Illinois Route 23

Illinois Route 23 marker

Illinois Route 23
Route information
Maintained by IDOT
Length: 126.17 mi[1] (203.05 km)
Existed: 1918[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: IL 116 in Pontiac
  I-55 in Pontiac
US 6 / IL 71 in Ottawa
I-80 in Ottawa
US 52 in Serena
US 34 in Leland
US 30 in Waterman
US 20 in Marengo
North end: US 14 in Harvard
Location
Counties: Livingston, LaSalle, DeKalb, McHenry
Highway system
IL 22I-24

Illinois Route 23 is a northsouth state highway in northern Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 116 in Pontiac north to U.S. Route 14 south of Harvard. This is a distance of 126.17 miles (203.05 km).[1]

Route description

Illinois 23 is a major arterial route in rural central and north-central Illinois. It is a parallel to the Interstate 39/U.S. Route 51 combination approximately 20 miles (32 km) to the west.

The road starts near downtown Pontiac and runs as the main highway north, intersecting with Interstate 55 and former U.S. Route 66. It is a two lane highway at this point. Illinois 23 then turns west and runs through Cornell, and turns back north to travel through the middle of Streator. At Ottawa, the road grows to six lanes (across two different roads) when concurrent with Illinois Route 71—Illinois 71 joins with it to cross the Illinois River.

North of Ottawa, Illinois 23 has a full diamond interchange with Interstate 80. This is the last full interchange Illinois 23 has south of its terminus at Harvard. Illinois 23 has two additional concurrencies with U.S. Route 34 and U.S. Route 52, though no notable cities are present between Ottawa and DeKalb. Illinois 23 runs under Interstate 88 with no intersection, though access is available via Fairview Drive to two parallel roads with interchanges (Peace Road and Annie Glidden Road). Between DeKalb and Sycamore, Illinois 23 has four lanes. In Sycamore, Illinois 23 briefly overlaps Illinois Route 64. After one final concurrency at Illinois Route 72 near Genoa, Illinois 23 travels over Interstate 90 with no intersection and no nearby access. The closest way is via U.S. Route 20, and if you are destined to Chicago, turn east. Rockford-Madison, turn west. It runs through Marengo and terminates south of Harvard at U.S. Route 14.

History

Illinois 23 was established in 1918 as one of the original 46 SBI routes. The routing of Illinois 23 has not changed since its establishment.

Future

Although Route 23 crosses over I-90, there is no exit. Future plans include creating an exit that would open up a faster route to Marengo and Genoa.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
LivingstonPontiac IL 116 (Howard Street) / Historic US 66 southSouth end of Historic US 66 overlap
Historic US 66 northNorth end of Historic US 66 overlap
  I-55 Joliet, Bloomington
  IL 170 north
  IL 17
La SalleStreator IL 18 (Bridge Street, Main Street)
Ottawa IL 71 west (Hitt Street)South end of IL 71 overlap
Illinois RiverOttawa Bridge
Ottawa US 6 / IL 71 east (Norris Drive)
I-80 Joliet, Moline, Rock Island
  US 52 west (North 37th Road)South end of US 52 overlap
  US 52 east (North 38th Road)North end of US 52 overlap
  US 34 west (Walter Payton Memorial Highway)South end of US 34 overlap
  US 34 east (Walter Payton Memorial Highway)North end of US 34 overlap
DeKalbWaterman US 30 (Lincoln Street)
DeKalb IL 38 (Lincoln Highway)
Sycamore IL 64 (State Street)
Genoa IL 72 west (Main Street)South end of IL 72 overlap
  IL 72 eastNorth end of IL 72 overlap
McHenryMarengo US 20 (General Grant Highway)
IL 176 (Telegraph Street)
Harvard US 14 (Division Street)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Notes

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Illinois Technology Transfer Center (2007). "T2 GIS Data". Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  2. Carlson, Rick. Illinois Highways Page: Interstates in Illinois. Last known update March 15, 2006. Retrieved March 21, 2006.

External links