its intersection with Cermak Road/22nd Street
in Westchester
, US 45 is also known as La Grange Road.
In Frankfort
, US 45 intersects with US 30
. From that point on until its interchange with Archer Avenue/Illinois Route 171
, US 45/La Grange Road is also known as 96th Avenue (9600 W in Chicago's street grid, 96 blocks and 12 miles (19.3 km) west of State Street
). During this stretch it intersects with Interstate 80
and US 6
/159th Street in Orland Park. It also intersects Illinois Route 83
(Calumet Sag Road) for the first time in Palos Hills
, just south of the Cal-Sag Channel
.
Starting at 95th Street
near Hickory Hills
, US 45 becomes concurrent US 12
and US 20
. Two miles further north, at Archer, the road loses its 96th Avenue designation; this is due to the road entering suburbs that do not use Chicago's address system, and that most of its alignment north of Archer would be at 10000 W anyway, if the address system extended to these suburbs.
(Archer Avenue) in Justice
and Interstate 55
(The Stevenson Expressway
) in Hodgkins
(along with Interstate 294
, which it has no interchanges with.) North of Interstate 55, US 12/20/45 becomes a regular 4-lane highway before itintersects with the former US 66
at Joliet Road in Countryside
.
In Downtown La Grange
, US 12/20/45 intersects the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe
railroad tracks and intersects with US 34 (Ogden Avenue), possibly the only intersection of 4 separate US routes in Illinois.
Following the intersection with US 34, US 12/20/45 passes through La Grange Park (as La Grange Road,) moving in a slight northwesternly direction. After passing over Salt Creek
, US 12/20/45 intersects with Cermak Road/22nd Street in Westchester
and is known as Mannheim Road
north of this intersection. Mannheim Road, as US 12/20/45 serves as the Eastern starting point for Illinois Route 38 (Roosevelt Road) in Hillside
, has a full interchange with Interstate 290
, also in Hillside, and serves as the Eastern starting point for Illinois Route 56
(briefly Washington Boulevard in Bellwood, before becoming Butterfield Road.)
After passing over a Union Pacific rail yard, US 45 becomes concurrent with only US 12 in Melrose Park as US 20 breaks off at Lake Street there. US 12 and US 45 remain concurrent on Mannheim Road, passing Interstate 294 again without an interchange, but, after passing Illinois Route 19 (Irving Park Road,) has a full interchange with Interstate 190
, which leads directly to O'Hare International Airport
or Interstate 90
East (into Chicago.)
in Illinois
, and continues along Mannheim Road in Des Plaines. Mannheim Road ends and feeds into Lee Street at the end of an S-curve. The northbound and southbound routes are split in downtown Des Plaines between Lee Street (West 12/North 45) and Graceland Avenue (East 12/South 45). During this time, US 12/45 intersects with US 14
(Miner Street) at two separate points, due to the separation of their directions.
Just north of US 14, US 12/45 are reunited in both directions on Lee Street, only to be separated as US 12 diverges onto Rand Road and US 45 becomes Des Plaines River Road in a complicated intersection on the north side of Des Plaines, just south of Illinois Route 58
.
US 45 continues along Des Plaines River Road, intersecting with Illinois 58 in Des Plaines, and eventually becomes concurrent with Illinois Route 21
, Milwaukee Avenue
, in Prospect Heights
, until Lincolnshire
(just north of Illinois Route 22
) where US 45 takes a northwest route.
US 45 also intersects with Illinois Route 83
just south of Mundelein (where they exchange routes, as IL 83 goes northwest, and US 45 continues north), Illinois Route 60
in Mundelein, Illinois Route 137
in Libertyville
, Illinois Route 120
in Grayslake
, and Illinois Route 173
just south of the Wisconsin border.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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,...
