Illinois Route 26

Illinois Route 26 (IL 26) is a north–south state road in central and north-central Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 116 just north of East Peoria to Highway 69 at the Wisconsin border near Orangeville. This is a distance of 139.35 miles (224.26 km).[1]

Illinois Route 26
IL 26 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by IDOT
Length	139.35 mi[1] (224.26 km)
Existed	November 5, 1918[2]–present
Major junctions
South end	IL 116 in East Peoria
	I-180 / IL 71 in Hennepin I-180 in Princeton I-180 in Princeton US 6 / US 34 in Princeton I-80 in Princeton US 30 near Dixon I-88 / IL 110 (CKC) in Dixon US 52 in Dixon US 52 near Polo US 20 in Freeport
North end	WIS 69 in Orangeville
Location
Counties	Tazewell, Woodford, Marshall, Putnam, Bureau, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson
Highway system
Illinois State Highway System Interstate U.S. State Tollways ← IL 25 → IL 29

Route description

Illinois 26 is a two-lane, undivided surface road for the majority of its length. Its southern terminus is just one mile (1.6 km) north of the McClugage Bridge carrying U.S. Route 150 into Peoria.

Illinois 26 mostly follows the east bank of the Illinois River until it crosses the river at Hennepin. It runs concurrent with Illinois Route 29, its Illinois River west bank counterpart, at Bureau and with U.S. Route 52 near Freeport.

History

SBI Route 26 originally ran from Freeport to Polo, on part of current IL-26. In 1937, IL-26 was extended from Freeport to the WI state line, in place of IL-74, and extended from Polo to Bureau along US-52 to Dixon, and replacing IL-89 from Dixon to Bureau. In 1969, it was extended south to East Peoria replacing IL-87.

In northern Stephenson County, IL 26 originally ran through downtown Orangeville and the unincorporated community of Oneco. In 1990, it was rerouted onto a new at-grade bypass around the village, decreasing travel time.

IL-26 was rerouted onto the nearby I-180 bridge over the Illinois River near Hennepin during the 1990s. The older IL-26 bridge, half a mile south of I-180, was removed after 1999. the old approaches are now local roads, used mainly as access to riverside industries on both banks.

Major intersections

County	Location	mi[3]	km	Destinations	Notes
Tazewell	​	0.0	0.0	IL 116 / Illinois River Road south	South end of Illinois River Road overlap
Marshall	Lacon	24.7	39.8	IL 17 (Fifth Street) – Wyoming, Wenona, Business District
	​	31.1	50.1	IL 18 west – Henry	South end of IL 18 overlap
Putnam	​	31.7	51.0	IL 18 east – Streator	North end of IL 18 overlap
	Hennepin	43.0	69.2	IL 71 east / Illinois River Road north – Granville	Interchange; north end of Illinois River Road overlap; south end of I-180 overlap
Bureau	​	45.5	73.2	I-180 north – Princeton	Interchange; north end of I-180 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
	​	46.5	74.8	IL 29 south – Peoria	South end of IL 29 overlap
	Bureau Junction	47.6	76.6	IL 29 north – Spring Valley	North end of IL 29 overlap
	​	49.9	80.3	I-180 to I-80 – Hennepin	Interchange
	Princeton	55.1	88.7	US 6 east (Peru Street) – Peru	South end of US 6 overlap
		55.8	89.8	US 6 west / US 34 west (Peru Street) / Main Street – Wyanet, Kewanee, Tiskilwa	North end of US 6 overlap; south end of US 34 overlap
		56.7	91.2	US 34 east (Elm Place)	North end of US 34 overlap
		57.8	93.0	I-80 – Moline, Rock Island, Joliet	I-80 exit 56
	Ohio	68.5	110.2	IL 92 (Green River Road) – Walnut, Mendota
Lee	​	82.7	133.1	US 30 – Morrison, Aurora
	Dixon	87.2	140.3	I-88 / IL 110 (CKC) (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway) – Chicago, Moline	I-88 exit 54
		88.4	142.3	US 52 east / Lincoln Highway east (7th Street) to IL 38 – Rochelle, Mendota, Airport	South end of US 52 / Lincoln Highway overlap
		88.8	142.9	IL 2 north (2nd Street) – Rockford	South end of IL 2 overlap
		89.2	143.6	IL 2 south / Lincoln Highway west (Everett Street) – Sterling	North end of IL 2 / Lincoln Highway overlap
Ogle	​	103.0	165.8	US 52 west – Savanna	North end of US 52 overlap
	​	106.1	170.8	IL 64 east – Mount Morris, Oregon	South end of IL 64 overlap
	​	106.5	171.4	IL 64 west – Savanna	North end of IL 64 overlap
	Forreston	111.7	179.8	IL 72 east (Walnut Avenue) – Byron	South end of IL 72 overlap
	​	115.8	186.4	IL 72 west – Shannon	North end of IL 72 overlap
Stephenson	Freeport	125.5	202.0	IL 75 east (West Douglas Street) – Rockton
		125.7	202.3	US 20 Bus. (Galena Avenue)
		127.2	204.7	US 20 (Freeport Bypass) – Galena, Rockford	Interchange
	​	139.35	224.26	WIS 69 north – Monroe	Wisconsin state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

References

1. Illinois Technology Transfer Center (2007). "T2 GIS Data". Retrieved 2007-11-08.
2. Carlson, Rick. Illinois State Highways Page: Routes 21 thru 40. Last updated March 15, 2006. Retrieved March 22, 2006.
3. Google Maps,

External links

• Illinois Highway Ends: Illinois Route 26