U.S. Route 54 (US 54) in Illinois is a east–west highway that travels from the
Champ Clark Bridge on the
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
state line to I-72/US 36/IL 107 south of Griggsville. At its greatest extent, US 54 used to continue east to
Springfield, then northeast to
Onarga, and then north all the way to
Downtown Chicago
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distri ...
.
Route description
Beginning at the Champ Clark Bridge above the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...
, US 54 travels in a northeastern direction. It then intersects IL 96 in Atlas and then travels in a northern direction. Along the way, US 54 comes across
Lyman Scott House
The Lyman Scott House is a historic house located on U.S. Route 54 in Summer Hill, Pike County, Illinois. The house was built in 1844 by Lyman Scott, who founded Summer Hill the following year. Scott, an early Pike County settler who also foun ...
in
Summer Hill. In New Hartford, the route then travels in a northeastern direction again. After that, it begins to run concurrently with IL 106 all the way toward Pittsfield. In Pittsfield, one block east of
Pike County Courthouse, US 54 splits northward. After leaving Pittsfield, the route comes across I-72/US 36/IL 107. At this point, US 54 terminates at this
diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
.
History
Initially, US 54 ended at the junction of present-day IL 106 (former portion of US 36). In 1935, it replaced a portion of IL 107 between
Louisiana, Missouri
Louisiana is a city in Pike County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,364 at the 2010 census. Louisiana is located in northeast Missouri, on the Mississippi River, south of Hannibal.
Louisiana is located at the junction of State Rout ...
and New Hartford, Illinois. From 1942 to 1971, US 54 traveled all the way to Downtown Chicago.
It then got truncated back to its previous eastern terminus. This was in favor of portions of US 36,
Illinois Route 54
Illinois Route 54 (IL 54) is a east–west highway in east-central Illinois. It passes through the cities of Clinton, Gibson City, and Onarga. Its western terminus is at Interstate 55 (I-55) in Springfield. Its eastern terminus is at U.S. Ro ...
,
US 45, Illinois Route 50, Governors Highway, Wood Street, 127th Street, Halsted Street, Vincennes Avenue, State Street, and Michigan Avenue.
[ The four-lane section of US 36 northeast of Pittsfield now also carries Interstate 72 east to Springfield. As of 1992, US 54 was extended northeast to US 36 and present-day I-72 (exit 35). That same year, the section of road that once carried Illinois Route 54 through Springfield is no longer designated as a numbered highway.]Illinois Route 50
Illinois Route 50 (IL 50) is a north–south state road in northeastern Illinois. It runs from the junction with U.S. Route 45 (US 45) and U.S. Route 52 (US 52) in West Kankakee north to US 41 in Skokie. In Chicago and the sub ...
.
Major intersections
References
External links
*{{commons category-inline
Illinois