View source for Illinois Route 4

{{Short description|North-south state highway in Illinois, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=IL
|type=IL
|route=4
|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=290|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Illinois Route 4}}}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=IL&nbsp;4 highlighted in red
|length_mi=170.44
|length_ref=<ref name=t2>{{cite web |author=Illinois Technology Transfer Center |url=http://www.dot.state.il.us/gist2/select.html |title=T2 GIS Data |access-date=2007-11-08 |year=2007}}</ref>
|established=November 5, 1918<ref name=n9jig>Carlson, Rick. [http://www.n9jig.com/1-20.html Illinois State Highways Page: Routes 1 thru 20]. Last updated March 15, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2006.</ref>
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a={{Jct|state=IL|IL|13|IL|127}} in [[Vergennes, Illinois|Vergennes]]
|junction={{plainlist|
*{{Jct|state=IL|I|64}} in [[Lebanon, Illinois|Lebanon]]
*{{Jct|state=IL|US|50}} in Lebanon
*{{Jct|state=IL|US|40}} in [[St. Jacob, Illinois|St. Jacob]]
*{{Jct|state=IL|I|70}} in [[Marine, Illinois|Marine]]
*{{Jct|state=IL|I|55}} in [[Livingston, Illinois|Livingston]]
*{{Jct|state=IL|I|72|US|36}} in [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]]
}}
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{Jct|state=IL|BL|55|IL|29|dab1=Springfield}} in Springfield
|counties =[[Jackson County, Illinois|Jackson]], [[Perry County, Illinois|Perry]], [[Randolph County, Illinois|Randolph]], [[Washington County, Illinois|Washington]], [[St. Clair County, Illinois|St. Clair]], [[Madison County, Illinois|Madison]], [[Macoupin County, Illinois|Macoupin]], [[Sangamon County, Illinois|Sangamon]]
|previous_route=3
|previous_type=IL
|next_type=IL
|next_route=5
}}

'''Illinois Route 4''' is a major north–south highway that runs south from the [[Interstate 55]] business loop around the state capital of [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]], south to [[Illinois Route 13]] just north of [[Murphysboro, Illinois|Murphysboro]]. This is a distance of {{convert|170.44|mi|km|2}}.<ref name=t2 />

==Route description==
Illinois Route 4 starts at Illinois 13 and Illinois 127 at a point about {{convert|8|mi|km|spell=in}} north of Murphysboro. It zigzags through small southern towns such as [[Steeleville, Illinois|Steeleville]], [[Sparta, Illinois|Sparta]], and [[Marissa, Illinois|Marissa]], before straightening out near [[Mascoutah, Illinois|Mascoutah]]. IL Route 4 is an important road in St. Clair and Madison counties as it connects many suburbs and exurbs on the eastern edge of [[Greater St. Louis|St. Louis]], including Mascoutah, Lebanon, Troy, Highland, Edwardsville, Hamel, Staunton, Benld, and Gillespie. From [[Carlinville, Illinois|Carlinville]] northwards the route is important since it connects many medium-sized rural towns and bedroom communities in Macoupin and Sangamon counties, such as [[Girard, Illinois|Girard]], [[Virden, Illinois|Virden]], [[Auburn, Illinois|Auburn]], and [[Chatham, Illinois|Chatham]], with Springfield. The road passes directly through [[Chatham, Illinois|Chatham]], a fast-growing city that has transformed into a southern suburb and bedroom community for Springfield, which directly abuts the north edge of Chatham.

Within the City of Springfield, IL Route 4 is known as Veterans Parkway. It completes the western loop around the city, and is a divided four-lane highway that serves the major commercial area centered around the intersection of Veterans Parkway and Wabash Avenue, which includes [[White Oaks Mall (Springfield, Illinois)|White Oaks Mall]].

It is also worth noting that the northbound lane of IL 4 is in Washington County for less than {{convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}}, on its southwest corner near the unincorporated town of [[Clarmin, Illinois|Clarmin]] where it runs concurrently with IL 13.

