Illinois Route 78 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
IL 78 highlighted in red
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by IDOT | ||||
| Length | 215.51 mi[1] (346.83 km) | |||
| Existed | 1924[3]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |    US 67 Bus. / IL 104inJacksonville[2] | |||
| Major intersections |
  US 24 / IL 97inLewistown US 150inLaura US 34 from GalvatoKewanee US 6inAnnawan I-80 in Annawan   I-88 / IL 110 (CKC)inLyndon US 30inMorrison  US 52 / IL 64inMount Carroll US 20inStockton | |||
| North end |  WIS 78inWarren | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Illinois | |||
| Counties | Morgan, Cass, Mason, Fulton, Knox, Peoria, Stark, Henry, Whiteside, Carroll, Jo Daviess | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Illinois Route 78 is a major north–south highway in western Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 104 northwest of Jacksonville north to Highway 78 at the Wisconsin state line north of Warren. This is a distance of 215.51 miles (346.83 km).[1]
Starting from IL 104 in Jacksonville, IL 78 briefly travels east, then south, and then east again. Then, it turns north via Main Street, passing the Jacksonville Municipal Airport. As it continues north, it then reaches IL 125 in Virginia. In Havana, US 136, as well as IL 97, begins to run concurrently with IL 78. US 136 then leaves the concurrency just west of the Scott W. Lucas Bridge. At the US 24 junction, IL 97 branches off west via US 24 while IL 78 travels east via US 24. In Little America, IL 78 branches off north from US 24. Then, IL 9 runs concurrently with IL 78 in Canton. In Farmington, IL 78 turns east via IL 116 and then back north again; branching off north from IL 116. In Elmwood, it follows IL 8 east and then north before branching off north.[4]
Further north, IL 78 then crosses under I-74 without a direct interchange. It then turns east and then north again. As it turns back north, it then follows US 150 for 3 miles (4.8 km). After that, it then intersects IL 90 north of Laura, then briefly runs concurrently with IL 17, then with US 34, and then intersects with IL 91. In Kewanee, US 34 then branches off northeast. North of the junction, IL 81 ends at the intersection with IL 78. In Annawan, it crosses US 6 and then I-80 at a diamond interchange. Further north, IL 78 then runs concurrently with IL 92, then meets I-88/IL 110 (CKC) at a diamond interchange, and then runs concurrently with US 30 in Morrison. IL 40 ends at an intersection south of Mount Carroll. In Mount Carroll, it intersects US 52/IL 64. Further north, in Stockton, IL 78 then runs concurrently with US 20. In Warren, it then turns northwest before reaching the Wisconsin state line. At that point, IL 78 becomes WIS 78.[4]
Starting in 1929, IL 78 first appeared as segments while the rest were under construction.[5] Within a few years, most of IL 78 from Jacksonville to Warren was finished.[6] In 1935, IL 78 superseded portions of IL 82, IL 3, and IL 40. However, a section between Jacksonville and Virginia became part of US 67.[7] By the late 1930s, a portion of IL 78 was moved onto a more direct route between Maples Mill and West Havana.[8] It remained like that until 1968 when US 67 rerouted away from Virginia. This resulted in the extension of IL 78 from Virginia to Jacksonville.[9]
The following historic and geographic sites can be enjoyed on Illinois Route 78, traveling from south to north:
| County | Location | mi[4] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan | Jacksonville | 0.00 | 0.00 | US 67 Bus. / IL 104 – Meredosia, Alton | Southern terminus of IL 78 |
| Cass | Virginia | 17.7 | 28.5 |  IL 125 – Beardstown, Ashland | |
| Sangamon Valley Township |   Chandlerville Road / Lincoln Heritage Trail (Western Branch) west / Illinois River Road south | South end of Lincoln Heritage Trail/Illinois River Road overlap | |||
