Interstate 90 in Illinois

Route map:

Interstate 90 marker

Interstate 90

Map
I-90 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ISTHA, IDOT, and SCC
Length123.89 mi (199.38 km)
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-39 / I-90 at Wisconsin state line
Major intersections
East end
I-90 Toll / Indiana Toll Road at Indiana state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountiesWinnebago, Boone, McHenry, Kane, Cook
Highway system
IL 89 IL 90

Interstate 90 (I-90) in the US state of Illinois runs roughly northwest-to-southeast through the northern part of the state. From the Wisconsin state line at South Beloit, it heads south to Rockford before heading east-southeast to the Indiana state line at Chicago. I-90 traverses 124 miles (200 km) through a variety of settings, from farmland west of the Fox River Valley through the medium-density suburbs west of O'Hare International Airport, through Downtown Chicago, and through the heart of the industrial southeast side of Chicago before entering Indiana.

I-90 comprises several named highways. The Interstate runs along the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (previously called the Northwest Tollway) from South Beloit to O'Hare Airport, the Kennedy Expressway from O'Hare to the Chicago Loop, the Dan Ryan Expressway from the Loop to the Chicago Skyway, and the Skyway to the Indiana state line. The Jane Addams and Chicago Skyway are toll roads maintained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) and the Skyway Concession Company (SCC), respectively. The remainder of the highway is maintained by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

Route description

I-90 enters Illinois from Beloit, Wisconsin concurrently with I-39. At Exit 1 (South Beloit), US Route 51 (US 51) joins the two interstates; between the exit and the state line marks the only point US 51 and I-39 are not concurrent in Illinois.

In Rockton, I-39/I-90/US 51 becomes the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, with the South Beloit Toll Plaza south of the interchange. The three highways first enter the Rockford region at Illinois Route 173, passing by Rock Cut State Park; its first interchange with US 20 is with the business route (State Street) connecting Rockford and Belvidere.

At Cherry Valley, I-90 splits with I-39/US-51 (the latter becomes concurrent for US 20 for five more miles before moving south to Normal.), with I-90 making a 90-degree turn east. Crossing eastward, I-90 (now signed as a single highway) crosses the Kishwaukee River before entering Boone County. From this point to the eastern terminus of both highways in Massachusetts, I-90 and US 20 run a roughly parallel routing (though with no concurrency).

After passing in front of the Stellantis Belvidere Assembly Plant and a westbound toll plaza, the only remaining Illinois Tollway oasis above I-90 is located in Belvidere. The over-highway design provides several vendors in a single location, allowing tollway travelers to rest, eat, and refuel without exiting the tollway.

Turning southeast towards McHenry County, I-90 does not have an interchange for another 11 miles (18 km), until Illinois Route 23 (IL 23) in Riley (five miles north of Marengo). Following the interchange, eastbound traffic passes through the Marengo Toll Plaza.

Entering Kane County, I-90 has a third interchange with US 20, connecting to Hampshire. As it passes its Randall Road exit, I-90 transitions from the rural farmland seen in Boone and McHenry counties to the western terminus of the Chicago suburbs. Following the east/west Elgin Toll Plaza, I-90 widens from six to eight lanes, turning east in direction. Before crossing into Cook County, I-90 crosses the Fox River, entering the Golden Corridor of Illinois.

Before meeting I-290, the tollway passes through Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg, routed through a wide variety of surroundings, including housing, retail centers, and forest preserves. Following the Barrington Road exit, active traffic management gantries are in place. In Schaumburg, I-90 becomes the northern terminus of I-290 (the only Illinois loop of I-90). Turning further southeast towards Elk Grove Village, I-90 is widened from eight to ten lanes. At Elmhurst Road (Illinois 83), the tollway is narrowed to eight lanes, passing north of O'Hare International Airport. Prior to passing through I-190/I-294 (Tri-State Tollway), Rosemont has a final toll plaza on Devon Avenue (westbound) and River Road (eastbound).