==History==
Illinois State Bond Issue Route 4 was the first numbered through route between [[Chicago]] and [[Saint Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], as shown on the 1924 Illinois Road Map.<ref>{{Illinois road map|year=1924}}</ref> As such it was the forerunner of more famous routes like [[U.S. Route 66 in Illinois|US&nbsp;66]] and [[Interstate 55 in Illinois|I-55]].

In 1926, a new alignment for Route 4 was opened between Joliet and Lyons, on the north side of the [[Des Plaines River]]. The old alignment on the east and south sides of the curving river through [[Lemont, Illinois|Lemont]] was renamed [[Illinois Route 4A]]<ref>{{Illinois road map|year=1926}}</ref> and then renamed again in 1967 as [[Illinois Route 171]].<ref>{{Illinois road map|year=1967}}</ref> Illinois Route 4A generally followed Archer Avenue from the Chicago city limits to Lemont.

When U.S. Route 66 was first designated in 1926, it coincided with IL 4 for its entire length; however, the earliest state map in 1927 erroneously showed Route 66 coinciding with IL 4A through the near Chicago suburbs instead of IL 4. Also, the section of IL 4 from just south of [[Staunton, Illinois|Staunton]] to [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]] was originally shown only as "Temporary U.S. Route 66,"<ref>{{Illinois road map|year=1928}}</ref> whereas the permanent routing of Route 66 was shown as proposed or under construction on a more eastern route, away from IL 4 through [[Litchfield, Illinois|Litchfield]]. The new path of U.S. Route 66 was completed as SBI 16 and SBI 126 in 1930, and the Route 66 designation was then removed from IL 4 between Staunton and Springfield.<ref>{{Illinois road map|year=1931}}</ref> Illinois Route 4 and U.S. Route 66 remained as coincident, co-signed routes between the [[Mississippi River]] and Staunton and between Springfield and Chicago until 1935, when the IL 4 designation was dropped from portions where it overlapped with Route 66, leaving only the portion from Staunton to Springfield as IL 4.<ref>{{Illinois road map|year=1935}}</ref> This left IL 4A as an orphan alternate route of IL 4 from Lyons to Joliet, until it was renumbered as IL 171 in 1967.

The section of modern IL 4 from Staunton to its southern end near [[Murphysboro, Illinois|Murphysboro]] was originally IL 43. In 1964, IL 4 was extended on this highway, and the number IL 43 was eventually reused in the Chicago metro area to mark parts of Waukegan Road and Harlem Avenue.<ref>{{Illinois road map|year=1964}}</ref>

==Historical designation==
A bypassed portion of old route 4 north of Auburn is listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]] as "[[U.S. Route 66 in Illinois#North of Auburn|Illinois Route 4-North of Auburn]]". It was added in 1998 as structure #98000979 and consists of two c.1920 bridges over Little Panther Creek and portions of Curran and Snell roads. One section is a c.1932 1.53 mile long brick road and the other is a c.1921 [[Portland cement]] road {{convert|16|ft|m}} wide and {{convert|1277|ft|m|abbr=on}} long.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/hargis/PDFs/205601.pdf|title = HARGIS - Preservation}}</ref>