, U.S. Route 45
U.S. Route 45
U.S. Route 45 is a north–south United States highway. US 45 is a border-to-border route, from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. A sign at the highway's northern terminus notes the total distance as ....
is a major north–south highway that runs from the Irvin S. Cobb Bridge
Irvin S. Cobb Bridge
The Irvin S. Cobb Bridge is a ten-span, steel deck , narrow two-lane truss bridge that carries U.S. Route 45 across the Ohio River in the U.S. states of Illinois and Kentucky. It runs from Paducah, Kentucky north to Brookport, Illinois.The bridge is named after Irvin S. Cobb, an author and...
over the Ohio River at Brookport north through rural sections of eastern Illinois and then through the suburbs of Chicago to 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...
border east of Antioch. This is a distance of 428.99 miles (690.39 km). U.S. 45 is the longest numbered route in Illinois.
Champaign/Urbana
US 45 serves as the western boundary of the University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
campus. Entering downtown Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
as Neil Street, US 45 then goes east on Springfield Avenue, running concurrently with US 150. Farther east of downtown Champaign, it again serves as a boundary for the U of I
U of I
U of I is an abbreviation that can refer to any of these universities:in Austria* University of Innsbruckin Indonesia* University of Indonesiain Nigeria* University of Ibadanin the United States of America* University of Idaho...
campus. Following Wright Street, US 45 then moves east on University Avenue, forming the northern border of the University. This path continues to Cunningham Avenue in Urbana, Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area....
. US 45 then turns onto Cunningham Avenue northward towards 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...
.
Kankakee to Hickory Hills
US 45 overlaps US 52 at an intersection with Illinois 49 east of AshkumAshkum, Illinois
Ashkum is a village in Ashkum Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. The population was 724 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ashkum is located at ....
. US 45/52 intersects with Illinois Route 17
Illinois Route 17
Illinois Route 17 is a rural, arterial east–west state road that runs east from a former ferry crossing in New Boston along the banks of the Mississippi River to State Road 2 west of Lowell, Indiana. It is long.- Route description :...
in Kankakee and Illinois Route 102
Illinois Route 102
Illinois Route 102 is a state route in northeast Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 53 in Wilmington to the concurrency of U.S. Route 45 and U.S. Route 52 in Bradley, just north of Kankakee. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
in Bourbonnais
Bourbonnais, Illinois
Bourbonnais is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,256 at the 2000 census, but it was estimated to have grown to 19,119 in 2009...
. Just west of Peotone
Peotone, Illinois
Peotone is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,385 at the 2000 census. The city is about south of Chicago...
, US 52 takes a westward course, and US 45 heads north. From this point on until its intersection with Cermak Road/22nd Street
Cermak Road
Cermak Road, formerly 22nd Street, is a major east-west artery on Chicago's south side and western suburbs. It is named for assassinated Chicago mayor Anton Cermak.-Points of interest:...
in Westchester
Westchester, Illinois
Westchester is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a western suburb of Chicago. The population was 16,824 at the 2000 census. The current Village President is Sam D...
, US 45 is also known as La Grange Road.
In Frankfort
Frankfort, Illinois
Frankfort is a village in Will and Cook Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,782 at the 2010 census. According to Forbes.com, in 2007 the village ranked as the 36th fastest growing suburb in the United States. - Previous spelling :...
, US 45 intersects with US 30
U.S. Route 30 in Illinois
In the state of Illinois, U.S. Route 30 is an east–west arterial surface road in northern Illinois. It runs from across the Mississippi River from Clinton, Iowa to Lynwood at the Indiana state line. This is a distance of ....
. From that point on until its interchange with Archer Avenue/Illinois Route 171
Illinois Route 171
Illinois Route 171 is a north–south state road in northeastern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 6 in Joliet north to Illinois Route 72 at the Chicago/Park Ridge border...
, US 45/La Grange Road is also known as 96th Avenue (9600 W in Chicago's street grid, 96 blocks and 12 miles (19.3 km) west of State Street
State Street (Chicago)
State Street is a large south-north street in Chicago, Illinois, USA and its south suburbs. It begins on the Near North Side at North Avenue. For much of its course, it lies between Wabash Avenue on the east and Dearborn Street/Lafayette Avenue on the west...
