Skokie Highway

Skokie Highway
Route information
Maintained by IDOT
Length: 35.0 mi[2] (56.3 km)
Existed: 1931[1] – present
Major junctions
South end: US 41/ILL 50 in Skokie
North end: I-94/US 41 in Wadsworth
Location
Counties: Cook, Lake
Highway system

United States Numbered Highways
List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced

Illinois state highway system
Illinois Tollway system

The Skokie Highway is a major arterial highway running north of Chicago through the far northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Illinois. It runs from the intersection of Illinois Route 50 in Skokie north to the Wisconsin state line at Interstate 94 near Wadsworth. All of the Skokie Highway is marked as U.S. Route 41. It parallels the Skokie River for its entire length and is named for that river and surrounding lagoons, not the village of Skokie.[3]

Construction of the highway commenced in 1931 to provide a more convenient method of travel in Lake County, Illinois, which previously depended on Sheridan Road.[4]

Route description

The Skokie Highway begins at the angled intersection of Cicero Avenue (Illinois Route 50), Howard Street and Lincoln Avenue (U.S. 41) southeast of downtown Skokie. It then runs north to the Edens Plaza Shopping Center in Wilmette before turning northwest slightly and merging onto the Edens Expressway (I-94). The two run together for about 4 miles (6 km) before I-94 splits west and joins the Tri-State Tollway. U.S. 41 continues north as a limited access freeway, having exits at Lake-Cook Road, Clavey Road, a subdivision, and Central Avenue/Deerfield Road. At Park Avenue West, it becomes a 4-lane divided surface road.

The Skokie Highway continues north mainly as a 4-lane divided highway, with some interchanges and some intersections with traffic signals, usually with other state highways or arterial routes into the adjoining municipalities. It closely parallels the Tri-State Tollway, which is located to the west, and was constructed after the Skokie Highway.

Portions of Skokie Highway or the local road paralleling the Edens Expressway are also known as Skokie Road in Wilmette, Skokie Boulevard in Skokie and Northbrook, and Skokie Valley Road in Highland Park.

Major intersections

County Location Mile[2] Junction Notes
US 41 continues southeast onto Lincoln Avenue
Cook Skokie 0.0 IL 50
1.6 IL 58
Wilmette 5.0 I-94 Beginning of concurrency with I-94
See Interstate 94 in Illinois for exits on the concurrency with Interstate 94
Northbrook 9.0 I-94 End of concurrency with I-94
Skokie Highway continues north as a freeway
Cook and Lake Northbrook and Highland Park 9.9 Lake Cook Road
Lake Highland Park 10.5 Clavey Road
12.1 Deerfield Road Last exit on freeway portion of Skokie Highway
13.6 IL 22
Lake Forest 16.8 IL 60
Lake Bluff 19.6 IL 176
North Chicago 21.7 IL 137
Park City 24.5 IL 120
25.0 IL 43
Gurnee 26.1 IL 132
27.2 IL 21
Wadsworth 32.7 IL 173
35.0 I-94
US 41 continues north onto Interstate 94

References

  1. ^ Chicago Historical Society (2005). "Lake Forest, IL". Encyclopedia of Chicago. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/709.html. Retrieved 2007-03-06. 
  2. ^ a b Google, Inc. Google Maps – Overview map of Skokie Highway Distances Between Interchanges (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Skokie+Blvd&daddr=Skokie+Blvd+to:42.05021,-87.74681+to:42.08097,-87.7549431+to:I-94+W+to:US-41+N+to:US-41+N+to:US-41+N+to:US-41+N+to:Skokie+Valley+Rd+to:US-41+N+to:US-41+N+to:US-41+N+to:US-41+N+to:US-41+N+to:US-41+N+to:US-41+N%2FSkokie+Hwy+to:US-41+N+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&geocode=FWAmgQIdZBPF-g%3BFdZ9gQIdNBbF-g%3BFaKigQIdBhfF-in9yQ_LZM8PiDHx1DMFffLFHA%3BFcoaggIdQffE-inreLMlv8UPiDHkCiJX4eR8Kg%3BFYw3ggIdq-bE-g%3BFUgEgwIdrmzE-g%3BFW0ygwIde0zE-g%3BFdNOgwIdLjDE-g%3BFceggwIdh__D-g%3BFajqgwIddMjD-g%3BFXSHhAIdUlTD-g%3BFaMihQIdyDPD-g%3BFRaUhQIdkBvD-g%3BFYEthgIdQN_C-g%3BFVRGhgIdBtjC-g%3BFY-GhgIdmdDC-g%3BFX7QhgIdRGPC-g%3BFW74hwIdOAvC-g%3BFbA4iAIdEAvC-g&mra=mr&via=2,3&sll=42.365901,-87.88187&sspn=0.036782,0.077162&ie=UTF8&ll=42.261049,-87.655792&spn=0.589487,1.234589&t=h&z=10. Retrieved 2011-3-10. 
  3. ^ Carlson, Rick (2007-02-07). "Illinois Highways Page: Routes 41 thru 60". http://www.n9jig.com/41-60.html. Retrieved 2007-03-06. 
  4. ^ Chicago Historical Society (2004). "Lake County, IL". Encyclopedia of Chicago. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/706.html. Retrieved 2007-07-28.