==Major intersections==
{{ILinttop|length_ref=<ref name="google1">{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=IL-4+N&daddr=W+Knauer+St+to:IL-4+N%2FCo+Rd+4%2FCounty+Line+Rd+to:IL-150+W%2FIL-4+N%2FShawneetown+Trail+to:38.06898,-89.70413+to:W+Broadway+St+to:IL-4+N+to:IL-13+W%2FIL-4+N+to:IL-4+N+to:Main+Ave+to:Jefferson+St%2FState+Route+4+to:IL-4+N+to:IL-4+N+to:S+Madison+St+to:S+Madison+St+to:IL-4+N+to:IL-4+N+to:IL-4+N+to:IL-4+N+to:IL-4+N&hl=en&geocode=FXK9QQIdBA6t-g%3BFSgqQgId4lWq-g%3BFTwtRAIdYOio-g%3BFTYLRAIdrEin-g%3BFfTiRAIdPjmn-ikvovdjATZ2iDHR1kyHCvk-sw%3BFQK2RQIdqEKn-g%3BFXISRwIdEj2n-g%3BFYCfRwIdkqmm-g%3BFSxlSQId5vCm-g%3BFXKXSQIdStSl-g%3BFZRQSwIdPtul-g%3BFabZSwIdCt2l-g%3BFa5ATAIdDqel-g%3BFdbpTAIdoqSl-g%3BFa4MTQIdwKSl-g%3BFQbCTgIdarml-g%3BFaN1TwIdBMCl-g%3BFZbWTwIdar6l-g%3BFehkUQIdtL-l-g%3BFcEMUgId3r2l-g&mra=pr&via=4&sll=38.481135,-89.56913&sspn=2.257497,4.938354&ie=UTF8&ll=38.927633,-89.730492&spn=0.140219,0.308647&t=h&z=12 |title=Overview map of Route 4 Between Jackson County and Interstate 55 |access-date=2010-12-21}}</ref><ref name="google2">{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=IL-4+N&daddr=S+Hardroad+to:S+Hardroad+to:S+Macoupin+St+to:E+Elm+St+to:IL-4+N+to:S+Broad+St+to:IL-4+N+to:S+Veterans+Pkwy+to:IL-4+N%2FVeterans+Pkwy+to:IL-4+N%2FVeterans+Pkwy+to:Veterans+Pkwy&hl=en&geocode=FdAMUgId3r2l-g%3BFf6CVAIdSJWl-g%3BFcifVAIdMoOl-g%3BFfASVQIdYnal-g%3BFagjVQId7JGl-g%3BFW9XVwIdA7Kk-g%3BFQBbVwIdKISk-g%3BFVgSXAIdiGOm-g%3BFU1sXgIdvDKn-g%3BFW6KXwIdhkan-g%3BFcTQXwIdr9Wn-g%3BFUr-XwIdXk-o-g&mra=mi&mrcr=10&mrsp=11&sz=17&sll=39.845013,-89.633353&sspn=0.004325,0.009645&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=17 |title=Overview map of Route 4 Between Interstate 55 and Springfield |access-date=2010-12-21}}</ref>}}
{{ILint
|county=Jackson
|cspan=2
|location=none
|mile=0.0
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|13|IL|127|road|Truax Traer Road|city1=Pinckneyville|city2=Murphysboro}}
}}
{{ILint
|location=Ava
|mile=10.8
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|151|name1=Keller Street|dir1=south|to2=to|IL|3|location1=[[Johnson Creek Recreation Area]]|location2=[[Lake Kinkaid]]|location3=Business District}}
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
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|county2=Randolph
|location=none
|mile=21.7
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|150|dir1=east|city1=Cutler}}
|notes=south end of IL 150 overlap
}}
{{ILint
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|cspan=3
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|mile=28.0
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|150|dir1=west|city1=Chester}}
|notes=north end of IL 150 overlap
}}
{{ILint
|location=Sparta
|mile=35.7
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|154|name1=Broadway Street|city1=Red Bud|city2=Pinckneyville}}
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=none
|mile=41.8
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|13|dir1=east|name1=Butler Street|city1=Tilden|city2=Pinckneyville}}
|notes=south end of IL 13 overlap
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|county=St. Clair
|cspan=8
|location=Marissa
|mile=45.3
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|13|dir1=west|name1=Lyons Street|city1=Belleville}}
|notes=north end of IL 13 overlap
}}
{{ILint
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|location=St. Libory
|mile=53.7
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|notes=south end of IL 15 overlap
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=Fayetteville
|mile=58.3
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|15|dir1=west|name1=Main Avenue|city1=East St. Louis|city2=Belleville}}
|notes=north end of IL 15 overlap
}}
{{ILint
|location=Mascoutah
|lspan=3
|mile=66.2
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|177|name1=Main Street}}
}}
{{ILint
|mile=68.7
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|161|city1=Belleville|city2=Centralia}}
}}
{{ILint
|mile=70.7
|road={{jct|state=IL|I|64|city1=East St. Louis|city2=Mount Vernon}}
|notes=I-64 exit 23
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
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|lspan=2
|mile=73.7
|road={{jct|state=IL|US|50|dir1=west|city1=East St. Louis}}
