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| Illinois Route 22 | |
|---|---|
| State | IL |
| Type | IL |
| Route | 22 |
| Length mi | 20.0 |
| Direction a | West |
| Terminus a | U.S. 14 (Crystal Lake) |
| Junctions | I‑90 (Huntley), U.S. 12 (Deer Park), U.S. 41 (Waukegan) |
| Direction b | East |
| Terminus b | IL 131 (Highland Park) |
| Counties | McHenry County, Lake County |
Illinois Route 22
Illinois Route 22 is a state highway in northern Illinois running east–west across northern Cook County and Lake County into western Lake Michigan suburbs. The route connects suburban communities, major commercial corridors, and multiple arterial and limited‑access highways, providing links to regional transit facilities and industrial zones. IL‑22 serves commuters, freight movements, and local traffic patterns shaped by postwar suburban expansion and transportation planning.
The corridor begins near Crystal Lake at an intersection with U.S. 14 and proceeds east through suburban and exurban landscapes past McHenry County College, Woodstock‑area developments, and municipal centers such as Huntley. As it advances, the road intersects with I‑90 near interchange complexes that serve commuters bound for Elgin, Schaumburg, and O'Hare International Airport. Further east, the highway crosses U.S. 12 and parallels portions of the Metra commuter rail network, providing access to stations used by commuters to Chicago and the North Shore municipalities. Approaching Waukegan and Highland Park, the route negotiates commercial districts, residential neighborhoods, and interchange connections with U.S. 41 before terminating near IL 131 adjacent to Lake Michigan and parkland such as Heller Nature Center and regional preserves linked to the Lake County Forest Preserves.
Early alignments of the corridor trace to turnpikes and county roads that served nineteenth‑century trade between Chicago and inland settlements like McHenry and Waukegan. During the 1920s and 1930s, state highway designations formalized segments with the rise of Automobile Club of America maps and federal funding initiatives connected to the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921. Post‑World War II suburbanization driven by developments like Levittown‑style housing patterns and economic shifts involving firms such as Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kraft Foods transformed traffic volumes, prompting widening projects influenced by planning documents from agencies including the Illinois Department of Transportation and regional bodies like the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission. In the late twentieth century, interchange improvements tied to I‑90 modernization and commuter rail expansions led to reconstruction phases coordinated with Metra and county highway departments. Recent decades have seen targeted safety upgrades and corridor preservation efforts reflecting priorities from environmental reviews and community plans involving municipal governments such as Deerfield and Buffalo Grove.
The highway's principal junctions include its western terminus at U.S. 14 near Crystal Lake; a modern interchange with I‑90 providing regional access to Elgin and O'Hare International Airport; an at‑grade crossing with U.S. 12 adjacent to commercial corridors; connections with arterial routes serving Schaumburg and Arlington Heights; and eastern links with U.S. 41 and IL 131 near Highland Park and Waukegan. These intersections integrate with county routes administered by Lake County and McHenry County transportation offices and feed multimodal facilities including Metra stations and regional bus services like Pace.
Planning documents from the Illinois Department of Transportation and regional authorities propose corridor enhancements emphasizing safety, congestion mitigation, and multimodal accommodations. Projects under study include intersection reconfigurations influenced by traffic modeling used by CMAP, potential turn lane additions near retail clusters anchored by firms such as Target Corporation and Walmart outlets, and pedestrian/bicycle facilities coordinated with Lake County Forest Preserves and local park districts. Funding avenues reference state capital programs and federal discretionary grants administered through agencies like the U.S. Department of Transportation and grant programs tied to infrastructure investments promoted during recent federal initiatives.
Traffic volumes along the corridor reflect commuter peaks associated with employment centers in Chicago and suburban business districts in Schaumburg, Deerfield, and Northbrook. Crash analyses conducted by Illinois Department of Transportation staff and consultants cite intersection conflict points, turning movements near shopping centers, and seasonal variations with winter weather influenced by proximity to Lake Michigan. Safety strategies have included signal timing optimization, addition of dedicated turning lanes, and targeted enforcement coordinated with local police departments such as those of Buffalo Grove and Highland Park.
While the corridor lacks extensive designated business routes, it interfaces with municipal arterials and spurs that provide direct access to central business districts in communities like Barrington, Kildeer, and Sullivan (note: small municipal names reflect local connectors). Connector roads and county highways link to commercial centers, industrial parks, and transit hubs serving employers such as AbbVie and former industrial sites repurposed for mixed use. Coordination between state, county, and municipal agencies continues to refine these spur connections to balance access, land use, and mobility priorities.