Illinois Route 21

Infobox Illinois state route
article_route = 21
length_mi = 28.13
length_km = 45.27
direction_b = North
direction_a=South
starting_terminus =
ending_terminus =
established = 1918Carlson, Rick. [http://www.n9jig.com/21-40.html Illinois State Highways: Routes 21 through 40] . Last updated March 15, 2006. Retrieved March 22, 2006.]
prev_route = 20
prev_type = US
next_route = 22
cities = Wheeling, Libertyville
counties = Cook, Lake

Illinois Route 21 is an arterial north-south state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 43 (Harlem Avenue) in Niles to U.S. Route 41 (Skokie Highway) north of Gurnee. Illinois 21 is 28.13 miles (45.27 km) long. [Illinois Technology Transfer Center. [http://www.dot.state.il.us/gist2/select.html T2 GIS Data] . Retrieved April 7, 2006. As documented in .]

Along most of its length, Illinois 21 is called Milwaukee Avenue. North of Gurnee, it is called Riverside Drive.

Route description

Illinois 21 was the principal route to Milwaukee, Wisconsin before the construction of both the Skokie Highway and the Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 94 and Interstate 294). The towns of Glenview, Libertyville, and Gurnee are principally located along this road. It follows the Des Plaines River for its entire length, and overlaps U.S. Route 45 between Lincolnshire and Prospect Heights.

South of Illinois 43, Milwaukee Avenue remains a major arterial road until it reaches the downtown area of Chicago, where its historical terminus at Lake Street has been moved back to Grand Avenue. It is one of the few diagonal streets in the grid street layout of Chicago.

Major junctions

History

SBI Route 21 ran from Chicago to Antioch along Milwaukee Avenue and current Illinois Routes 43, 83 and 137. In Chicago, it also ran along Elston Avenue. In 1940, the route was moved to a new route to Grayslake, and then continued to Antioch. In 1963, Illinois 21 was dropped entirely from Grayslake to Antioch, and in 1972, it was shortened further to its current southern terminus at Illinois 43. The next year, Illinois 21 was rerouted to Gurnee. Illinois 83 and 137 replaced the old Route 21 to (and through) Grayslake.

External links

* [http://illi-indi.com/il_EndsPage.php?id=1021&section=1 Illinois Highway Ends: Illinois Route 21]

References