Illinois Route 41

Illinois Route 41
IL 41 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by IDOT
Length	37.53 mi[1] (60.40 km)
Existed	November 5, 1918[2]–present
Major junctions
South end	US 136 in Adair
North end	US 34 / IL 110 (CKC) / IL 164 in Galesburg
Location
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Counties	McDonough, Fulton, Knox
Highway system
Illinois State Highway System Interstate US State Tollways Scenic
← US 41 → IL 42

Illinois Route 41 (IL 41) is a north–south route in rural west-central Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 136 near Macomb north to U.S. Route 34 and Illinois Route 164 in Galesburg, a distance of 37.53 miles (60.40 km).^[1] Illinois 41 is maintained by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Illinois 41 begins at a junction with U.S. Route 136 in eastern McDonough County, east of Macomb and north of Adair. The route heads north and intersects Illinois 95 east of Bardolph. Illinois 41 continues north to Bushnell, where it becomes concurrent with Illinois 9. The two highways run northeast until Illinois 41 splits off of Illinois 9 and heads north into Prairie City. The highway leaves Prairie City to the east and enters Fulton County.^[3] In Fulton County, Illinois 41 heads north and passes through Avon before entering Knox County.^[4] The highway enters St. Augustine in southern Knox County, intersecting Illinois 116 along the village's northern edge. Illinois 41 continues north through Abingdon before entering western Galesburg, where it terminates at a junction with U.S. Route 34 and Illinois 164.^[5]

Illinois 41 closely follows the Quincy Line south of Galesburg of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad to the Bushnell wye (Quincy–Hannibal line and Beardstown–Paducah line). Four daily Amtrak trains travel this rail line section.

Illinois 41 is exactly the same route as SBI Route 41, as instituted in 1918. There have been only minor routing changes, largely at its northern terminus in Galesburg, since its inception. This route parallels the CB&Q railroad from Galesburg to its southern terminus at U.S. 136. This route crosses over the CB&Q right-of-way (Galesburg to Beardstown) twice along its 38-mile (61 km) distance.

The southern terminus in McDonough County at U.S. Route 136 is referred to (locally) as the Nine-Mile Y. The Y in reference to an interchange road architecture historically used on Illinois state routes. While a few of these still remain throughout the state, most of these Y intersections have been replaced with the safer T-style intersections and stop signs.

IL-41 enters Galesburg from the south on Linwood Road. The historic alignment turned northeast on Monmouth Blvd. through an industrial section between the former Santa Fe mainline to the north and the former CB&Q connector to the south. At South Henderson, the historic route turned north, crossing the old Santa Fe mainline and terminating at West Main Street U.S. 150 and Illinois Route 164. This alignment moved west with the completion of U.S. 34 as a four-lane expressway to Monmouth. IL-41 now proceeds north on an upgraded and wider Linwood Road to West Main Street Illinois Route 164 where it terminates at the nearby access interchange for U.S. 34.

County	Location	mi[6]	km	Destinations	Notes
McDonough	​	0.0	0.0	US 136
	​	2.6	4.2	IL 95 east
	Bushnell	6.3	10.1	IL 9 west (Ludwig Street)	Southern end of IL 9 concurrency
	​	10.3	16.6	IL 9 east	Northern end of IL 9 concurrency
Fulton	No major junctions
Knox	St. Augustine	22.0	35.4	IL 116
	Galesburg	37.53	60.40	US 34 / IL 110 (CKC) – Monmouth, Kewanee IL 164 west	Interchange; IL 164 continues west
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

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