Illinois Route 97
IL 97 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by IDOT
Length	104.43 mi[1] (168.06 km)
Existed	1937[2]–present
Major junctions
South end	I-55 / I-72 / US 36 in Springfield
Major intersections	US 136 / IL 78 in Havana US 24 / IL 78 in Lewistown
North end	US 150 in Knoxville
Location
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Counties	Sangamon, Menard, Mason, Fulton, Knox
Highway system
Illinois State Highway System Interstate US State Tollways Scenic
← IL 96 → IL 98

Illinois Route 97 (IL 97) is a north–south state highway in the central and western portions of the U.S. state of Illinois. It extends from I-55 Business (Business Loop I-55) in Springfield northwest to U.S. Highway 150 (US 150) near Galesburg. It crosses over the Illinois River on a bridge west of Havana. This is a distance of 102.23 miles (164.52 km).^[1]

Route description

IL 97 starts off in Springfield on East Clear Lake Avenue. It heads west, forming a concurrency with IL 125. IL 97 splits off and north shortly after, entering Menard County.

In Menard County, along a concurrency with IL 123 in New Salem, it passes Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site near Petersburg, the home of Abraham Lincoln in the 1830s. It afterwards passes through Mason County. The road enters Fulton County immediately after crossing a bridge concurrent with US 136 and IL 78.

It then passes both the Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge and Dickson Mounds State Memorial. Afterwards, it drops the concurrency with IL 78 and US 136 but picks up US 24. During and after it gains concurrency with IL 100, it heads north throughout hills. It enters Knox County after a brief concurrency with IL 9. It continues north through hills until its northern terminus at US 150 near Galesburg.^[3]

History

IL 97 is the site of a pioneering work of highway beautification, the planting in 1934 of what was once a line of 'red haw' hawthorns and other Illinois native trees along the tourist route from west of Springfield to New Salem. The work, done by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Illinois Federation of Garden Clubs, is commemorated by a marker installation at Tallula Junction, the southern intersection of Illinois Route 97 and Illinois Route 123.^[4]

Major junctions

County	Location	mi[5]	km	Destinations	Notes
Sangamon	Springfield	0.0	0.0	I-55 / I-72 / US 36 – Chicago, Decatur	No control city for southbound I-55/westbound I-72; US 36 is not signed
		0.5	0.80	IL 29
		2.2	3.5	I-55 BL
		3.6	5.8	Walnut Street	Grade separation eastbound; at-grade intersection westbound
		5.8	9.3	IL 4 – Chatham, Mason City
Menard	​	20.1	32.3	IL 123 / CR 4	South end of IL 123 overlap; called Tallula Junction; has IL-97 historical marker
	Petersburg	25.1	40.4	IL 123	North end of IL 123 overlap
Mason	Havana	49.3	79.3	US 136	South end of US 136 overlap
		49.8	80.1	IL 78	South end of IL 78 overlap
Fulton	​	50.8	81.8	US 136 / IL 78	North end of US 136 overlap
	​	57.5	92.5	US 24 / IL 78	South end of US 24 overlap; north end of IL 78 overlap
	Lewistown	61.0	98.2	US 24 / IL 100 / CR 14	South end of IL 100 overlap; north end of US 24 overlap
		62.5	100.6	IL 100	North end of IL 100 overlap
	​	73.9	118.9	IL 9 / CR 16	South end of IL 9 overlap
	​	75.9	122.1	IL 9	North end of IL 9 overlap
	Rapatee	86.1	138.6	IL 116
Knox	Knoxville	101.9	164.0	US 150 to I-74
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus