Interstate 74 (I-74) is an

Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...

in the

Midwestern The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

and

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in

Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...

; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange with

I-75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end ...

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

. The major cities that I-74 connects to include

; Peoria, Bloomington, and Champaign, Illinois;

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

; and Cincinnati, Ohio. I-74 also exists as several disconnected sections of highways in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

Route description

, - , IA , , , - , IL , , , - , IN , , , - , OH , , , - , WV , , , , , - , VA , , , , , - , NC , , , - , SC , , , , , - , Total , ,

Iowa

In the state of

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, I-74 runs south from I-80 for before crossing into

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

on the I-74 Bridge. North of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, I-74 bisects Bettendorf and Davenport.

Illinois

In the state of Illinois, I-74 runs south from Moline to Galesburg; from this point, it runs southeast through Peoria to the Bloomington–Normal area and I-55. I-74 continues southeasterly to the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, intersecting I-57. The Interstate then runs east past Danville at the Illinois–

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

state line. U.S. Route 150 (US 150) parallels I-74 in Illinois for its entire length, save the last few miles on the eastern end (in Danville, when US 150 turns south on Illinois Route 1 (IL 1)), where it parallels US 136.

Indiana

In the state of Indiana, I-74 runs east from the Illinois state line to the Crawfordsville area before turning southeasterly. It then runs around the city center of

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

along I-69 and I-465. Once I-74 reaches the southeast side of Indianapolis, it diverges from I-69 and I-465 and continues to the southeast. It then enters

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

at Harrison.

Ohio

In the state of Ohio, I-74 runs southeast from the Indiana border to the western segment's current eastern terminus at

just north of Downtown Cincinnati. It is also signed with US 52 for its entire length. While planned to continue through

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

to the I-74 section in North Carolina, the route remains unsigned or unbuilt past

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

. At this point, I-74 would follow US 52 or more likely follow State Route 32 (SR 32), east from Cincinnati.

North Carolina

In the state of

, , I-74 exists in several segments, starting with a concurrency with I-77 at the Virginia border. This includes the most western portion from I-77 to US 52 just south of Mount Airy, a segment first opened to traffic as a bypass of High Point then extended west to I-40 east of Winston-Salem and east to I-73 near Randleman, then another along the southern segment of I–73 and US 220 from just north of Asheboro to northwest of Rockingham, and finally a more eastern segment that runs from Laurinburg to an end at NC 41 near Lumberton. The latest segment to be signed, from I-40 to High Point, occurred after the federal government approved signing this section as I-74 in mid-2013, despite the highway not being up to current

Interstate Highway standards Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication ''A Policy on Design Standards: Interstate System''. For a certain highway t ...

. It was uncertain why the

Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...

(FHWA) made an exception, but this might have been the result of a misinterpretation when a state highway administrator asked for Interstate designation for another section and "Future Interstate" for the section already completed that did not meet standards.

Future

Long-range plans call for I-74 to continue east and south of Cincinnati to North Carolina using SR 32 from Cincinnati to Piketon, Ohio, and then the proposed I-73 from

Portsmouth, Ohio Portsmouth is a city in Scioto County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located in southern Ohio south of Chillicothe, Ohio, Chillicothe, it lies on the north bank of the Ohio River, across from Kentucky and just east of the mouth of th ...

, through

(along parts of current US 52 and WV Route 108) to I-77. It would then follow I-77 through

into North Carolina, where I-74 splits from I-77 near the Virginia state line and runs eastward to northwest US 52, which it will eventually follow to Winston-Salem, then through High Point to I-73. I-73 and I-74 overlap to Rockingham. In 1996, the

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway A highway is any public or private road ...

(AASHTO) approved the signing of highways as I-74 along its proposed path east (south) of I-81 in Wytheville, Virginia, where those highways meet Interstate Highway standards. North Carolina started putting up I-74 signs along its roadways in 1997. , I-74 is proposed to follow the path of I-77 through the state of Virginia but remains unsigned from the West Virginia border to the North Carolina border.

Ohio

The 1991 plan to build I-73 soon included an extension of I-74 from where it ended in Hamilton County to I-73 at

, possibly along SR 32. In November 1991,

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

passed the $151-billion (equivalent to $ in ) Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) that included the I-73/74 North-South Corridor and made I-73 a priority and included an extension of I-74 from Hamilton County to I-73 at Portsmouth. On August 31, 1992, the Ohio Turnpike Commission passed a resolution to study making the extension of I-74 a toll road. Congress had authorized paying for 80 percent of the cost, but the state would have to pay the remainder of the $56 million (equivalent to $ in ). The Ohio Turnpike Commission proposed that the extension run along SR 32; while Representative Jim Bunning of

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

wanted the road to begin in the west as part of a greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky bypass, returning to Ohio near Maysville, Kentucky.

West Virginia

, I-74 remains unbuilt in the state of

. The

West Virginia Department of Transportation The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) is the state agency responsible for transportation in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The Department of Transportation serves an umbrella organization for four subsidiary agencies which ar ...

