U.S. Route 51 in Illinois

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 51 in Illinois. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 51.

U.S. Route 51 marker U.S. Route 51
US 51 highlighted in red, former alignment in blue
Route information
Maintained by IDOT and ISTHA
Length	415.95 mi (669.41 km) Length may include both directions of route where it is routed along one-way streets.
Existed	1926–present
Major junctions
South end	File:US 51.svgFile:US 60.svgFile:US 62.svg US 51 / US 60 / US 62 near Wickliffe, KY
Major intersections	File:I-57.svgFile:Illinois 3.svg I-57 / IL 3 near Cairo File:I-64.svg I-64 near Richview File:I-70.svg I-70 at Vandalia File:I-72.svg I-72 at Decatur File:I-55.svgFile:I-74.svg I-55 / I-74 at Bloomington File:I-39.svgFile:I-55.svg I-39 / I-55 at Normal File:I-80.svg I-80 at LaSalle File:Toll plate yellow.svg File:I-88.svgFile:Chicago-Kansas City Expressway plate.svg File:Illinois 110.svg I-88 Toll / IL 110 (CKC) at Rochelle File:Toll plate yellow.svg File:I-90.svg I-90 Toll at Cherry Valley File:I-39.svgFile:I-90.svg I-39 / I-90 at South Beloit
North end	File:US 51 (WI).svg US 51 at the Wisconsin state line in South Beloit
Location
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Counties	Alexander, Pulaski, Union, Jackson, Perry, Washington, Jefferson, Marion, Fayette, Shelby, Christian, Macon, DeWitt, McLean, Woodford, Marshall, LaSalle, Lee, Ogle, Winnebago
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Illinois State Highway System Interstate US State Tollways Scenic
← IL 50 → US 52

U.S. Route 51 (US 51) in the U.S. state of Illinois, is a main north–south artery that runs from the Ohio River north to the Wisconsin border, a distance of 415.95 miles (669.41 km).

Route description

File:Cairobridge.jpg

Southbound US 51 approaching Cairo

US 51 enters Illinois from Kentucky at Cairo, Illinois. The highway heads northbound to Mounds, near Cairo, and begins to overlap Interstate 57 (I-57), following it for 24 miles (39 km) to Dongola, before splitting and heading north. The highway remains two lanes wide from Dongola to Assumption with the exception of a 10-mile (16 km) section between Centralia and I-64. Past Assumption, US 51 becomes an expressway to Decatur. In Decatur, US 51 follows I-72 to bypass the city. US 51 leaves I-72 after eight miles (13 km), and it heads north to Bloomington–Normal as an expressway. At Bloomington–Normal, US 51 follows I-74 for a mile, then I-55 for seven miles (11 km), before following I-39 for 140 miles (230 km). US 51 follows I-39, intersecting I-80 and I-88 along the way. The highway also follows US 20 south of Rockford (while still following I-39). I-39/US-51 join I-90, making US 51 one of the few toll highways in Illinois that is a U.S. Highway. US 51 exits I-39/I-90 just a mile south of the Wisconsin state line. Then US 51 follows Illinois Route 75 (IL 75) west to the intersection of IL 251, and then turns north through South Beloit, Illinois to enter Wisconsin.

History

US 51 was established in Illinois in the 1920s. Over the years, it became a heavily traveled highway, often experiencing many accidents, particularly in the northern half of the state. This highway gained the moniker of "Killer 51". As a result of these problems, Illinois pushed for a new four lane highway along the corridor. One was proposed in the 1960s and 1970s as part of a proposed supplemental freeway system, but only the area between Rockford and Decatur was given a high priority. In the 1980s and early 1990s, US 51 was rebuilt to Interstate standards between Rockford and Bloomington–Normal on a new alignment. This new highway became Interstate 39, and US 51 was rerouted onto it. In addition, north of Rockford, US 51 was rerouted onto the existing I-90 segment between South Beloit and Cherry Valley. Most of the old highway became IL 251. South of Bloomington–Normal to Decatur, US 51 remained largely on the original alignment, and it was expanded to an expressway. In the 2000s, the expressway was continued southward from Decatur to Assumption, Illinois.