). During this stretch it intersects with Interstate 80
Interstate 80 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 80 is an Interstate Highway that runs from the Quad Cities east to south of Chicago. It is a main east–west route for trafficcoming and going through Illinois, especially for cross-country truckers....
and US 6
U.S. Route 6 in Illinois
In the state of Illinois, U.S. Route 6 is an east–west arterial surface road that runs from the city of Moline in the Quad Cities area to Lansing at the Indiana state line. This is a distance of approximately .-Quad Cities to LaSalle–Peru:...
/159th Street in Orland Park. It also intersects Illinois Route 83
Illinois Route 83
Illinois Route 83 is a major north–south state road in northeast Illinois. It stretches from U.S. Highway 30 by Lynwood and Dyer, Indiana north to the Wisconsin border by Antioch at Highway 83. Incidentally, this alignment is concentric with Interstate 294...
(Calumet Sag Road) for the first time in Palos Hills
Palos Hills, Illinois
Palos Hills is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago. The population was 17,665 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Moraine Valley Community College as well as Amos Alonzo Stagg High School.-Geography:...
, just south of the Cal-Sag Channel
Calumet River
The Calumet River refers to a system of heavily industrialized rivers and canals in the region between the neighborhood of South Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, and the city of Gary, Indiana.-Background:...
.
Starting at 95th Street
95th Street (Chicago)
95th Street is a major east–west street on Chicago's South Side and in the southwest suburbs, designated as 9500 South in Chicago's address system. 95th Street is south of Madison Street.-Route:...
near Hickory Hills
Hickory Hills, Illinois
Hickory Hills is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,926 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hickory Hills is located at ....
, US 45 becomes concurrent US 12
U.S. Route 12 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, U.S. Route 12 is an arterial highway that runs northwest to southeast through the Chicago metropolitan area. It runs from the Wisconsin border north of Richmond to the Indiana border at Chicago with U.S. Routes 12 and 41, also at the foot of an onramp to the Indiana...
and US 20
U.S. Route 20 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, U.S. Route 20 is a major arterial highway that runs from the Iowa state line at East Dubuque at the northwestern tip of Illinois, to the Indiana state line at Chicago south of the Chicago Skyway. A distance of .For its entire length, US 20 is designated as the...
. Two miles further north, at Archer, the road loses its 96th Avenue designation; this is due to the road entering suburbs that do not use Chicago's address system, and that most of its alignment north of Archer would be at 10000 W anyway, if the address system extended to these suburbs.
Hickory Hills to O'Hare International Airport
The concurrent US 12/20/45, past 87th Street, briefly becomes a 4-lane freeway as it intersects with Illinois Route 171Illinois Route 171
Illinois Route 171 is a north–south state road in northeastern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 6 in Joliet north to Illinois Route 72 at the Chicago/Park Ridge border...
(Archer Avenue) in Justice
Justice, Illinois
Justice is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States established in 1911. The population was 12,850 as of 2006.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.A major road running through the town is...
and Interstate 55
Interstate 55 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 55 is a major north–south Interstate Highway that connects the St. Louis, Missouri and Chicago metropolitan areas. It runs from the Poplar Street Bridge in East St. Louis to U.S. Route 41 near downtown Chicago...
(The Stevenson Expressway
Stevenson Expressway
The Stevenson Expressway is the major Interstate highway leading southwest out of the city of Chicago in Illinois. It is signed as Interstate 55 for the entire length....
) in Hodgkins
Hodgkins, Illinois
Hodgkins is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,134 at the 2000 census.A large United Parcel Service sorting facility, known as CACH, is located partly in Hodgkins and partly in nearby Willow Springs on the outskirts of Chicago...
