# Illinois Route 26

Illinois Route 26 (IL 26, Illinois 26) is a north–south state highway in central and north-central Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 116 just north of East Peoria to Highway 69 at the Wisconsin border near Orangeville. This is a distance of 139.35 miles (224.26 km).

## Route description

Illinois 26 is a two to four lane surface highway for the majority of its length. Its southern terminus is just one mile (1.6 km) north of the McClugage Bridge carrying U.S. Route 150 into Peoria.
Illinois 26 mostly follows the east bank of the Illinois River until it crosses the river at Hennepin. It runs concurrent with Illinois Route 29, its Illinois River west bank counterpart, at Bureau and with U.S. Route 52 near Freeport.

## History

SBI Route 26 originally ran from Freeport to Polo, on part of current IL-26. In 1937, IL-26 was extended from Freeport to the WI state line, in place of IL-74, and extended from Polo to Bureau along US-52 to Dixon, and replacing IL-89 from Dixon to Bureau. In 1969, it was extended south to East Peoria replacing IL-87.
In northern Stephenson County, IL 26 originally ran through downtown Orangeville and the unincorporated community of Oneco. In 1990, it was rerouted onto a new at-grade bypass around the village, decreasing travel time.
IL-26 was rerouted onto the nearby I-180 bridge over the Illinois River near Hennepin during the 1990s. The older IL-26 bridge, half a mile south of I-180, was removed after 1999. the old approaches are now local roads, used mainly as access to riverside industries on both banks.

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| Tazewell | East Peoria | 0.0 | 0.0 | IL 116 / Illinois River Road south | South end of Illinois River Road overlap |
| Marshall | Lacon | 24.7 | 39.8 | IL 17 (Fifth Street) – Wyoming, Wenona, Business District | |
| Marshall | Henry | 31.1 | 50.1 | IL 18 west – Henry | South end of IL 18 overlap |
| Putnam | Henry | 31.7 | 51.0 | IL 18 east – Streator | North end of IL 18 overlap |
| Putnam | Hennepin | 43.0 | 69.2 | IL 71 east / Illinois River Road north – Granville | Interchange; north end of Illinois River Road overlap; south end of I-180 overlap |
| Bureau | Hennepin | 45.5 | 73.2 | I-180 north – Princeton | Interchange; north end of I-180 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance |
| Bureau | Leepertown Township | 46.5 | 74.8 | IL 29 south / Illinois River Road / Ronald Reagan Trail – Peoria | South end of IL 29 / Illinois River Road / Ronald Reagan Trail overlap |
| Bureau | Bureau Junction | 47.6 | 76.6 | IL 29 north / Illinois River Road – Spring Valley, Depue | North end of IL 29 overlap; south end of Illinois River Road Princeton Spur |
| Bureau | Leepertown Township | 49.9 | 80.3 | I-180 to I-80 – Hennepin | Interchange |
| Bureau | Princeton | 55.1 | 88.7 | US 6 east (Peru Street) – Peru | South end of US 6 overlap |
| Bureau | Princeton | 55.8 | 89.8 | US 6 west / US 34 west (Peru Street) / Main Street – Wyanet, Kewanee, Tiskilwa | North end of US 6 overlap; south end of US 34 overlap |
| Bureau | Princeton | 56.7 | 91.2 | US 34 east (Elm Place) | North end of US 34 overlap |
| Bureau | Princeton | 57.8 | 93.0 | I-80 – Moline, Rock Island, Joliet | I-80 exit 56 |
| Bureau | Ohio | 68.5 | 110.2 | IL 92 (Green River Road) / Ronald Reagan Trail Tampico Spur – Walnut, Mendota | |
| Lee | East Grove Township | 73.7 | 118.6 | CR 12 (Maytown Road) | |
| Lee | South Dixon Township | 82.7 | 133.1 | US 30 – Morrison, Aurora | |
| Lee | South Dixon Township | 83.7 | 134.7 | CR 31 east (Haldena Road) | |
| Lee | Dixon | 87.2 | 140.3 | I-88 Toll / IL 110 (CKC) (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway) – Chicago, Moline | I-88 exit 54 |
| Lee | Dixon | 88.4 | 142.3 | US 52 east / Lincoln Highway east (7th Street) to IL 38 – Rochelle, Mendota, Airport | South end of US 52 / Lincoln Highway overlap |
| Lee | Dixon | 88.8 | 142.9 | IL 2 north (2nd Street) / Rock River Trail north – Rockford | South end of IL 2 / Rock River Trail overlap |
| Lee | Dixon | 89.2 | 143.6 | IL 2 south / Lincoln Highway west / Rock River Trail south (Everett Street) – Sterling | North end of IL 2 / Lincoln Highway / Rock River Trail overlap |
| Lee | Dixon | 90.3 | 145.3 | CR 38 north (4th Avenue / Lowell Park Road) / Ronald Reagan Trail north – Lowell Park, White Pines Forest State Park | North end of Ronald Reagan Trail overlap |
| Ogle | Polo | 103.0 | 165.8 | US 52 west – Savanna | North end of US 52 overlap |
| Ogle | Polo | 106.1 | 170.8 | IL 64 east – Mount Morris, Oregon | South end of IL 64 overlap |
| Ogle | Polo | 106.5 | 171.4 | IL 64 west – Savanna | North end of IL 64 overlap |
| Ogle | Forreston | 111.7 | 179.8 | IL 72 east (Walnut Avenue) – Byron | South end of IL 72 overlap |
| Ogle | Forreston | Module:Jctint/USA warning: Unused argument(s): cspan |
| 115.8 | 186.4 | IL 72 west – Shannon | North end of IL 72 overlap |
| Stephenson | Freeport | 125.5 | 202.0 | IL 75 east (West Douglas Street) – Rockton | |
| Stephenson | Freeport | 125.7 | 202.3 | US 20 Bus. (Galena Avenue) | |
| Stephenson | Freeport | 127.2 | 204.7 | US 20 (Freeport Bypass) – Galena, Rockford | Interchange |
| Stephenson | Orangeville | 139.35 | 224.26 | WIS 69 north – Monroe | Wisconsin state line |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus ||||||