The Tri-State Tollway interchange marks the eastern terminus of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, with I-90 subsequently becoming a freeway called the Kennedy Expressway. After crossing the Des Plaines River, the Kennedy Expressway enters Chicago. After turning southeast, I-90 joins I-94 (Edens Expressway), heading further southeast. Taking on the path of the Chicago River, the Kennedy Expressway becomes the Dan Ryan Expressway following its intersection of the Jane Byrne Interchange (passing the Eisenhower Expressway). After crossing I-55 (Stevenson Expressway), I-90 continues nearly due south.

In the Englewood neighborhood, I-90 splits from I-94, becoming the six-lane Chicago Skyway. Turning southeast, the highway crosses the Calumet River before continuing into Hammond, Indiana.

History

The Jane Addams Tollway in Schaumburg prior to the 2015–2016 rebuild and widening

Jane Addams Memorial Tollway

The 76-mile (122 km) Northwest Tollway portion of I-90 opened on August 20, 1958. Prior to the opening, the first vehicle to officially travel the new roadway was a covered wagon navigated by local resident John Madsen who took five days to make the journey.

On September 7, 2007, highway officials responding to an effort by state lawmakers renamed the Northwest Tollway to Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, after Jane Addams, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the Settlement House movement in the US.

The Illinois Tollway's 2005–2012 Congestion-Relief Program provided $644.1 million (equivalent to $871 million in 2021) in projects along the I-90 corridor. Projects included rebuilding and widening of the tollway between I-39 and Rockton Road, including a reconfiguration of the I-90/I-39 interchange. This construction started in 2008 and was completed by the end of 2009.

From 2013 to 2016, over $2 billion (equivalent to $2.33 billion in 2021) was spent on rebuilding and widening the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway from I-39 to the Kennedy Expressway. The inside shoulders were widened for future transit opportunities, and active traffic management was incorporated into the corridor from IL 59 to the eastern end. In addition, almost all of the crossroad bridges were rebuilt and several interchanges were reconfigured/expanded. In 2019, a $33.4-million (equivalent to $35.2 million in 2021) interchange with IL 23 was added near Marengo to provide the first I-90 interchange in McHenry County.

Until 1978, I-90 was routed on the Congress Street Expressway (later named the Eisenhower Expressway) which was extended from the Loop to the interchange of the Northwest Tollway and IL 53. The Kennedy Expressway was signed only as I-94, and the portion of present-day I-90 between the Edens Expressway and IL 53 was not signed as an Interstate Highway. This provided a non-toll section of I-90 between Downtown Chicago and IL 53. The route designations were changed to their present form when I-90 was moved to follow the entire length of the Kennedy Expressway and the Jane Addams Tollway, and the original route was designated I-290.

In 2018, ISTHA raised the speed limit on I-90 from 65 to 70 mph (105 to 113 km/h) from the I-39 split to Randall Road. They also raised it from 55 to 70 mph (89 to 113 km/h) from Randall Road to Mount Prospect Road and raised it from 55 to 60 mph (89 to 97 km/h) from Mount Prospect Road to the Kennedy. The speed limit for buses is 65 mph (105 km/h), and the speed limit for trucks is 60 mph (97 km/h).

Chicago Skyway

The Chicago Skyway toll plaza in 1999 and 2013
Chicago Skyway in 1999

The Chicago Skyway was originally known as the Calumet Skyway. It cost $101 million (equivalent to $739 million in 2021) to construct and took about 34 months (nearly three years) to build. Nearly eight miles (13 km) of elevated roadway, the Chicago Skyway was originally built as a shortcut for cars from State Street, a major north–south street on Chicago's South Side that serves the Loop, to the steel mills on the Southeast to the Indiana state line where the Indiana Toll Road begins. Later, when the Dan Ryan Expressway opened, the Chicago Skyway was extended west to connect to it. There are only two eastbound exits east of the toll barrier, whereas there are four westbound exits west of the toll barrier (so that no exits are available until one has crossed the bridge and paid the toll). The Chicago Skyway opened to traffic on April 16, 1958.