| Chandlerville |  River Street / Lincoln Heritage Trail (Western Branch) east | North end of Lincoln Heritage Trail overlap | |||
| Mason | Havana | 44.2 | 71.1 |   US 136 east / IL 97 south (West Dearborn Street) / Illinois River Road north – Duncan Mills, Kilbourne | Begin/end concurrency with US 136 and IL 97; Illinois River Road west route continues on IL 78 |
| Illinois River | 44.5 | 71.6 | Scott W. Lucas Bridge | ||
| Fulton | Isabel Township | 45.3 | 72.9 | US 136 west – Duncan Mills, Ipava | Begin/end concurrency with US 136 |
| Waterford Township | 52.0 | 83.7 |  US 24 west / IL 97 north – Lewistown | Begin/end concurrency with US 24 / IL 97 | |
| Little America | 55.1 | 88.7 | US 24 east / Illinois River Road north – Banner, Peoria | Begin/end concurrency with US 24/Illinois River Road | |
| Buckheart Township | 61.5 | 99.0 |  IL 100 south – St. David, Lewistown | Eastern terminus of IL 100 | |
| Canton | 64.7 | 104.1 |  IL 9 east (East Linn Street) – Banner, Pekin | Begin/end concurrency with IL 9 | |
| 65.9 | 106.1 | IL 9 west (West Locust Street) – Bushnell | Begin/end concurrency with IL 9 | ||
| Farmington | 76.2 | 122.6 |  IL 116 west (North Main Street) – Roseville | Begin/end concurrency with IL 116 | |
| Fulton–Peoria county line | Farmington Township | 77.2 | 124.2 | IL 116 east – Peoria | Begin/end concurrency with IL 116 |
| Knox | Salem Township | 82.8 | 133.3 |  IL 8 west – Yates City | Begin/end concurrency with IL 8 |
| Peoria | Elmwood | 85.0 | 136.8 | IL 8 east (West Southport Road) – Peoria | Begin/end concurrency with IL 8 |
| Brimfield Township | 91.5 | 147.3 |   US 150 east to I-74 – Brimfield | Begin/end concurrency with US 150; connection to exit 71 (I-74) | |
| Millbrook Township | 94.5 | 152.1 | US 150 west – Galesburg | Begin/end concurrency with US 150 | |
| 96.5 | 155.3 |  IL 90 east – Princeville | Western terminus of IL 90 | ||
| Stark | Goshen Township | 108.2 | 174.1 |  IL 17 east – Toulon | Begin/end concurrency with IL 17 |
| 108.6 | 174.8 | IL 17 west – La Fayette | Begin/end concurrency with IL 17 | ||
| Henry | Wethersfield Township | 113.1 | 182.0 | US 34 west – Galva | Begin/end concurrency with US 34 |
| 113.7 | 183.0 |  IL 91 south – Elmira | Northern terminus of IL 91 | ||
| Kewanee | 118.3 | 190.4 | US 34 east (East Second Street) – Neponset, Princeton | Begin/end concurrency with US 34 | |
| 118.6 | 190.9 |  IL 81 west (West Sixth Street) – Cambridge | Eastern terminus of IL 81 | ||
| Annawan | 129.3 | 208.1 | US 6 (Front Street) – Atkinson, Mineral | ||
| 129.8 | 208.9 | I-80 – Moline, Rock Island, Joliet | Exit 33 (I-80) | ||
| Yorktown Township | 140.8 | 226.6 |  IL 92 west – East Moline | Begin/end concurrency with IL 92 | |
| 141.7 | 228.0 | IL 92 east – Yorktown | Begin/end concurrency with IL 92 | ||
| Whiteside | Lyndon Township | 154.6 | 248.8 | I-88 / IL 110 (CKC) (Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway) – Dixon, Moline, Rock Island | Exit 26 (I-88) |
| Morrison | 160.8 | 258.8 | US 30 east (Lincoln Highway) – Sterling, Rock Falls | Begin/end concurrency with US 30 | |
| 162.3 | 261.2 | US 30 west (Lincoln Highway) – Fulton | Begin/end concurrency with US 30 | ||
| Carroll | Mount Carroll | 180.4 | 290.3 |  IL 40 south – Sterling | Northern terminus of IL 40 |
| 180.8 | 291.0 | US 52 / IL 64 – Savanna, Lanark | |||
| Jo Daviess | Stockton | 201.5 | 324.3 | US 20 west (West North Avenue) – Galena | Begin/end concurrency with US 20 |
| Stockton Township | 202.8 | 326.4 | US 20 east – Freeport | Begin/end concurrency with US 20 | |
| Warren Township | 215.51 | 346.83 | WIS 78 | Wisconsin state line; northern terminus of IL 78 | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
