Illinois Route 2
Route information | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Maintained by IDOT | ||||
Length | 73.91 mi[1] (118.95 km) | |||
Existed | November 5, 1918[2]–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | IL 40 in Sterling | |||
US 52 / IL 26 in Dixon US 20 in Rockford | ||||
North end | WIS 213 at South Beloit | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Illinois | |||
Counties | Whiteside, Lee, Ogle, Winnebago | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Illinois Route 2 (IL 2) is a north–south state road in northern Illinois. It currently starts at Illinois Route 40 in Sterling and ends at the Wisconsin state line in South Beloit, very near the intersection with U.S. Route 51, Illinois Route 75 and Illinois Route 251.[3] Illinois 2 is 73.91 miles (118.95 km) long.[1]
Route description
Illinois 2 follows the Rock River from Rock Island to South Beloit. It was used in the 19th century as a primary trading route from Rockford to Rock Island, The Rock River was not used as a trading route for boats as it is only navigable west of Rock Falls.
Illinois 2 has since been superseded by Interstate 39 and Interstate 88 for most ground transportation, but the original route remains.
History
SBI Route 2 originally ran from South Beloit to Cairo. Part of the roadway followed part of current IL 2 from South Beloit to Dixon. It then followed south on (roughly) present-day US 52, IL 251, and US 51.[4] In 1935, US 51 supplanted IL 2 south of Mendota.[5] With the appearance of US 52 in 1936, IL 2 was removed south of Dixon.[6] Then, in 1938, IL 2 was briefly extended to Muscatine, Iowa, replacing IL 84 and IL 86 in the process.[7] It soon got cut back to Rock Island in 1939 after IL 92 was extended to Muscatine.[8][9] By the late 1970s, IL 2 was removed west of Sterling as Illinois Route 5 (now I-88 east of I-80) was extended to Rock Island.[10]
Blue Star Memorial Highway
Illinois 2 was designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway on November 4, 1970. The sign can be found in a wayside just west of the Winnebago County line in Ogle County along the Rock River.
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Major intersections
County | Location | mi[1][11] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whiteside | Sterling | 0.0 | 0.0 | IL 40 south (Locust Street) to I-88 / US 30 | |
IL 40 north / Lincoln Highway west (1st Avenue) | South end of Lincoln Highway overlap | ||||
Freeport Road - Polo | State maintained (outside Sterling) | ||||
| Lincoln Highway east (Prairieville-Palmyra Road) – Prairieville, Gap Grove | North end of Lincoln Highway overlap; state maintained | |||
Lee | | Lincoln Highway west (Palmyra Road) – Gap Grove, Prairieville | South end of Lincoln Highway overlap; state maintained | ||
Dixon | 12.3 | 19.8 | US 52 west / IL 26 north (Galena Avenue) – Savanna, Freeport | South end of US 52 / IL 26 overlap | |
12.7 | 20.4 | US 52 east / IL 26 south / Lincoln Highway east (Galena Avenue) – Mendota, Princeton | North end of US 52 / IL 26 / Lincoln Highway overlap | ||
Ogle | Oregon | 28.6 | 46.0 | IL 64 (Washington Street) | |
| 37.9 | 61.0 | IL 72 west – Leaf River, Forreston | South end of IL 72 overlap | |
Byron | 39.2 | 63.1 | IL 72 east (Union Street) – Genoa | North end of IL 72 overlap | |
Winnebago | | 50.6 | 81.4 | US 20 to I-39 / I-90 Toll – Freeport, Belvidere | Interchange |
Rockford | US 20 Bus. east (Chestnut Street) to I-90 – Belvidere | One-block overlap with US 20 Bus. east, northbound only | |||
US 20 Bus. west (Jefferson Street) – Freeport | |||||
Rockton | 69.1 | 111.2 | IL 75 west (Blackhawk Boulevard) | South end of IL 75 overlap | |
South Beloit | 71.4 | 114.9 | IL 75 east (Gardner Street) to I-39 / I-90 / US 51 | North end of IL 75 overlap | |
71.6 | 115.2 | WIS 213 north – Beloit | Wisconsin state line | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b c Illinois Technology Transfer Center (2007). "T2 GIS Data". Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ Carlson, Rick. Illinois State Highways Page: Routes 1 thru 20. Last updated March 15, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2006.
- ^ Illinois Highway Ends. Illinois 2 Archived 2012-03-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 2, 2006.
- ^ Illinois Secretary of State; H.M. Gousha (1928). Illinois Official Auto Road Map (Map). [c. 1:950,000 and c. 1:1,110,000]. Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State – via Illinois Digital Archives.
- ^ Illinois Secretary of State; H.M. Gousha (1935). Official Road Map Illinois (Map). [c. 1:950,000 and c. 1:1,110,000]. Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State – via Illinois Digital Archives.
- ^ Illinois Secretary of State; Rand McNally (1936). Road Map Illinois (Map). [c. 1:950,000 and c. 1:1,110,000]. Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State – via Illinois Digital Archives.
- ^ Iowa State Highway Commission (1938). State of Iowa Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Ames: Iowa State Highway Commission. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- ^ Illinois Secretary of State; Rand McNally (1939). Illinois Road Map (Map) (1939–1940 ed.). c. 1:918,720. Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State – via Illinois Digital Archives.
- ^ Iowa State Highway Commission (1939). State of Iowa Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Ames: Iowa State Highway Commission. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- ^ Illinois Department of Transportation (1979). Illinois Highway Map (Map). [1:772,500]. Springfield: Illinois Department of Transportation – via Illinois Digital Archives.
- ^ Google Maps estimate