The Skyway's official name, referring to it as a "toll bridge" rather than a "toll road", is the result of a legal quirk. At the time of its construction, the city charter of Chicago did not provide the authority to construct a toll road. However, the city could build toll bridges, and it was found that there was no limit to the length of the approaches to the bridge. Therefore, the Skyway is technically a toll bridge spanning the Calumet River with a six-mile-long (9.7 km) approach. This also is part of the reason that there are no exits available until after one has crossed the bridge and paid the toll.

Historically, the Chicago Skyway was signed as, and was widely considered to be part of, I-90 from the mid-1960s forward (after I-90 in this area had been swapped with I-94). However, from around 1999 until 2022, the Chicago Department of Transportation worked under a new assumption that they had never received official approval to designate the Skyway as I-90. The city subsequently replaced most of the "I-90" signage with "TO I-90/I-94" signage. IDOT has always reported and continues to report the Skyway as part of the Interstate Highway System, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) also does consider the Chicago Skyway's roadway as I-90 unless IDOT revokes their designation of such. As of 2022, the Skyway is again signed as I-90, though now denoted with non-standard oversized shields constructed by CDOT.

In the 1960s, the newly constructed Dan Ryan Expressway and the neighboring Calumet, Kingery, and Borman expressways provided free alternatives to the tollway, and the Skyway became much less used. As a result, from the 1970s through the early 1990s, the Skyway was unable to repay revenue bonds used in its construction. Traffic volumes rebounded from the late 1990s onward, partially because of the construction of casinos in Northwest Indiana, along with reconstruction of the Dan Ryan, Kingery, and Borman expressways. In June 2005, the Skyway became compatible with electronic toll collection, with users now able to pay tolls using I-Pass or E-ZPass transponders.

Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation formerly maintained the Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge System. A 2004 transaction that gave the city a $1.83-billion (equivalent to $2.55 billion in 2021) cash infusion leased the Skyway to the Skyway Concession Company, a joint-venture between the Australian Macquarie Infrastructure Group and Spanish Cintra, which assumed operations on the Skyway on a 99-year operating lease. The agreement between the Skyway Concession Company and the City of Chicago marked the first time an existing toll road was moved from public to private operation in the US.

The former Chicago Skyway McDonald's, pictured in 2006 south of the toll plaza.

Until the summer of 2015, to the south of the toll plaza, an unusually-placed McDonald's restaurant and its parking lot (including a drive-thru) sat in the median of the toll approach as a de facto rest stop before leaving or entering Chicago. The franchisee terminated the lease with the SCC shortly before, blaming closure on the declining profits as the restaurant was more popular for its restrooms than the food it offered. The McDonald's building was later torn down, and the toll approach was further expanded upon its former footprint.

Exit list

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
WinnebagoSouth Beloit0.000.00

I-39 north / I-90 west – Madison
Continuation into Wisconsin
0.290.471
US 51 north / IL 75 – South Beloit
Western end of US 51 overlap
Rockton2.714.363 CR 9 (Rockton Road)Northwestern end of Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
3.605.79South Beloit Toll Plaza 1
Rockford8.9414.398 IL 173 (West Lane Road) – Machesney ParkToll on westbound exit and eastbound entrance ramps
12.4720.0712
CR 55 west (East Riverside Boulevard)
Toll on westbound exit and eastbound entrance ramps
15.7625.3615
US 20 Bus. (State Street)
Cherry Valley17.4028.0017