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Alexander	Cairo	0.0	0.0		File:South plate.svg File:US 51.svgFile:East plate.svg File:US 60.svgFile:East plate.svg File:US 62.svg US 51 south / US 60 east / US 62 east – Wickliffe	Continuation into Kentucky
		0.2	0.32		File:West plate.svg File:US 60.svgFile:West plate.svg File:US 62.svgFile:To plate blue.svg File:South plate blue.svg File:I-57.svg US 60 west / US 62 west to I-57 south – Charleston	Northern end of US 60/US 62 concurrency
		4.5	7.2		File:North plate.svg File:Illinois 37.svg IL 37 north – Mound City File:North plate.svg File:Illinois 3.svg IL 3 north	Southern end of IL 3 concurrency; southern termini of IL 3 and IL 37
		5.3	8.5	1	File:South plate blue.svg File:I-57.svgFile:North plate.svg File:Illinois 3.svg I-57 south / IL 3 north – Olive Branch, Sikeston, MO	Northern end of IL 3 concurrency; southern end of I-57 concurrency
Pulaski	​	11.4	18.3	8	Mounds Road
	​	21.4	34.4	18	Ullin Road
Union	Dongola	28.2	45.4	24	Dongola Road
		28.8	46.3	25	File:North plate blue.svg File:I-57.svg I-57 north – Chicago	Northern end of I-57 concurrency; Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Anna	36.0	57.9		File:Illinois 146.svg IL 146 – Jonesboro, Vienna
Jackson	Carbondale	55.0	88.5		File:Illinois 13.svg IL 13 – Murphysboro, Marion
	De Soto	61.3	98.7		File:Illinois 149.svg IL 149 – Murphysboro, Hurst
Perry	Du Quoin	72.4	116.5		File:East plate.svg File:Illinois 14.svg IL 14 east – Christopher	Western terminus of IL 14
		75.5	121.5		File:West plate.svg File:Illinois 152.svg IL 152 west – Pyatts	Eastern terminus of IL 152
	Sunfield	80.4	129.4		File:Illinois 154.svg IL 154 – Red Bud, Sesser
Washington	Ashley	98.0	157.7		File:West plate.svg File:Illinois 15.svg IL 15 west – East St. Louis	Western end of IL 15 concurrency
		100.9	162.4		File:East plate.svg File:Illinois 15.svg IL 15 east – Mount Vernon	Eastern end of IL 15 concurrency
	Richview	105.7	170.1		File:I-64.svg I-64 – Mount Vernon, East St. Louis	I-64 exit 61
	Irvington	109.6	176.4		File:West plate.svg File:Illinois 177.svg IL 177 west – Belleville	Western terminus of IL 177
Jefferson	No major junctions
Marion	Centralia	116.2	187.0		File:Illinois 161.svg IL 161 – New Baden, Kell
	Sandoval	122.7	197.5		File:West plate.svg File:US 50.svg US 50 west – Carlyle	Western end of US 50 concurrency
		123.0	197.9		File:East plate.svg File:US 50.svg US 50 east – Salem	Eastern end of US 50 concurrency
Fayette	Vandalia	146.9	236.4		File:East plate.svg File:US 40.svgFile:East plate.svg File:Illinois 185.svg US 40 east / IL 185 east – Bluff City	Eastern end of US 40/IL 185 concurrency
		148.5	239.0		File:West plate.svg File:US 40.svgFile:West plate.svg File:Illinois 185.svg US 40 west / IL 185 west – Taylor Springs, Mulberry Grove	Western end of US 40/IL 185 concurrency
		148.7	239.3		File:I-70.svg I-70 – Effingham, St. Louis	Exit 63 on I-70
Shelby	No major junctions
Christian	Pana	178.1	286.6		File:West plate.svg File:Illinois 16.svg IL 16 west – Hillsboro	Western end of IL 16 concurrency