|notes=south end of US 50 overlap
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|mile=74.3
|road={{jct|state=IL|US|50|dir1=east|city1=Carlyle|location2=[[McKendree University]]|location3=[[Hettenhausen Center for the Arts|Arts Center]]}}
|notes=north end of US 50 overlap
}}
{{ILint|type=concur
|county=Madison|cspan=9
|location=none
|road={{jct|state=IL|National||dir1=east|city1=St. Jacob}}
|notes=south end of National Road overlap; former [[US 40 (IL)|US 40]] east; state maintained
}}
{{ILint
|location=none
|mile=82.2
|road={{jct|state=IL|US|40|National||dir2=west|city1=East St. Louis|city2=Highland}}
|notes=interchange; north end of National Road overlap
}}
{{ILint
|location=none
|mile=85.4
|road={{jct|state=IL|I|70|city1=East St. Louis|city2=Effingham}}
|notes=I-70 exit 21
}}
{{ILint
|location=none
|mile=87.1
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|143|city1=Edwardsville|city2=Marine|city3=Highland}}
}}
{{ILint
|location=none
|mile=94.1
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|140|city1=Alton|city2=Greenville}}
}}
{{ILint
|location=none
|mile=97.1
|road={{jct|state=IL|I|55|city1=East St. Louis|city2=Springfield}}
|notes=I-55 exit 33
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=none
|mile=97.3
|road={{jct|state=IL|US-Hist|66|dir1=west|name1=Worden Road / Frontage Road|city1=Worden}}
|notes=south end of Historic US 66 overlap; state maintained
}}
{{ILint
|location=none
|road=Livingston Drive - [[Livingston, IL|Livingston]]
|notes=state maintained
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=none
|mile=99.1
|road={{jct|state=IL|US-Hist|66|dir1=east|name1=Old Route 16|city1=Williamson}}
|notes=north end of Historic US 66 overlap; south end of Historic US 66 (1926-30) overlap; state maintained<!--looks like signs are missing here-->
}}
{{ILint
|county=Macoupin|cspan=8
|location=Staunton
|road={{jct|state=IL|road|Main Street|to2=to|I|55}}
|notes=state maintained (outside Staunton)
}}
{{ILint|type=concur
|location=Benld
|lspan=3
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|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|138|dir1=east|city1=Mount Olive|location2=Business District}}
|notes=south end of IL 138 overlap
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|mile=109.2
|road={{jct|state=IL|US-Hist|66|dab1=1926-30|dir1=east|name1=North Hardroad}}
|notes=north end of Historic US 66 (1926-30) overlap
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|mile=109.7
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|138|dir1=west|US-Hist|66|dab2=1926-30|dir2=west|name2=North Hard Road|city1=Mount Clare|city2=Wilsonville}}
|notes=north end of IL 138 overlap; south end of Historic US 66 (1926-30) overlap
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=Gillespie
|lspan=2
|mile=112.0
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|16|dir1=west|city1=Jerseyville|location2=[[Gillespie Lakes]]}}
|notes=south end of IL 16 overlap
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|mile=112.5
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|16|dir1=east|city1=Litchfield}}
|notes=north end of IL 16 overlap
}}
<!--{{ILint
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|mile=
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|notes=north end of Historic US 66 (1926-30) overlap
}}
{{ILint
|location=none
|mile=
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}}
{{ILint
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|mile=
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|notes=south end of Historic US 66 (1926-30) overlap
}}-->
{{ILint
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|lspan=2
|mile=124.0
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}}
{{ILint
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|notes=north end of IL 108 overlap; [[traffic circle]] around town square
}}
<!--{{ILint
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}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=none
|mile=
|road={{jct|state=IL|US-Hist|66|dab1=1926-30|dir1=west|name1=Harvest Road}}
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}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=none
|mile=
|road={{jct|state=IL|US-Hist|66|dab1=1926-30|dir1=east|name1=Allen Road}}