(WVDOT) is currently upgrading the Tolsia Highway to four lanes but not to Interstate Highway standards. It was estimated that improving US 52 to Interstate standards in West Virginia would cost $2 billion (equivalent to $ in ). Still, by 1994, improvements to US 52 were planned, and future plans called for I-73 to follow that route. The I-74 extension seemed more certain.

North Carolina

A section of I-74 in North Carolina is currently under construction. This is the eastern half of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway. The proposed path of I-74 east of I-95 in North Carolina is still being debated. The current plan takes the route along US 74 to NC 211 near

Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...

then south along US 17 to near the

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

border. These sections are not currently proposed to be built perhaps for another 20 to 30 years. The North Carolina Turnpike Authority—at the request of officials in Brunswick County—are studying whether a toll road could get the section of I-74 in that county built faster. Starting around Laurinburg and Maxton and to the east, I-74 runs concurrent with US 74. This was the first time that a

U.S. Route The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

and Interstate Highway with the same number have been designated on the same highway. A similar situation occurred more recently in June 2015 when

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

started routing I-41 along the route of US 41.

South Carolina

On February 11, 2005, the

North Carolina Department of Transportation The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is responsible for building, repairing, and operating highways, bridges, and other modes of transportation, including ferries in the U.S. state of North Carolina. History The North Carolina ...

(NCDOT) and

South Carolina Department of Transportation The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is a government agency in the US state of South Carolina. Its mission is to build and maintain roads and bridges and administer mass transit services. By state law, the SCDOT's function an ...

(SCDOT) came to an agreement over where I-74 (and I-73) would cross the border between the two states. It was decided that I-74 would cross the line as a northern extension of South Carolina Highway 31 (SC 31). SC 31 is being used a temporaily placeholder designation until the I-74 from North Carolina connect the South Carolina proposed route. I-74 is then proposed to end south of Myrtle Beach at SC 707. In the 1990s, both I-73 and I-74 were to end at Georgetown but funding cannot allow for the possible extensions to Georgetown or Charleston. In November 2019, both NCDOT and SCDOT released maps of where I-74 could go to from South Carolina to North Carolina.

Junction list

;Iowa : in Davenport : on the Davenport– Bettendorf city line. The highways travel concurrently to

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in the 2020 census, it is the largest city in Rock Island County and the List of municipalities in Illinois, ninth-most populous in Illinois outside ...

. : in Bettendorf ;Illinois : in Moline. I-74/I-280 travels concurrently to Colona. : in Colona : in Galesburg : east of

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

: west of Peoria : in Peoria : in East Peoria : in East Peoria : in Morton : north-northwest of Yuton : northwest of Normal. I-55/I-74 travels concurrently to Bloomington. I-74/US 51 travels concurrently to south of Bloomington. : in Bloomington : south-southeast of Le Roy : in Champaign : in Urbana : east-northeast of Oakwood : in Tilton ;Indiana : in Veedersburg : in Crawfordsville : on the

–

Speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Daytona International Speedway, a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida. *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta. *Indianapolis Motor Spe ...

line. I-74/I-465 travels concurrently into Indianapolis proper. : in Indianapolis. The highways travel concurrently through Indianapolis. : in Indianapolis. The highways travel concurrently through Indianapolis. : in Indianapolis : in Indianapolis. I-69/I-74 travel concurrently until I-74 leaves I-465. : in Indianapolis. The highways travel concurrently through Indianapolis. : in Indianapolis : in Indianapolis. I-74/US 421 travels concurrently to northwest of Greensburg. : west-northwest of West Harrison. The highways travel concurrently to

. ;Ohio : west-northwest of Miamitown. The highways travel concurrently to northwest of Dent. : in Cincinnati : in Cincinnati : in Cincinnati : Gap in route ;North Carolina : at the

state line north-northwest of Pine Ridge. The highways travel concurrently to west-southwest of Pine Ridge. : in White Plains : east of White Plains : Gap in route : in Winston-Salem : in High Point : east-northeast of Archdale : in Randleman. I-73/I-74 travels concurrently to northwest of Rockingham. I-74/US 220 travels concurrently to Emery. : northwest of Rockingham : Gap in route : southeast of Maxton. I-74/US 74 travels concurrently to Lumberton. : west-southwest of Lumberton : in Lumberton : Gap in route

Auxiliary routes

*: A partially completed bypass of

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...

, planned to follow the western half of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway. *: A southwestern bypass loop of

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Ill ...

References

External links

*
I-74 in NC Progress PageSCDOT - Carolina Bays Parkway Phase II
(part of I-74)

Upgrade 74 Renovation Project

I-74 Iowa-Illinois Corridor StudyIllinois Highway Ends: Interstate 74Indiana Highway Ends: Interstate 74

National I-73/I-74/I-75 Corridor AssociationInterstate 74 Construction, Moline, Illinois
{{DEFAULTSORT:74 Interstate Highway System U.S. Route 52

Route description

Iowa

Illinois

Indiana

Ohio

North Carolina

Future

Ohio

West Virginia

North Carolina

South Carolina

Junction list

Auxiliary routes

See also

References

External links