(along with Interstate 294
Interstate 294
Interstate 294 is a tolled Interstate Highway in northeastern Illinois, U.S.A.. It forms the southern portion of the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois. I-294 runs from South Holland at Interstates 80 and 94, and Illinois Route 394 to Northbrook at I-94. Interstate 294 is long; are shared with I-80....
, which it has no interchanges with.) North of Interstate 55, US 12/20/45 becomes a regular 4-lane highway before itintersects with the former US 66
U.S. Route 66 in Illinois
U.S. Route 66 connected St. Louis, Missouri and Chicago, Illinois. The highway had previously been Illinois Route 4 and the road has now been largely replaced with Interstate 55 . Parts of the road still carry traffic and sixseparate portions of the roadbed have been listed on the U.S...
at Joliet Road in Countryside
Countryside, Illinois
Countryside is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,991 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Countryside is located at ....
.
In Downtown La Grange
La Grange, Illinois
La Grange, a suburb of Chicago, is a village in Cook County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 15,608 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, US 12/20/45 intersects the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
railroad tracks and intersects with US 34 (Ogden Avenue), possibly the only intersection of 4 separate US routes in Illinois.
Following the intersection with US 34, US 12/20/45 passes through La Grange Park (as La Grange Road,) moving in a slight northwesternly direction. After passing over Salt Creek
Salt Creek (Des Plaines River Tributary)
Salt Creek is a stream in northeastern Illinois. It is an important tributary of the Des Plaines River, part of the Illinois River and ultimately the Mississippi River watersheds...
, US 12/20/45 intersects with Cermak Road/22nd Street in Westchester
Westchester, Illinois
Westchester is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a western suburb of Chicago. The population was 16,824 at the 2000 census. The current Village President is Sam D...
and is known as Mannheim Road
Mannheim Road
Mannheim Road is a north–south major thoroughfare in the near-western suburbs of Chicago. It carries U.S. Routes 12 and 45 between Des Plaines and La Grange and carries U.S. Route 20 between Lake Street and LaGrange. In LaGrange and points to the south, it is known as LaGrange Road...
north of this intersection. Mannheim Road, as US 12/20/45 serves as the Eastern starting point for Illinois Route 38 (Roosevelt Road) in Hillside
Hillside, Illinois
Hillside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,155 at the 2000 census.One notable landmark in Hillside is the Mount Carmel Cemetery. On the grounds of the cemetery are the graves of a number of organized crime figures, such as Al Capone and Dion O'Bannion...
, has a full interchange with Interstate 290
Interstate 290 (Illinois)
Interstate 290 is a main Interstate freeway that runs westwards from the Chicago Loop. A portion of I-290 is officially called the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway. In short form, it is known as "the Ike" or the Eisenhower...
, also in Hillside, and serves as the Eastern starting point for Illinois Route 56
Illinois Route 56
Illinois Route 56 is an east–west state road in northern and northeastern Illinois. It runs from the interchange of Illinois Route 47 at U.S. Route 30 in Sugar Grove east to US 12/US 20/US 45 by Bellwood...
(briefly Washington Boulevard in Bellwood, before becoming Butterfield Road.)
After passing over a Union Pacific rail yard, US 45 becomes concurrent with only US 12 in Melrose Park as US 20 breaks off at Lake Street there. US 12 and US 45 remain concurrent on Mannheim Road, passing Interstate 294 again without an interchange, but, after passing Illinois Route 19 (Irving Park Road,) has a full interchange with 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...
, which leads directly to O'Hare International 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...
or Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 90 runs roughly northwest through the northern end of the state, from the Indiana border to Wisconsin. I-90 traverses a variety of settings, from farmland west of the Fox River Valley to medium-density suburban west of O'Hare International Airport, to the...
East (into Chicago.)
O'Hare International Airport to Antioch
Past O'Hare airport, US 12/45 intersects with Illinois Route 72Illinois Route 72
Illinois Route 72 is an east–west state road in northeastern Illinois. It runs from the intersection with Illinois Route 73 north of Lanark east to Illinois Route 43 in Chicago...
in Illinois
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...
, and continues along Mannheim Road in Des Plaines. Mannheim Road ends and feeds into Lee Street at the end of an S-curve. The northbound and southbound routes are split in downtown Des Plaines between Lee Street (West 12/North 45) and Graceland Avenue (East 12/South 45). During this time, US 12/45 intersects with US 14
U.S. Route 14 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, U.S. Route 14 is a major arterial that runs southeast from the Wisconsin state line north of Harvard, Illinois to the north side of Chicago at U.S. Route 41....
(Miner Street) at two separate points, due to the separation of their directions.
Just north of US 14, US 12/45 are reunited in both directions on Lee Street, only to be separated as US 12 diverges onto Rand Road and US 45 becomes Des Plaines River Road in a complicated intersection on the north side of Des Plaines, just south of Illinois Route 58
Illinois Route 58
Illinois Route 58 is a state highway in northeast Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 25 in Elgin east to U.S. Route 41 in Skokie...
.
US 45 continues along Des Plaines River Road, intersecting with Illinois 58 in Des Plaines, and eventually becomes concurrent with Illinois Route 21
Illinois Route 21
Illinois Route 21 is an arterial north–south state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 43 in Niles to U.S. Route 41 north of Gurnee. Illinois 21 is 28.13 miles long....
, Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
, in Prospect Heights
Prospect Heights, Illinois
Prospect Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, which is a suburb of Chicago. The population was 17,081 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Prospect Heights is located at ....
, until Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire, Illinois
Lincolnshire is a village in the Vernon Township region of Lake County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The village is a suburb of Chicago, a city in the adjacent Cook County. Its population was 6,108 at the time of the 2000 census. Lincolnshire was incorporated on August 5, 1957, from the...
(just north of Illinois Route 22
Illinois Route 22
Illinois Route 22, also known as Half Day Road for part of its length, is an east–west state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 14 in Fox River Grove to U.S. Route 41 in Highland Park...
) where US 45 takes a northwest route.
US 45 also intersects with Illinois Route 83
Illinois Route 83
Illinois Route 83 is a major north–south state road in northeast Illinois. It stretches from U.S. Highway 30 by Lynwood and Dyer, Indiana north to the Wisconsin border by Antioch at Highway 83. Incidentally, this alignment is concentric with Interstate 294...
just south of Mundelein (where they exchange routes, as IL 83 goes northwest, and US 45 continues north), Illinois Route 60
Illinois Route 60
Illinois Route 60 is an east–west state highway in Lake County, in northeastern Illinois. It connects the village of Volo at Illinois Route 120 just east of Illinois Route 59 with the village of Lake Forest at U.S. Highway 41...
in Mundelein, Illinois Route 137
Illinois Route 137
Illinois Route 137 is a state highway in northeast Illinois. It runs from the Wisconsin Border north of Winthrop Harbor south to North Chicago, west to Libertyville, and then back northwest to Grayslake, terminating at Illinois Route 83 just south of Illinois Route 120...
in Libertyville
Libertyville, Illinois
Libertyville is an affluent northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located west of Lake Michigan on the Des Plaines River. The 2000 census population was 20,742; the 2005 estimate was 21,760...
, Illinois Route 120
Illinois Route 120
Illinois Route 120 is a major east–west state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 14 near Woodstock to Illinois Route 131 in Waukegan. It travels a distance of and is one of the few roads that provides direct access from McHenry County to Interstate 94 in Lake County...
in Grayslake
Grayslake, Illinois
Grayslake is a village in Lake County in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area, about north of Chicago’s downtown, west of Lake Michigan, and south of the Wisconsin border....
, and Illinois Route 173
Illinois Route 173
Illinois Route 173 is an east–west state road that runs from Illinois Route 251 in the Rockford suburb of Machesney Park east to Illinois Route 137 in Zion near the Illinois-Wisconsin border; this is a distance of . Illinois Route 173 is also one of the northernmost east-west state highways...
just south of the Wisconsin border.