|notes=north end of Historic US 66 (1926-30) overlap
}}
{{ILint
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|location=none
|mile=
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}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=Nilwood
|mile=
|road={{jct|state=IL|US-Hist|66|dab1=1926-30|dir1=east|name1=Morean Street|location1=Business District}}
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}}
{{ILint
|location=none
|mile=
|road={{jct|state=IL|US-Hist|66|dab1=1926-30|name1=Cambridge Road}}
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=Girard
|mile=
|road={{jct|state=IL|US-Hist|66|dab1=1926-30|dir1=west|name1=West Madison Street}}
|notes=south end of Historic US 66 (1926-30) overlap
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|county=Sangamon
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|location=Thayer
|mile=
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|notes=north end of Historic US 66 (1926-30) overlap
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=none
|mile=
|road={{jct|state=IL|US-Hist|66|dab1=1926-30|dir1=west|name1=17.60 South / Harrison Avenue}}
|notes=south end of Historic US 66 (1926-30) overlap
}}-->
{{ILint
|county=Sangamon
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|location=Auburn
|mile=149.5
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|104|city1=Jacksonville|city2=Taylorville}}
}}
<!--{{ILint
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}}
{{ILint
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|mile=
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{{ILint
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{{ILint
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{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=Springfield|lspan=3
|mile=159.7
|road={{jct|state=IL|CR|23|county1=Sangamon|US-Hist|66|dab2=1926-30|dir2=east|name2=Spaulding Orchard Road / Woodside Road}}
|notes=north end of Historic US 66 (1926-30) overlap
}}
{{ILint
|mile=161.2
|road={{jct|state=IL|I|72|US|36|to3=to|I|55|city1=Jacksonville|city2=Decatur|location3=[[Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum]]}}
|notes=I-72 exit 93
}}
{{ILint
|road=Wabash Avenue - [[Robert Morris University (Illinois)|Robert Morris University]]
|notes=former [[US 36 (IL)|US 36]]; state maintained
}}
{{ILint
|location=none
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|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|97|name1=Jefferson Street|city1=Petersburg|city2=Springfield}}
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=none
|mile=168.7
|road={{jct|state=IL|IL|29|dir1=north|name1=J. David Jones Parkway|city1=Mason City|city2=Springfield|extra=airport|location3=[[Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport|Airport]]|location4=[[Illinois State Military Museum]]}}
|notes=south end of IL 29 overlap
}}
{{ILint
|type=concur
|location=Springfield
|mile=170.44
|road={{jct|state=IL|BL|55|dab1=Springfield|IL|29|dir2=south|US-Hist|66|name3=Peoria Road|location1=[[Illinois State Fairgrounds|State Fairgrounds]]}}
|notes=north end of IL 29 overlap
}}
{{jctbtm}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
{{commons category}}
* [http://highwayexplorer.com/il_EndsPage.php?id=1004&section=1 Illinois Highway Ends: Illinois Route 4]
* [http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=%2Fisl9 Illinois Digital Archives: State Highway Maps]

{{Registered Historic Places}}

[[Category:State highways in Illinois|004]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 66 in Illinois|004]]
[[Category:Interstate 55]]
[[Category:Transportation in Jackson County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Transportation in Perry County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Transportation in Randolph County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Transportation in Washington County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Transportation in St. Clair County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Transportation in Madison County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Transportation in Macoupin County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Transportation in Sangamon County, Illinois]]