U.S. Route 51 (US 51) in the U.S. state of
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
, is a main north–south artery that runs from the
Ohio River north to the
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
border, a distance of .
Route description
US 51 enters Illinois from Kentucky at the city town of
Cairo, Illinois. The highway heads northbound to a village near Cairo called
Mounds
A mound is an artificial heap or pile, especially of earth, rocks, or sand.
Mound and Mounds may also refer to:
Places
* Mound, Louisiana, United States
* Mound, Minnesota, United States
* Mound, Texas, United States
* Mound, West Virginia
* ...
, and begins to overlap
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 ...
(I-57), following it for to
Dongola
Dongola ( ar, دنقلا, Dunqulā), also spelled ''Dunqulah'', is the capital of the state of Northern Sudan, on the banks of the Nile, and a former Latin Catholic bishopric (14th century). It should not be confused with Old Dongola, an ancien ...
, before splitting and heading north. The highway remains two lanes wide from Dongola to
Assumption
Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven.
Assumption may also refer to:
Places
* Assumption, Alberta, Canada
* Assumption, Illinois, United States
** Assumption Tow ...
with the exception of a section between
Centralia
Centralia may refer to:
Places Australia
*Central Australia, sometimes called "Centralia"
Canada
* Centralia, Ontario
** RCAF Station Centralia, a former Royal Canadian Air Force training base
** Centralia (Essery Field) Aerodrome
United State ...
and
I-64
Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchang ...
.
Past Assumption, US 51 becomes an expressway to
Decatur. In Decatur, US 51 follows
I-72
Interstate 72 (I-72) is an Interstate Highway in the midwestern United States. Its western terminus is in Hannibal, Missouri, at an intersection with U.S. Route 61 (US 61); its eastern terminus is at Country Fair Drive in Champai ...
to bypass the city. US 51 leaves I-72 after , and it heads north to
Bloomington–
Normal Normal(s) or The Normal(s) may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Normal'' (2003 film), starring Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson
* ''Normal'' (2007 film), starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Kevin Zegers, Callum Keith Rennie, and Andrew Airlie
* ''Norma ...
as an expressway. At Bloomington–Normal, US 51 follows
I-74
}
Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities); the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchang ...
for a mile, then
I-55
Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The h ...
for , before following
I-39
Interstate 39 (I-39) is a highway in the Midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois, at I-55 to State Trunk Highway 29 (WIS 29) in the town of Rib Mountain, Wisconsin, which is approximately south of Wausau. I- ...
for .
US 51 follows I-39, intersecting
I-80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
and
I-88
Interstate 88 may refer to either of two United States Interstate highways:
* Interstate 88 (Illinois)
Interstate 88 (I-88) is an Interstate Highway in the US state of Illinois that runs from an interchange with I-80 near Silvis and ...
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
Illinois Route 75 (IL 75) is an east–west state highway in north-central Illinois. It runs from downtown Freeport at Illinois Route 26 to WIS 67 at the Wisconsin state line southeast of Beloit, Wisconsin. This is a distance of .
Route ...
(IL 75) west to the intersection of
IL 251, and then turns north through
South Beloit, Illinois
South Beloit, is a city located in Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. It is part of the Rockford Metropolitan Area, but it is also a suburban extension of Beloit, Wisconsin. South Beloit,is directly along the border of smaller cities and towns no ...
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 Normal(s) or The Normal(s) may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Normal'' (2003 film), starring Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson
* ''Normal'' (2007 film), starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Kevin Zegers, Callum Keith Rennie, and Andrew Airlie
* ''Norma ...
on a new alignment. This new highway became
Interstate 39
Interstate 39 (I-39) is a highway in the Midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois, at I-55 to State Trunk Highway 29 (WIS 29) in the town of Rib Mountain, Wisconsin, which is approximately south of Wausau. I- ...
, 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
Assumption is a city in Christian County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,155 as of the 2020 census.
History
Assumption originally was called "Tacusah". The present name is after Assumption Parish, Louisiana. A post office called A ...
.
Major intersections
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:U.S. Route 51 In Illinois
51
Illinois
Transportation in Alexander County, Illinois
Transportation in Pulaski County, Illinois
Transportation in Union County, Illinois
Transportation in Jackson County, Illinois
Transportation in Perry County, Illinois
Transportation in Washington County, Illinois
Transportation in Marion County, Illinois
Transportation in Fayette County, Illinois
Transportation in Christian County, Illinois
Transportation in Macon County, Illinois
Transportation in DeWitt County, Illinois
Transportation in McLean County, Illinois
Transportation in Woodford County, Illinois
Transportation in Marshall County, Illinois
Transportation in LaSalle County, Illinois
Transportation in Lee County, Illinois
Transportation in Ogle County, Illinois
Transportation in Winnebago County, Illinois