I-39 south / US 51 south to US 20 – Bloomington
Eastern end of I-39/US 51 overlap; to Chicago Rockford International Airport via US 20 west
BooneBelvidere20.4032.8320Irene RoadToll on eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramps
22.9336.90Belvidere Toll Plaza 5 (westbound)
23.5137.84Belvidere Oasis
24.6239.6225Belvidere–Genoa RoadToll on exit ramps
McHenryRiley36.1058.1036 IL 23 – Marengo, GenoaToll on exit and westbound entrance ramps
37.3960.17Marengo Toll Plaza 7 (eastbound)
KaneHampshire41.5466.8542 US 20 – Hampshire, Marengo
Huntley46.0274.0647 IL 47 – Huntley, Woodstock, Elburn
Elgin51.7883.3352 CR 34 (Randall Road)Toll on eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramps
53.4285.97Elgin Toll Plaza 9
54.2287.2654 IL 31 (State Street, 8th Street) – ElginSigned as exits 54A (south) and 54B (north); toll on westbound exit and eastbound entrance ramps
KaneCook
county line
55.9590.0456 IL 25 (Dundee Avenue)Toll on westbound exit and eastbound entrance ramps
CookHoffman Estates57.7792.9758Beverly RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; toll on westbound exit ramp
59.3195.4559 IL 59 (Sutton Road)Toll on exit ramps
61.8199.4762Barrington RoadSingle-point urban interchange
Schaumburg65.19104.9165Roselle RoadWestbound entrance ramp via Central Road
66.93107.7167Meacham RoadWestbound exit and entrance; no access from I-290 and IL 53 ramp
Rolling Meadows67.84109.1868





I-290 east / IL 53 to I-355 Toll south / IL 390 Toll – Chicago, West Suburbs, Northwest Suburbs
Signed as exits 68A (east/south) and 68B (north); toll on eastbound exit ramp; western terminus of I-290
Arlington Heights70.47113.4170Arlington Heights RoadToll on eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramps
Des Plaines73.25117.8873
Elmhurst Road to IL 83
Toll on eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramps
74

I-490 Toll south (Western O'Hare Beltway)
Currently under construction; expected to be complete in 2023
75.80121.9976 IL 72 (Lee Street)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Rosemont76.75123.52Devon Avenue Toll Plaza 17 (westbound)
77.03123.97 IL 72 (Higgins Road) / Devon AvenueWestbound entrance
77.20124.2477A

I-294 Toll south (Tri-State Tollway) – Indiana

I-190 west (Kennedy Expressway) – O'Hare
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; I-190 exit 1C; I-294 north exit 40
77B

I-294 Toll north (Tri-State Tollway) – Milwaukee
Signed as exit 77 westbound; I-294 south exit 40B
78.20125.85River Road Toll Plaza 19 (eastbound)
Chicago79.28127.5979A-B IL 171 (Cumberland Avenue)Signed as exits 79A (south) and 79B (north); westbound exits via I-190; eastbound exit 79A via River Road Toll Plaza
78.65–
79.6
126.57–
128.1
79C



I-190 west (Kennedy Expressway west) to I-294 Toll south (Tri-State Tollway) – O'Hare, Indiana
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; eastern terminus of I-190; southeastern end of Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
79.99128.7380Canfield RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
80.84130.1081A IL 43 (Harlem Avenue)
81.14130.5881BSayre AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
81.85131.7282ANagle AvenueNo westbound exit
82.09132.1182BBryn Mawr AvenueWestbound exit
82.31132.4782CAustin Avenue to Foster AvenueEastbound exit
82.79133.2483AFoster AvenueNo eastbound exit
83.01133.5983BCentral AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
83.71134.7284Lawrence AvenueEastbound To I-94
84.35–
84.59
135.75–
136.13
43B
I-94 west (Edens Expressway) – Milwaukee
Western end of I-94 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; western end of reversible express lanes
84.77136.4243CMontrose AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
85.03136.8443DKostner AvenueWestbound exit
85.39–
85.62
137.42–
137.79
44A IL 19 (Irving Park Road) / Keeler AvenueNo westbound exit
85.62–
85.81
137.79–
138.10
44B IL 19 (Irving Park Road) / Pulaski RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
86.34138.9545AAddison Street
86.77139.6445BKimball Avenue
87.08140.1445CBelmont Avenue / Kedzie AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
87.64141.04Sacramento AvenueEastbound entrance
87.79141.2846ACalifornia AvenueEastbound exit and westbound entrance
87.96141.5646BDiversey AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
88.53–
88.90
142.48–
143.07
47AWestern Avenue / Fullerton AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance from Western Avenue
89.08143.3647BDamen AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
89.52144.0748AArmitage AvenueEastbound traffic uses Armitage Avenue to Ashland Avenue
90.10145.0048B IL 64 (North Avenue)Westbound traffic uses North Avenue to Ashland Avenue
90.66145.9049ADivision Street
90.91146.3149BAugusta Boulevard / Milwaukee AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
91.40147.0950AOgden AvenueEastbound exit and westbound entrance
91.62147.4550BOhio StreetEastern end of reversible express lanes
92.19148.3751ALake StreetWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
92.27148.4951BRandolph Street west
92.34148.6151CWashington Boulevard eastExits only; no entrances
92.44148.7751DMadison Street
92.53148.9151EMonroe StreetEastbound exit
92.62149.0651FAdams Street westEastbound exit and westbound entrance
92.71149.2051GJackson Boulevard eastEastbound exit and westbound entrance
92.72–
93.35
149.22–
150.23
51H


