Map of Illinois Counties Covering the Metro Lakeland communities

Metro Lakeland is a name that was coined in the 1960s for an area of

southern Illinois Southern Illinois, also known as Little Egypt, is the southern third of Illinois, principally along and south of Interstate 64. Although part of a Midwestern state, this region is aligned in culture more with that of the Upland South than the Mi ...

that is centered on the intersections of Interstate 57, Interstate 24, and Illinois Route 13 — a four-lane east-west highway connecting the communities of Murphysboro, Carbondale, Carterville, Herrin,

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...

, and

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 ...

. Metro Lakeland was defined as Jackson, Williamson, Franklin, Saline, and Perry counties, with a combined population of approximately 210,000. Carbondale, Herrin, and Marion are the key urban areas, with a combined city-proper population of over 65,000 (2007 Census estimate) Carbondale, the site of

Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of Tr ...

, is the region's largest city. Metro Lakeland is about southeast of

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, or by Interstate highway.

Origin of name

The name "Metro Lakeland" refers to the abundance of lakes in the area, most of them engineered. The name appeared to have been coined to promote economic development and tourism in the region, but it is not widely used by residents, nor by local news media, such as ''The Southern Illinoisan'' newspaper (Carbondale) or WSIL-TV (Harrisburg). It does not appear in official listings of th
U.S. Census Bureau
or of th
U.S. Office of Management and Budget
(the agency charged with defining metropolitan and "micropolitan" statistical areas in the United States). (These agencies refer only to

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...

History

Arthur E. Prell, director of the Bureau of Business Research at

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Southern Illinois University (SIU or SIUC) is a public research university in Carbondale, Illinois. Founded in 1869, SIU is the oldest and flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. The university enrolls students from all 50 st ...

, started studying the concept developing

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

, Williamson,

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

and

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also made ...

counties as a single metropolitan complex in 1963. At the time, the four-county region would contain a population of 119,000. He outlined his plan to the West Frankfort Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner on 18 February 1966. He explained the theory behind his idea was the "micro-multiplex" in which "small socio-economic units cooperate for general economic opportunities of the entire area." To work, Prell called for a common tax base, common sewage system, joint police and fire protection as well as a common telephone system. New roads would need to be created including an inner and outer belt. Zoning as well would need to be added and new recreational lands placed between the towns. By April 1966, other SIU professors had chimed in support of the project. Fremont Shull Jr., chairman of the management department argued, "There is a great deal of community isolation and fragmentation in Southern Illinois, which is simply not good business. The entire region must begin to look at itself as a megalopolis. The future economic health of the area depends on it. By mid July Prell told area business leaders that Herrin was the "hub of Metro-Lakeland" which he had dubbed to then contain 140,000 residents. Herrin, he said, had the best chance at becoming the strongest downtown business district in Southern Illinois. He even proposed a land clearance program in the central business district so a shopping mall be built in the 100 blocks of East and West Cherry Street and 200 block of North Park Avenue in Herrin that was then, and still is, the alignment for

Illinois Route 148 Illinois Route 148 is a north–south state road in southern Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 37 at Pulleys Mill (near the intersection of Interstate 24 and Interstate 57) north to the western terminus of Illinois Route 142 and Illinois ...

. On 6 December 1967, Prell took the proposal before the Illinois Commission on Economic Development, chaired by Sen. Arthur Gottschalk, R-Flossmoor, who called it, "a very exciting concept". Prell told the commission the merger of the four counties would create the 151st largest metropolitan area in the United States. "let's start the first totally new city in the Midwest and create a showplace for the entire country." Prell admitted the project would require substantial spending and major governmental reorganization. Supporters testifying on behalf of the proposal included Geoffrey Hughes, executive director of Southern Illinois Incorporated. He claimed that for 20 years SII had been "proclaiming that this part of Illinois is a dispersed large city with nearly a quarter million people experiencing the same common problems and seeking area-wide cures and solutions." Oren Drew, chairman of the Southern Illinois Recreation Council, an early regional tourism promotional council, called for additional state and federal assistance, "as well as private development of our recreational assets." Other persons testifying included Robert Feigenbaum of DuQuoin, Illinois-based Turco Manufacturing Co., Allen Y. Baker, chairman of the Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission; Russell Davis of the Southern Illinois Bankers Association; James Gillooly, project coordinator for the 14-county Shawnee Resource Conversation and Development Project; African-American leader Robert Stalls of Carbondale; Carl Taylor of the Southern Illinois Business Agents Council representing labor and John Rendleman, SIU vice president for business affairs. Other than Carbondale Mayor David Keene who welcomed the commission to his city, tellingly, no other local elected official was mentioned as testifying in favor of the merger. Later that month Prell continued his push for consolidation of school districts, boards and public health units. Long-distance calls between communities within Metro Lakeland would be eliminated. "Utilities would have to reconstruct their concept of the area. How many of you would tolerate a long-distance toll within the city of Springfield." On 26 January 1968, Prell and the regional newspaper, the Southern Illinoisan, released a map showing exactly what territory they proposed to merge. The Oregon-shaped area would include and about 131,000 people formed out of 21 townships and road districts, 48 municipalities and other taxing bodies. Major cities inside would be Carbondale, Murphysboro, Herrin, Marion, Benton, West Frankfort, DuQuoin and "probably Pinckneyville." In the article Prell outlined a multi-step approach to the eventual consolidation. In none of the stories presented by the paper, did their reporters ask any elected mayors their opinions of the plan. Not surprisingly, nothing more is found in the pages of the paper over the next decade except a reference to Prell's idea in a 1970 column written, not surprisingly, by another SIU faculty member.Stephan L. Wasby. Jan. 16, 1970. "One community or many? Southern Illinois: To each his own." ''Southern Illinoisan'' (Carbondale, Ill.)

