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| U.S. Route 14 in Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Road type | US |
| Route | 14 |
| State | IL |
| Length mi | 71.0 |
| Established | 1926 |
| Direction a | West |
| Terminus a | Chicago (Terminus at Chicago Loop) |
| Direction b | East |
| Terminus b | Woodstock, Illinois (Terminus at U.S. Route 12) |
| Counties | McHenry County, Illinois, Cook County, Illinois |
U.S. Route 14 in Illinois
U.S. Route 14 in Illinois is a federal highway running from the Chicago Loop northwest through Evanston, Skokie, Des Plaines and Crystal Lake to Woodstock. The corridor connects downtown Chicago, suburbs in Cook County, Illinois and McHenry County, Illinois, and interchanges with interstate corridors like Interstate 94, Interstate 294 and Interstate 90.
US 14 begins in Chicago near the Chicago River and runs northwest along city streets associated with the Edens Expressway corridor before entering Evanston and Skokie. The alignment passes near institutions such as Northwestern University, Northwestern affiliates and major cultural sites like the Chicago History Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago environs. Traveling through Des Plaines, the route intersects with Interstate 294 (the Tri-State Tollway) and runs close to O'Hare International Airport corridors and rail facilities of Metra and Amtrak. In Arlington Heights and Schaumburg the highway forms commercial arteries tying to centers like Woodfield Mall and connects with Illinois Route 21 and Illinois Route 53. Continuing northwest, US 14 serves Barrington, Algonquin and Crystal Lake, skirting natural areas such as Poplar Creek preserves and approaching McHenry County Conservation District tracts. The route culminates at Woodstock, where it meets U.S. Route 12 and lies within proximity to landmarks like the Woodstock Opera House and historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Designated as part of the original 1926 United States Numbered Highway System, US 14 followed earlier wagon roads and auto trails connecting Chicago to Madison and South Dakota corridors. The highway's development paralleled transportation projects associated with figures such as Daniel Burnham in Chicago planning and federal programs from the Federal Highway Administration predecessor agencies. Mid‑20th century improvements included grade separations near Des Plaines River crossings and interchange construction with Interstate 90 (then part of the Kennedy Expressway) and the Eisenhower Expressway planning era. In suburban segments, expansion responded to population growth tied to migration after World War II and regional planning by bodies like the Metropolitan Planning Council and Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission. Preservation debates in communities such as Arlington Heights and Barrington involved commissions including the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and local board of trustees actions regarding alignments through historic districts. Recent decades saw resurfacing projects funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation and federal-aid programs under legislation like the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 and the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act.
US 14 connects with several major roadways and transport nodes: - Terminus at Chicago Loop arterial streets near the Chicago Transit Authority rail lines and Chicago Union Station links. - Junction with Interstate 90/Interstate 94 near the Kennedy Expressway corridor and access to O'Hare International Airport. - Interchange with Interstate 294 (Tri-State Tollway) near Des Plaines and servicing Schaumburg commerce near Woodfield Mall. - Intersection with Illinois Route 53 and Illinois Route 21 in Arlington Heights. - Crossings with Illinois Route 59 in suburban shopping districts and Illinois Route 31 near Algonquin. - Junction with Interstate 90/U.S. Route 20 approaches northwest of Crystal Lake. - Eastern terminus meeting U.S. Route 12 in Woodstock proximate to Interstate 39/U.S. Route 51 corridors.
Spur and parallel routes associated with US 14 include state and U.S. highways linking the corridor to regional destinations: - U.S. Route 12 converges in Woodstock forming historic through routes toward Lake Geneva. - Illinois Route 137 and Illinois Route 131 provide north–south service connecting suburbs to US 14. - U.S. Route 20 parallels sections across the Fox River valley engaging commercial centers like Elgin and St. Charles. - Regional transit connections include Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line and Pace bus routes serving US 14 corridor stations such as Arlington Heights station and Highland Park station. - Historic auto trail predecessors like the Lincoln Highway influenced alignments that would later be formalized as US 14 corridors.
Planned and proposed projects affecting US 14 are overseen by the Illinois Department of Transportation, regional planning bodies like the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and county highway departments in Cook County, Illinois and McHenry County, Illinois. Initiatives include pavement rehabilitation funded through Surface Transportation Program allocations, intersection improvements near Randhurst Mall redevelopment sites, pedestrian and bicycle enhancements connecting to Lake County Bicycle Network segments, and interchange modernization improving freight access to facilities tied to BNSF Railway yards and Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad corridors. Environmental reviews reference protections under the National Environmental Policy Act and coordination with agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service where projects intersect riparian zones. Local municipalities such as Arlington Heights, Schaumburg and Woodstock maintain capital improvement lists that may alter access points, landscaping, and streetscape features along the US 14 alignment.