		178.6	287.4		File:North plate.svg File:Illinois 29.svg IL 29 north – Taylorville	Southern terminus of IL 29
	​	180.2	290.0		File:East plate.svg File:Illinois 16.svg IL 16 east – Shelbyville	Eastern end of IL 16 concurrency
Shelby	No major junctions
Macon	​	207.3	333.6		Elwin, Mt Zion	Northbound exit, southbound entrance
		210	340		Decatur, Elwin, Mt Zion	Interchange
	​	211.2	339.9		File:Illinois 48.svg IL 48 – Taylorville, Decatur
	Harristown	214.7	345.5	133	File:West plate blue.svg File:I-72.svgFile:US 36.svg I-72 west / US 36 – Springfield, Decatur	Southern end of I-72 concurrency; signed as exits 133A (east) and 133B (south)
	Decatur	219.2	352.8	138	File:Illinois 121.svg IL 121 – Decatur, Lincoln
		222.2	357.6	141	File:East plate blue.svg File:I-72.svg I-72 east – Champaign, Urbana, Decatur	Northern end of I-72 concurrency
DeWitt	Clinton	237.9	382.9		File:North plate.svg File:Business plate.svg File:US 51.svg US 51 Bus. north – Clinton
		239.5	385.4		File:Illinois 54.svg IL 54 – Springfield, Clinton
		240.0	386.2		File:Illinois 10.svg IL 10 – Lincoln, Clinton
		242.0	389.5		File:South plate.svg File:Business plate.svg File:US 51.svg US 51 Bus. south – Clinton
McLean	Heyworth	251.9	405.4		File:US 136.svg US 136 – McLean, Rantoul
	​	260.5	419.2	135	File:Business plate.svg File:US 51.svg US 51 Bus. (Main Street) – Bloomington File:East plate blue.svg File:I-74.svg I-74 east – Champaign	Southern end of I-74 concurrency
	​	262.2	422.0	157A	File:South plate blue.svg File:I-55.svg I-55 south – St. Louis, Springfield	Southern end of I-55 concurrency
	Bloomington	262.4	422.3	157B	File:North plate green.svg File:Business Loop 55.svg I-55 BL north (Veterans Parkway)	Signed as exit 134B (north) southbound
		265.5	427.3	160	File:US 150.svgFile:Illinois 9.svg US 150 / IL 9 (Market Street) – Pekin
	​	269.1	433.1	163	File:West plate blue.svg File:I-74.svg I-74 west – Peoria	Northern end of I-74 concurrency
	​	270.3	435.0	—	File:North plate blue.svg File:I-55.svg I-55 north – Chicago File:North plate blue.svg File:I-39.svg I-39 north	Northern end of I-55 concurrency; southern end of I-39 concurrency; southern terminus of I-39; I-55 exit 154
	​	272.1	437.9	2	File:South plate.svg File:Business plate.svg File:US 51.svg US 51 Bus. south – Bloomington, Normal
	Hudson	275.2	442.9	5	File:CR 12 jct.svg CR 12 (Franklin Street) – Hudson
	​	278.3	447.9	8	File:North plate.svg File:Illinois 251.svgFile:CR 8 jct.svg IL 251 north / CR 8 (Lake Bloomington Road) – Kappa	Southern terminus of IL 251
Woodford	El Paso	284.9	458.5	14	File:US 24.svg US 24 – El Paso, Peoria
	Woodford	292.9	471.4	22	File:Illinois 116.svg IL 116 – Peoria, Pontiac
	Minonk	297.5	478.8	27	Minonk
Marshall	Wenona	305.6	491.8	35	File:Illinois 17.svg IL 17 – Lacon, Wenona
LaSalle	Lostant	312.2	502.4	41	File:Illinois 18.svg IL 18 – Henry, Streator
	Tonica	319.2	513.7	48	Tonica
	​	322.3	518.7	51	File:Illinois 71.svg IL 71 – Hennepin, Oglesby
	​	323.0	519.8	52	File:Illinois 251.svg IL 251 – Peru, LaSalle
	Oglesby	324.4	522.1	54	Oglesby
	Illinois River	326.5	525.5	Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge
	La Salle	327.3	526.7	57	File:US 6.svg US 6 – LaSalle, Peru, Ottawa
	​	329.6	530.4	59	File:I-80.svg I-80 – LaSalle, Peru, Chicago, Des Moines	Signed as exits 59A (east) and 59B (west); I-80 exit 79
	Troy Grove	336.8	542.0	66	File:US 52.svg US 52 – Troy Grove
	Mendota	342.7	551.5	72	File:US 34.svg US 34 – Mendota, Earlville
Lee	Paw Paw	353.1	568.3	82	Paw Paw
	​	357.9	576.0	87	File:US 30.svg US 30 – Sterling, Rock Falls, Aurora
	Steward	363.9	585.6	93	Steward
Ogle	Rochelle	368.0	592.2	97	File:Toll plate yellow.svg File:I-88.svgFile:Chicago-Kansas City Expressway plate.svg File:Illinois 110.svg I-88 Toll / IL 110 (CKC) (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway) – Moline, Rock Island, Chicago	Signed as exits 97A (east) and 97B (west); I-88 exit 78
		370.1	595.6	99	File:Illinois 38.svgFile:LincolnHighwayMarker.svg IL 38 / Lincoln Highway – DeKalb, Rochelle
	Lindenwood	375.1	603.7	104	File:Illinois 64.svg IL 64 – Sycamore, Oregon
	Monroe Center	381.6	614.1	111	File:Illinois 72.svg IL 72 – Genoa, Byron
Winnebago	​	386.1	621.4	115	Baxter Road
	Rockford	390.2	628.0		File:West plate.svg File:US 20.svg US 20 west (Rockford Bypass) – Freeport, Rockford	Southern end of US 20 concurrency
	Cherry Valley	392.7	632.0	122A	File:East plate.svg File:US 20.svg US 20 east – Belvidere	Northern end of US 20 concurrency
		392.7	632.0	122B	Harrison Avenue
		393.4	633.1		File:East plate blue.svg File:Toll plate yellow.svg File:I-90.svg I-90 Toll east (Jane Addams Memorial Tollway) – Chicago	Southern end of I-90 concurrency; I-39/US 51 uses I-90's exit numbers from here north; exit 17 on I-90
	Rockford	395.1	635.9	15	File:Business plate.svg File:US 20.svg US 20 Bus. (State Street)	Last free exit northbound
		398.4	641.2	12	Riverside Boulevard	Toll on northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Machesney Park	401.9	646.8	9	File:Illinois 173.svg IL 173 (West Lane Road) – Machesney Park	Toll on northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Rockton	407.3	655.5	South Beloit Toll Plaza
	South Beloit	408.1	656.8	3	File:CR 9 jct.svg CR 9 (Rockton Road)	Last free exit southbound
		414.0	666.3	1	File:North plate blue.svg File:I-39.svgFile:West plate blue.svg File:I-90.svg I-39 north / I-90 west – Madison File:East plate.svg File:Illinois 75.svg IL 75 east (Manchester Road)	Northern end of I-39/I-90 concurrency; southern end of IL 75 concurrency
		415.6	668.8		File:West plate.svg File:Illinois 75.svgFile:South plate.svg File:Illinois 251.svg IL 75 west (Gardner Street) / IL 251 south (North 2nd Street) – Freeport, Rockford	Northern end of IL 75 concurrency; northern terminus of IL 251
		415.95	669.41		File:North plate.svg File:US 51 (WI).svg US 51 north (Dearborn Street) – Beloit	Continuation into Wisconsin
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access        Tolled

External links

• File:Commons-logo.svg Media related to U.S. Route 51 in Illinois at Wikimedia Commons

Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 51 in Illinois

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