Illinois Route 26

"Illinois Route 74" redirects here; not to be confused with Interstate 74 in Illinois.

Illinois Route 26 (IL 26, Illinois 26) is a north–south state highway in central and north-central Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 116 just north of East Peoria to Highway 69 at the Wisconsin border near Orangeville. This is a distance of 139.35 miles (224.26 km).^[1]

Illinois Route 26
IL 26 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by IDOT
Length	139.35 mi[1] (224.26 km)
Existed	November 5, 1918[2]–present
Major junctions
South end	IL 116 in East Peoria
Major intersections	I-180 / IL 71 in Hennepin I-180 in Princeton I-180 in Princeton US 6 / US 34 in Princeton I-80 in Princeton US 30 near Dixon I-88 Toll / IL 110 (CKC) in Dixon US 52 in Dixon US 52 near Polo US 20 in Freeport
North end	WIS 69 in Orangeville
Location
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Counties	Tazewell, Woodford, Marshall, Putnam, Bureau, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson
Highway system
Illinois State Highway System Interstate US State Tollways Scenic
← IL 25 → IL 29

Route description

Illinois 26 is a two to four lane surface highway for the majority of its length. Its southern terminus is just one mile (1.6 km) north of the McClugage Bridge carrying U.S. Route 150 into Peoria.

Illinois 26 mostly follows the east bank of the Illinois River until it crosses the river at Hennepin. It runs concurrent with Illinois Route 29, its Illinois River west bank counterpart, at Bureau and with U.S. Route 52 near Freeport.

History

SBI Route 26 originally ran from Freeport to Polo, on part of current IL-26. In 1937, IL-26 was extended from Freeport to the WI state line,^[3] in place of IL-74, and extended from Polo to Bureau along US-52 to Dixon, and replacing IL-89 from Dixon to Bureau. In 1969, it was extended south to East Peoria replacing IL-87.

In northern Stephenson County, IL 26 originally ran through downtown Orangeville and the unincorporated community of Oneco. In 1990, it was rerouted onto a new at-grade bypass around the village, decreasing travel time.

IL-26 was rerouted onto the nearby I-180 bridge over the Illinois River near Hennepin during the 1990s. The older IL-26 bridge, half a mile south of I-180, was removed after 1999.^{[citation needed]} the old approaches are now local roads, used mainly as access to riverside industries on both banks.

Major intersections

County	Location	mi[4]	km	Destinations	Notes
Tazewell	East Peoria	0.0	0.0	IL 116 / Illinois River Road south	South end of Illinois River Road overlap
Marshall	Lacon	24.7	39.8	IL 17 (Fifth Street) – Wyoming, Wenona, Business District
	Henry	31.1	50.1	IL 18 west – Henry	South end of IL 18 overlap
Putnam		31.7	51.0	IL 18 east – Streator	North end of IL 18 overlap
	Hennepin	43.0	69.2	IL 71 east / Illinois River Road north – Granville	Interchange; north end of Illinois River Road overlap; south end of I-180 overlap
Bureau		45.5	73.2	I-180 north – Princeton	Interchange; north end of I-180 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Leepertown Township	46.5	74.8	IL 29 south / Illinois River Road / Ronald Reagan Trail – Peoria	South end of IL 29 / Illinois River Road / Ronald Reagan Trail overlap
	Bureau Junction	47.6	76.6	IL 29 north / Illinois River Road – Spring Valley, Depue	North end of IL 29 overlap; south end of Illinois River Road Princeton Spur
	Leepertown Township	49.9	80.3	I-180 to I-80 – Hennepin	Interchange
	Princeton	55.1	88.7	US 6 east (Peru Street) – Peru	South end of US 6 overlap
		55.8	89.8	US 6 west / US 34 west (Peru Street) / Main Street – Wyanet, Kewanee, Tiskilwa	North end of US 6 overlap; south end of US 34 overlap
		56.7	91.2	US 34 east (Elm Place)	North end of US 34 overlap
		57.8	93.0	I-80 – Moline, Rock Island, Joliet	I-80 exit 56
	Ohio	68.5	110.2	IL 92 (Green River Road) / Ronald Reagan Trail Tampico Spur – Walnut, Mendota
Lee	East Grove Township	73.7	118.6	CR 12 (Maytown Road)
	South Dixon Township	82.7	133.1	US 30 – Morrison, Aurora
		83.7	134.7	CR 31 east (Haldena Road)
	Dixon	87.2	140.3	I-88 Toll / IL 110 (CKC) (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway) – Chicago, Moline	I-88 exit 54
		88.4	142.3	US 52 east / Lincoln Highway east (7th Street) to IL 38 – Rochelle, Mendota, Airport	South end of US 52 / Lincoln Highway overlap
		88.8	142.9	IL 2 north (2nd Street) / Rock River Trail north – Rockford	South end of IL 2 / Rock River Trail overlap
		89.2	143.6	IL 2 south / Lincoln Highway west / Rock River Trail south (Everett Street) – Sterling	North end of IL 2 / Lincoln Highway / Rock River Trail overlap
		90.3	145.3	CR 38 north (4th Avenue / Lowell Park Road) / Ronald Reagan Trail north – Lowell Park, White Pines Forest State Park	North end of Ronald Reagan Trail overlap
Ogle	Polo	103.0	165.8	US 52 west – Savanna	North end of US 52 overlap
		106.1	170.8	IL 64 east – Mount Morris, Oregon	South end of IL 64 overlap
		106.5	171.4	IL 64 west – Savanna	North end of IL 64 overlap
	Forreston	111.7	179.8	IL 72 east (Walnut Avenue) – Byron	South end of IL 72 overlap
		Module:Jctint/USA warning: Unused argument(s): cspan
115.8	186.4	IL 72 west – Shannon	North end of IL 72 overlap
Stephenson	Freeport	125.5	202.0	IL 75 east (West Douglas Street) – Rockton
		125.7	202.3	US 20 Bus. (Galena Avenue)
		127.2	204.7	US 20 (Freeport Bypass) – Galena, Rockford	Interchange
	Orangeville	139.35	224.26	WIS 69 north – Monroe	Wisconsin state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus