U.S. Route 6 in Illinois

U.S. Route 6
Grand Army of the Republic Highway
US 6 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by IDOT
Length	179.88 mi[1] (289.49 km)
Existed	1932[2]–present
Major junctions
West end	I-74 / US 6 in Moline
Major intersections	I-74 / I-280 in Moline I-80 / IL 110 (CKC) in Colona I-180 in Princeton I-39 / US 51 in LaSalle I-55 in Channahon I-80 in Joliet I-355 Toll in New Lenox I-57 in Markham I-294 Toll in Harvey I-80 / I-94 / IL 83 in Lansing
East end	I-80 / I-94 / US 6 at Lansing
Location
Counties	Rock Island, Henry, Bureau, LaSalle, Grundy, Will, Cook
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Illinois State Highway System Interstate US State Tollways
← IL 5 → IL 6

U.S. Route 6 (US 6) in the state of Illinois is an east–west arterial surface road that runs 179.88 miles (289.49 km) from the city of Moline in the Quad Cities area to Lansing at the Indiana state line.

Route description[]

In Illinois, U.S. Route 6 can be split into the following sections:

Quad Cities to LaSalle–Peru[]

U.S. Route 6 crosses the I-74 Bridge from Bettendorf, Iowa south into Moline, concurrent with Interstate 74. It remains with Interstate 74 for 5 miles (8 km) until the intersection with Interstate 280 south of the Rock River, where it continues south, then turns east at the Quad Cities International Airport. It intersects Interstate 80 as it leaves the Quad Cities area, and closely parallels I-80 for the rest of its length in Illinois.

From the Quad Cities, US 6 travels east through the city of Geneseo. At Sheffield, US 6 overlaps U.S. Route 34 through to Princeton. After an interchange with Interstate 180, US 6 runs with Illinois Route 89 to Spring Valley. In the LaSalle-Peru area, US 6 intersects with Illinois Route 251, Illinois Route 351 and Interstate 39/U.S. Route 51.

LaSalle–Peru to Joliet[]

US 6 then runs past Ottawa, intersecting with the concurrent Illinois Routes 23/71 before joining with Illinois 71 for four miles (6.4 km). Further east, US 6 runs through Marseilles and Seneca, where Illinois Route 170 terminates. It then runs through Morris and overlaps Illinois Route 47 for a slight northward jog. At Channahon, US 6 has an interchange with Interstate 55.

Joliet to Indiana[]

U.S. Route 6 at U.S. Route 52 on the southwest side of Joliet.

In the Joliet area, US 6 parallels the Des Plaines River and passes beneath the cantilever bridge carrying Interstate 80 over the Des Plaines River. At this point, it is called Railroad Street, but it turns onto McDonough Street with U.S. Route 52 as it crosses the river. It then turns north, overlapping Illinois Route 53 (Chicago Street) and then east with U.S. Route 30 (Cass Street). Two blocks north of leaving US 30, US 6 intersects the southern terminus of Illinois Route 171 and turns east onto Maple Road. In New Lenox it intersects with Interstate 355 and becomes the .

US 6 turns off the Southwest Highway west of Orland Park and becomes 159th Street, a major east–west arterial through that town and the southern suburbs of Chicago. In Calumet City, US 6 joins with Illinois Route 83 south to the Interstates 80/94 (Kingery Expressway), and then follows the Kingery east into Indiana.

Although US 6 enters the Chicago Metropolitan Area, it never enters the city limits of Chicago.

History[]

US 6 first was shown on maps in 1932, mainly on its current routing except for a more southerly routing from Princeton to Spring Valley through De Pue and at the Illinois/Indiana line.^[3][4] In 1934, both portions were changed to its current routing, from Princeton to Spring Valley and in Lockport.^[4] By 1939, US 6 was rerouted in the Quad Cities, briefly forming U.S. Route 6 City.^[5][6][7] By 1953, the route was rerouted to travel along Torrence Avenue and part of the Kingery Expressway (from US 30 Alt. to Indiana state line).^[8][9]

Prior to the formation of US 6, the road west of Princeton was U.S. Route 32. US 32 remained for several more years until the part east of Princeton became an extension of U.S. Route 34.

Major intersections[]

