Illinois Route 37
 Illinois Route 37 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by IDOT | ||||
| Length | 155.07 mi[1] (249.56 km) | |||
| Existed | November 5, 1918[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  US 51 in Cairo | |||
 I-64 in Mt. Vernon US 50 in Salem | ||||
| North end |  US 45 in Watson | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Illinois | |||
| Counties | Alexander, Pulaski, Johnson, Williamson, Franklin, Jefferson, Marion, Fayette, Clay, Effingham | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Illinois Route 37, or Illinois 37, is a north–south route in southern Illinois. It is 155.07 miles (249.56 km) in length.[1]
Route description
Between Effingham and a point near Watson, a segment in which it shared a route with U.S. Route 45, Illinois 37 has been decommissioned in favor of US 45. Between Watson and just north of Salem, it angles westward and toward the south before meeting US 50 at Salem, Illinois 15 and Illinois 142 at Mount Vernon, Interstate 64 south of Mount Vernon, Illinois 14 and Illinois 34 at Benton, Illinois 149 at West Frankfort, Illinois 13 at Marion, and US 51 and Illinois 3 at its current southern terminus at Urbandale. Both of Illinois Route 148's termini branch from Route 37, the north terminus at Mount Vernon, and the southern terminus just north of Pulley's Mill. It has no direct connection to Interstate 24, which is far better approached from Interstate 57.
All of Illinois 37 is an undivided surface route.
History
Originally connecting Effingham to Cairo, it was a heavily-traveled highway before Interstate 57 was opened. That Interstate, which lies very close to most of Illinois 37 (indeed the entire route north of Pulleys Mill), supplanted it as a through route. Illinois 37 was long a part of the most direct route between Chicago and Memphis. Despite its obvious significance in pre-Interstate times, it was never part of the U.S. Highway system. Illinois 37 has become a route of local significance instead of the busy, long-distance, inter-city highway that it was until the 1970s. As a town-to-town route, it especially serves communities which have no access to Interstate 57.
Major intersections
 | This section is missing mileposts for junctions. |
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski | |  US 51 / Great River Road | ||||||
| |   IL 169 east | |||||||
| Johnson | West Vienna |  IL 146 | ||||||
| Williamson | |     IL 148 north to I-57 | ||||||
| Marion |  IL 13 (Deyoung Street) | |||||||
| Franklin | West Frankfort |  IL 149 (Main Street) | ||||||
| Benton |    IL 14 west / IL 34 east (Main Street) | South end of IL 14 overlap | ||||||
| IL 14 east (Bailey Lane) | North end of IL 14 overlap | |||||||
| |  IL 154 west to I-57 | |||||||
| Jefferson | | I-64 – East St. Louis, Evansville | ||||||
| Mt. Vernon |   IL 142 south / IL 148 south (Veterans Memorial Drive) | |||||||
 IL 15 (Broadway Street, Main Street) | ||||||||
| Marion | |  IL 161 west | ||||||
| Salem | US 50 (Main Street) | |||||||
| Fayette | Farina |  IL 185 west (Washington Street) | ||||||
| Clay |
No major junctions | |||||||
| Effingham | | To I-57 | ||||||
| | US 45 | |||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| ||||||||
References
- ^ a b Illinois Technology Transfer Center (2006). "T2 GIS Data". Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ Carlson, Rich. Illinois Highways Page: Routes 21 thru 40. Last updated March 15, 2005. Retrieved April 7, 2006.