Illinois Route 145
Encyclopedia
Illinois Route 145 is a north–south state road in southern Illinois
. It splits off from U.S. Route 45
near Metropolis
(across the Ohio River
from Paducah, Kentucky
) and runs north, rejoining U.S. 45 in Harrisburg
. This is a distance of 43.47 miles (69.96 km).
, and serves Dixon Springs State Park
near Dixon Springs
. It is a rural, two-lane road for its entire length. It is multi-plexed with Illinois 34 from its northern terminus at U.S. 45 in Harrisburg through Pankeyville and on to Mitchellsville where 34 spurs east to Rosiclaire. Between 34 and Eddyville is the small settlement of Delwood. The route also meets Illinois 147 6 miles south of Eddyville just north of Glendale. It connects with Illinois 146 just west of Dixon Springs. Eddyville Road which runs from Eddyville to just north of Golconda at Illinois 146 is a well maintained Pope County Route that serves as a shortcut from Eddyville to Golconda. In fact it saves several miles from having to drive south to 146 at Dixon Springs and then east on to Golconda.
On its original routing, Illinois 145 can be considered a spur of its "parent route", U.S. 45; with its extension in 1955, it can now be considered a "loop" of U.S. 45.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It splits off from U.S. Route 45
U.S. Route 45
U.S. Route 45 is a north–south United States highway. US 45 is a border-to-border route, from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. A sign at the highway's northern terminus notes the total distance as ....
near Metropolis
Metropolis, Illinois
Metropolis is a city located along the Ohio River in Massac County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,482...
(across the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
from Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
) and runs north, rejoining U.S. 45 in Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Illinois
Harrisburg is a city and township in Saline County, Illinois, United States. It is located about southwest of Evansville, Indiana, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. The 2010 population was 9,017, with a township population of 10,790. It is the county seat of Saline County...
. This is a distance of 43.47 miles (69.96 km).
Route description
Illinois 145 runs through the central portion of Shawnee National ForestShawnee National Forest
The Shawnee National Forest, located in the Ozark and Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, consists of approximately 280,000 acres of federally managed lands. In descending order of land area it is located in parts of Pope, Jackson, Union, Hardin, Alexander, Saline, Gallatin, Johnson, and Massac...
, and serves Dixon Springs State Park
Dixon Springs State Park
Dixon Springs State Park is an Illinois state park on in Pope County, Illinois, USA, and is one of several state parks in the Illinois Shawnee Hills. The park is on a giant block of rock which was dropped along a fault line that extends northwesterly across Pope County.The park is about west...
near Dixon Springs
Dixon Springs, Illinois
Dixon Springs is an unincorporated community in Pope County, Illinois, United States. Dixon Springs is west of Golconda....
. It is a rural, two-lane road for its entire length. It is multi-plexed with Illinois 34 from its northern terminus at U.S. 45 in Harrisburg through Pankeyville and on to Mitchellsville where 34 spurs east to Rosiclaire. Between 34 and Eddyville is the small settlement of Delwood. The route also meets Illinois 147 6 miles south of Eddyville just north of Glendale. It connects with Illinois 146 just west of Dixon Springs. Eddyville Road which runs from Eddyville to just north of Golconda at Illinois 146 is a well maintained Pope County Route that serves as a shortcut from Eddyville to Golconda. In fact it saves several miles from having to drive south to 146 at Dixon Springs and then east on to Golconda.
On its original routing, Illinois 145 can be considered a spur of its "parent route", U.S. 45; with its extension in 1955, it can now be considered a "loop" of U.S. 45.