The Mother Road: Historic Route 66 - Turn by Turn Road Description

Printing this description can take a lot of time, so you might want to consider buying commercially available alternatives such as the 8 map set.

After crossing McKinley Bridge, take Madison Ave. NE Actually, it's rather hard to get to Madison Ave., so take Spur 3 to Chain of Rocks Road.

Area was reported to be unsafe. It's a bit depressed, but not bad.

Madison Ave. becomes SR203. Take it NE to Chain of Rocks Rd.

Sidetrack- Hang a left on Chain of Rocks Rd, follow over first bridge. The road dead-ends to packed gravel. 1/2 mile of gravel to the Chain of Rocks bridge. Not bad for motorcycles. The bridge is impassable to vehicles.
Mustang Corral is supposed to be right by there, but we didn't see it.

Head East on Chain of Rocks Rd., turn East on Old Poag Road.
It becomes SR157.
Follow SR157 through Edwardsville
SR157 becomes Old Route 66.
Take SR157 North past Church of the Neon Cross, past Hamel.

There are lots of older original alignments of Route 66 which criss-cross over SR4. Most are reasonable to travel on, though some are dirt.

Left onto SR4 North through Sawyerville, Benld, Gillespie, Carlinville, Nilwood, Girard, Virden, Thayer, Auburn, Chatman
From SR4 North, connect to Spaulding Orchard Rd. East.
Go North on Chatam Road (SR4)
Turn Right on Wabash Ave., it then blends into MacArthur Blvd.
Head North on MacArthur, turn Right (East) onto South Grand
Turn Left onto 9th Street. (BL55)
Turns into Peoria Rd.
Head out of Springfield on BL55 North.
Follow BL55 through Sherman.

First 4-Lane section of Rt. 66

Take East side frontage road (of I-55) North.
Take I-55 to Williamsville. Frontage road becomes BL-55, and is still Rt. 66.
Signs clearly mark the route.
Follow east frontage road through Elkhart, Broadwell, Lincoln

The Mill: famous for schnitzel

Cross I-55 to west side frontage road
Follow west frontage road north through Lawndale, Atlanta

First Truck Stop- Always open. Dixie Truckers Museum, Rt. 66 Hall of Fame. Located in McLean.

Follow north through McLean, Funks Grove, Shirley
Cross I-55, continue NE. Becomes Beich rd.
Right on Springfield Road. Exit right for Main Street.
Left onto Main Street
Right on Willow, Left on Linden, Right on Pine
Pine becomes Henry. Follow it, then turn right on Shelbourne.
Follow NE to East side I-55 frontage road
Pass Bloomington, Normal, Towanda, Lexington, Chenoa, Pontiac,
Continue through Odell, Dwight

Marathon Oil Station - Rt. 66 relic

Take SR53 NE, Continue through Gardner

Riviera Restaurant

Continue on SR53 NE through Braceville, Godley, Braidwood

Gemini Giant mascot at Launching Pad Drive In

Becomes Baltimore Street, then Left (North) onto SR53 again.
Follow SR53 North into Elwood, SR53 may be called Douglas also.
Cross Des Plains River, Follow SR53 through Joliet, Romeoville, Bollingbrook,
SR53 runs into Joliet Road North. (SR53 veers away from Joliet road)
Follow to I-55, enter I-55 at Exit 269.
Leave I-55 at Exit 276C
Take Joliet Road Northeast, turn Left on Harlem Ave. (SR43)
Turn Right on Ogden Ave. Follow it a long way.
Turn Right (East) on Jackson Blvd.
Follow to Lake Shore Drive.
END!!!

Description courtesy of Kelly Cash

Historic Route 66 - Illinois