Illinois Route 145 is a north–south state road in southern

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. It splits off from

U.S. Route 45 U.S. Route 45 (US 45) is a major north-south United States highway and a border-to-border route, from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. A sign at the highway's northern terminus notes the total distance as . US 45 is notable for incorporatin ...

near

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...

(across the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

from

Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky. The largest city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located at the confluence of the Tennessee and the Ohio rivers, halfway between St. Louis, Missour ...

) and runs north, rejoining U.S. 45 in

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

. This is a distance of .

Route description

Illinois 145 runs through the central portion of

Shawnee National Forest The Shawnee National Forest is a United States National Forest located in the Ozark and Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, United States. Administered by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, it consists of approximately 280,000 acres (1,100 km²) ...

, and serves

Dixon Springs State Park Dixon Springs State Park is an Illinois state park in Pope County, Illinois, United States, and is one of several state parks in the Illinois Shawnee Hills. The park is on a giant block of rock which was dropped along a fault that extends ...

near Dixon Springs. It is a rural, two-lane road for its entire length. It is multi-plexed with Illinois 34 from its northern terminus at U.S. 45 in Harrisburg through Pankeyville and on to Mitchellsville where 34 spurs east to Rosiclaire. Between 34 and Eddyville is the small settlement of Delwood. The route also meets Illinois 147 6 miles south of Eddyville just north of Glendale. It connects with Illinois 146 just west of Dixon Springs. Eddyville Road which runs from Eddyville to just north of Golconda at Illinois 146 is a well maintained Pope County Route that serves as a shortcut from Eddyville to Golconda. In fact it saves several miles from having to drive south to 146 at Dixon Springs and then east on to Golconda. On its original routing, Illinois 145 can be considered a spur of its "parent route", U.S. 45; with its extension in 1955, it can now be considered a "loop" of U.S. 45.

History

SBI Route 145 originally ran from Metropolis north to Dixon Springs. In 1955 it was extended north to its current terminus.

Major Intersections

References

{{reflist 145 Transportation in Massac County, Illinois Transportation in Saline County, Illinois Transportation in Pope County, Illinois