Counties

* Williamson * Saline *

Major cities

Note: Anchor Cities are bolded.

25,000+

* Carbondale

10,000-24,999

* Herrin *

* Murphysboro * West Frankfort

<10,000

* Benton * Carterville * DuQuoin *

Eldorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...

* Johnston City * Pinckneyville

Highways

Interstate 24 Interstate 24 (I-24) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from I-57, south of Marion, Illinois, to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at I-75. It travels through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, ...

Interstate 57 Interstate 57 (I-57) is a north–south Interstate Highway in Missouri and Illinois that parallels the old Illinois Central Railroad for much of its route. It runs from Sikeston, Missouri, at I-55 to Chicago, Illinois, at I-94. I-57 ess ...

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 ...

U.S. Route 51 U.S. Route 51 or U.S. Highway 51 (US 51) is a major south-north United States highway that extends from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana, to within of the Wisconsin–Michigan state line. As most of the United States Numbered Highw ...

Illinois Route 3 Illinois Route 3 (IL 3) is a major north–south arterial state highway in southwestern Illinois. It has its southern terminus at Cairo Junction (about north of Cairo) at the intersection of U.S. Route 51 (US 51) and Illinois Ro ...

Illinois Route 4 Illinois Route 4 is a major north–south highway that runs south from the Interstate 55 business loop around the state capital of Springfield, south to Illinois Route 13 just north of Murphysboro. This is a distance of . Route description Ill ...

Illinois Route 13 Illinois Route 13 (IL 13) is a major east–west state route in southern Illinois. Illinois 13 has its western terminus at Centreville at Illinois Route 157 and its eastern terminus at the Kentucky state line and the Ohio River, at Kentuck ...

Illinois Route 14 Illinois Route 14 (IL 14) is a major east–west highway in southern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 51 south of Du Quoin to the New Harmony Toll Bridge over the Wabash River to State Road 66 at the Indiana state line. This is a distance ...

Illinois Route 34 Illinois Route 34 (IL 34) is a north–south state road in southern Illinois. It runs from a former ferry crossing to Kentucky Route 297 across the Ohio River in Rosiclare to Illinois Routes 14/ 37 in Benton. This is a distance of . Rou ...

Illinois Route 37 Illinois Route 37, Illinois 37 or IL 37, is a north–south state highway in southern Illinois. IL 37's southern terminus is at U.S. Route 51 (US 51) and IL 3 in Cairo and the northern terminus is at US 45 in Watson. Route ...

Illinois Route 127 Illinois Route 127 is a north–south highway in central and southern Illinois. Its southern terminus is at Illinois Route 3 near Olive Branch and its northern terminus at Interstate 55, along with the southern terminus of Illinois Route 48 in ...

Illinois Route 142 Illinois Route 142 is a major arterial road in southeastern Illinois. It runs from near the town center of Equality at Calhoun Street, a local road, north to Illinois Route 37 and the northern terminus of Illinois Route 148 in Mount Vernon. Th ...

Illinois Route 145 Illinois Route 145 is a north–south state road in southern Illinois. It splits off from U.S. Route 45 near Metropolis (across the Ohio River from Paducah, Kentucky) and runs north, rejoining U.S. 45 in Harrisburg. This is a distance of . ...

Illinois Route 149 Illinois Route 149 is an east–west state road in southern Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 3 near Grimsby east to Illinois Route 34 in Thompsonville. This is a distance of . Route description Illinois 149 runs east–west thro ...

Illinois Route 151 Illinois Route 151 is a north–south state road in southern Illinois located entirely within Jackson County. It runs from Illinois Route 3 in rural Jackson County to Illinois Route 4 in Ava. This is a distance of . Route description Ill ...

* Illinois Route 152 *

Illinois Route 154 Illinois Route 154 is an east–west state road in southern Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 3 in Red Bud to Illinois Route 37 in Whittington. This is a distance of . Route description Illinois 154 is the main east–west road t ...

Illinois Route 166 Illinois Route 166 (IL 166) is a north–south state road in southern Illinois, United States. The route runs from its southern terminus at U.S. Route 45 in New Burnside to its northern terminus at Illinois Route 13 east of Marion. Route 166 se ...

Illinois Route 184 Illinois Route 184 is a state road in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Illinois located entirely within Franklin County. It runs from Illinois Route 149 in Royalton north to Illinois Route 14 in Mulkeytown. Route 184 is maintained b ...

References

{{Illinois

Metro Lakeland Metro Lakeland is a name that was coined in the 1960s for an area of southern Illinois that is centered on the intersections of Interstate 57, Interstate 24, and Illinois Route 13 — a four-lane east-west highway connecting the communities of M ...