County	Location	mi[1][10]	km	Destinations	Notes
Rock Island	Moline	0.0	0.0	I-74 west / US 6 west – Davenport	Iowa state line (I-74 Bridge over the Mississippi River)
		see I-74 (exits 1-5)
		4.5	7.2	I-74 east / I-280 – Peoria, Chicago, Des Moines	Eastern end of I-74 overlap; signed as exit 5A (I-280 west)
				27th Street / Quad City Airport - Rock Island	27th Street is state maintained
		5.4	8.7	US 150 east – Coal Valley	Western terminus of US 150
Henry	​	12.0	19.3	IL 84 north (400 East) – Colona
	Colona	13.1	21.1	I-80 / IL 110 (CKC) to I-74 – Des Moines, Joliet	I-80 exit 9
	​			Green River-Osco Road - Green River, Osco	former US 6 west; state maintained
	Geneseo	22.7	36.5	IL 82 north (Henry Street) to IL 92	Western end of IL 82 overlap
		23.5	37.8	IL 82 south (Oakwood Avenue) – Cambridge	Eastern end of IL 82 overlap
	Atkinson			To Spring Street / IL 92	former IL 82 spur; state maintained
	Annawan	36.9	59.4	IL 78 (Canal Street) – Prophetstown, Kewanee
Bureau	​	45.2	72.7	US 34 west – Kewanee	Western end of US 34 overlap
	​	49.0	78.9	IL 40 to I-80 – Rock Falls, Buda, Peoria
	Princeton	60.6	97.5	US 34 east / IL 26 north (Main Street) – Mendota, Dixon	Eastern end of US 34 overlap; western end of IL 26 overlap; former spur to Tiskilwa (state maintained outside Princeton)
		61.3	98.7	IL 26 south (Sixth Street) – Bureau Junction, Hennepin	Eastern end of IL 26 overlap
	​	64.9	104.4	I-180 to I-80 – Hennepin	I-180 exit 3
	​			Depue Road - DePue	former US 6 east; state maintained
	Spring Valley	73.6	118.4	IL 89 north – Ladd	Western end of IL 89 overlap
		75.6	121.7	IL 29 south – DePue
		76.8	123.6	IL 89 south (Spaulding Street)	Eastern end of IL 89 overlap
La Salle	Peru	81.0	130.4	IL 251 to I-80 – Mendota, Tonica	interchange
	La Salle	82.3	132.4	IL 351 south (Joliet Street) – Oglesby	Western end of IL 351 overlap
		82.5	132.8	IL 351 north (Joliet Street) to I-80	Eastern end of IL 351 overlap
	​	83.8	134.9	I-39 / US 51 – Rockford, Bloomington, Normal	I-39 exit 57
	​	87.7	141.1	IL 178 – North Utica
	Ottawa	96.8	155.8	IL 23 / IL 71 west (Columbus Street}) – DeKalb, Streator	Western end of IL 71 overlap
	​	99.0	159.3	IL 71 east – Oswego	Eastern end of IL 71 overlap
	Seneca	109.7	176.5	IL 170 south (Main Street) / (East 29th Road) – Ransom
Grundy	Morris	121.7	195.9	IL 47 south (Division Street) – Dwight	Western end of IL 47 overlap
		122.4	197.0	IL 47 north (Division Street) – Yorkville	Eastern end of IL 47 overlap
Will	Channahon	136.2	219.2	I-55 – Chicago, Bloomington	I-55 exit 248
	​	140.9	226.8	IL 7 north (Larkin Avenue) to I-80
	Joliet	143.2	230.5	US 52 west (McDonough Street)	Western end of US 52 overlap
		143.7	231.3	US 52 east / IL 53 south / Historic US 66 west (Chicago Street) to I-80	Eastern end of US 52 overlap; western end of IL 53 / Historic US 66 overlap
				US 30 west / Lincoln Highway west (Cass Street) / IL 53 north / Historic US 66 east (Scott Street)	eastern end of IL 53 / Historic US 66 overlap; western end of US 30 / Lincoln Highway overlap
				US 30 east / Lincoln Highway east (Cass Street)	eastern end of US 30 / Lincoln Highway overlap
		145.1	233.5	IL 171 north (Collins Street)
	New Lenox	150.6	242.4	I-355 Toll (Veterans Memorial Tollway) to I-80 – West Suburbs	I-355 exit 1
	​			Cedar Road - New Lenox	state maintained
Cook	Orland Park	157.4	253.3	IL 7 (159th Street / Wolf Road) – Orland Park, Lockport
		159.4	256.5	US 45 (LaGrange Road)
	Tinley Park–Orland Park village line	162.4	261.4	IL 43 (Harlem Avenue)
	Oak Forest	165.4	266.2	IL 50 (Cicero Avenue)
	Markham	166.8	268.4	I-57 to I-294 Toll north – Chicago, Kankakee	I-57 exit 348
		168.3	270.9	I-294 Toll (Tri-State Tollway) to I-80 – Wisconsin, Indiana, Hammond	I-294 exit 6
	Harvey			Wood Street	former US 54; state maintained
		170.6	274.6	IL 1 (Halsted Street)
	South Holland	173.3	278.9	I-94 (Bishop Ford Freeway) – Chicago, Indiana	I-94 exit 73
	Calumet City	174.6	281.0	IL 83 north (Torrence Avenue)	Western end of IL 83 overlap
	Lansing	176.2	283.6	IL 83 south (Torrence Avenue) I-80 west / I-94 west (Kingery Expressway) to I-294 north	Eastern end of IL 83 overlap; western end of I-80/I-94 overlap; I-80 exit 161
		178.0	286.5	I-80 east / I-94 east / US 6 east (Borman Expressway) – Toledo, Detroit	Indiana state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

References[]

Route map:

U.S. Route 6
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