I-290 west / IL 110 (CKC) west (Eisenhower Expressway) – Aurora
Jane Byrne Interchange; southeastern end of Kennedy Expressway; northern end of Dan Ryan Expressway; eastern termini of I-290/IL 110
51IIda B. Wells Drive
93.42150.3451JTaylor Street / Roosevelt RoadEastbound exit and westbound entrance
93.57150.5952BRoosevelt Road / Taylor StreetWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
94.22151.6352C18th StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance
94.48152.0553ACanalport Avenue / Cermak RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; Chinatown exit
94.22–
96.04
151.63–
154.56
53B
53C

I-55 south (Stevenson Expressway) – St. Louis

I-55 north (Stevenson Expressway) / 22nd Street – Lake Shore Drive, Chinatown
Signed as exits 53B (south) and 53C (north) westbound; I-55 exits 292 and 293B; Cermak Road access from westbound only; western end of express lanes
96.16154.755431st Street
96.45155.2255A35th StreetAccess to Guaranteed Rate Field and the Illinois Institute of Technology
96.98156.0755BPershing Road
97.44156.8156A43rd Street
97.97157.6756B47th Street
98.88159.1357Garfield Boulevard
99.50160.1358A59th StreetWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
100.00160.9358B63rd StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance
100.00–
100.33
160.93–
161.47
59A
I-94 east (Dan Ryan Expressway) – Indiana

Chicago Skyway begins
Eastern end of I-94 overlap; western end of Chicago Skyway; eastern end of express lanes; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
100.33161.47100State StreetWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
101.42163.22101St. Lawrence AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
101.78163.8010273rd StreetWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
103.04–
103.33
165.83–
166.29
103Stony Island Avenue north to Lake Shore DriveWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
103.93167.26Jeffery BoulevardEastbound entrance
104.28167.8210487th StreetWestbound exit
104.67168.45Chicago Skyway Toll Plaza
105.26169.40105Anthony Avenue / 92nd StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance
105.82–
106.21
170.30–
170.93
Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge
107.62173.20107 US 12 / US 20 / US 41 / LMCT (Indianapolis Boulevard) / 104th StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance
107.82173.52





I-90 Toll east / Indiana Toll Road east to I-65 / I-80 / I-94 – Toledo
Continuation into Indiana; eastern end of Chicago Skyway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Related routes

I-90 has two related auxiliary Interstate Highways within Illinois. I-190 is a spur into O'Hare International Airport in Chicago that is also known as the Kennedy Expressway O'Hare Extension or the O'Hare Expressway. I-290 takes a southeasterly dogleg left route accessing the western suburbs and heading eastward into Downtown Chicago. It is also known as the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway. A third route, the Western O'Hare Beltway, is under construction and has been designated I-490. This new route, passing along the west side of O'Hare between I-90 and I-294, is expected to open in 2023.

See also


This page was last updated at 2023-11-27 00:06 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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