Illinois Route 121 (IL 121) is a 109.48-mile-long (176.19 km) major state highway in the central part of the U.S. state of Illinois. Although it travels from northwest to southeast, it is marked as a north–south highway.[3] It travels from IL 130 in Greenup (very near U.S. Route 40) to Interstate 55 (I-55) in Lincoln at the interchange of I-55 and IL 10.

Illinois Route 121 marker
Illinois Route 121
Map
IL 121 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by IDOT
Length109.48 mi[1] (176.19 km)
Existed1924[2]–present
Major junctions
South end IL 130 in Greenup
Major intersections
North end I-55 / IL 10 in Lincoln
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountiesCumberland, Coles, Moultrie, Macon, Logan
Highway system
IL 120 IL 122

Route description

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IL 121 travels north from Greenup near I-70. While traveling northwest, IL 121 travels through Toledo and has an interchange with I-57 in Mattoon.

From there, it travels northwest into the city limits of Decatur but largely goes around downtown using 22nd Street and Pershing Road. On the northwest side of Decatur, IL 121 intersects with the concurrent I-72 and US 51.

IL 121 continues further northwest into Lincoln, where it has a concurrency with IL 10 through Lincoln as Keokuk Street and Woodlawn Road before terminating at I-55 just south of I-155. IL 10 continues west on the same road.

History

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Truss bridge at former IL 121, west of I-155

State Bond Issue (SBI) Route 121 formerly traveled from Peoria to the Indiana state line east of Chrisman. When US 36 was established in the late 1920s, IL 121 was dropped east of Decatur. In March 1937, IL 121 replaced then IL 131 and IL 132 south of Decatur to Greenup.[4]

In 1993, I-155 north of Lincoln was completed. IL 121 was then dropped from this stretch of freeway.

IL 121 had a business route through Decatur until about 1980 along Main Street and Water Street. This was replaced by US 51 Business.[2]

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmi[5]kmDestinationsNotes
CumberlandGreenup0.00.0  IL 130
19.030.6 
 
US 45 south
South end of US 45 concurrency
ColesMattoon23.638.0  I-57 – Effingham, ChampaignI-57 exit 184
27.444.1 
 
IL 16 east – Charleston
South end of IL 16 concurrency
27.444.1 
 
IL 16 west – Shelbyville
North end of IL 16 concurrency
28.045.1 
 
US 45 north – Arcola
North end of US 45 concurrency
MoultrieSullivan44.471.5 
 
IL 32 south – Effingham
South end of IL 32 concurrency
45.873.7 
 
IL 32 north – Lovington
North end of IL 32 concurrency
Dalton City58.894.6 
 
IL 128 south – Shelbyville
MaconDecatur67.3108.3 
 
US 36 east – Tuscola
South end of US 36 concurrency
70.4113.3 
 
 
 
US 36 west / IL 105 west – Springfield
North end of US 36 concurrency; south end of IL 105 concurrency
70.6113.6 
 
IL 105 east – Monticello
North end of IL 105 concurrency
72.7117.0 
 
IL 48 north – Argenta
South end of IL 48 concurrency
74.3119.6 
 
 
US 51 Bus. north (Water Street) – Bloomington, Clinton
One-way pair
74.4119.7 
 
 
US 51 Bus. south (Main Street) – Macon, Pana
One-way pair
75.3121.2 
 
IL 48 south – Taylorville
North end of IL 48 concurrency
77.5124.7   I-72 / US 51 – Springfield, Pana, Champaign, BloomingtonI-72 exit 138
LoganMt. Pulaski94.3151.8 
 
To IL 54 – Clinton, Springfield
Lincoln105.5169.8 
 
IL 10 east – Clinton
South end of IL 10 concurrency
105.9170.4 
 
 
 
I-55 BL north (Kickapoo Street) / Historic US 66 east
1930-1940 Historic US 66
106.1170.8 
 
 
 
I-55 BL south (Logan Street) / Historic US 66 west
1930-1940 Historic US 66
107.6173.2  Historic US 66 (Lincoln Parkway)
109.48176.19  
 
 
I-55 to I-155 north – Bloomington, Springfield, Peoria
 
 
IL 10 west – Mason City
Northern terminus; north end of IL 10 concurrency; I-55 exit 126
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Illinois Technology Transfer Center (2006). "T2 GIS Data". Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  2. ^ a b Carlson, Rich. Illinois Highways Page: Routes 121 thru 140. Last updated March 15, 2005. Retrieved May 9, 2006.
  3. ^ Sarjeant, Charles. Illinois 121 Archived 2011-09-06 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 9, 2006.
  4. ^ "State Highway Markings to be Changed". The Journal Gazette. March 29, 1937. p. 1. Retrieved December 12, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  5. ^ "Overview Map of IL 121" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
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