The
John F. Kennedy Expressway is a 17.8 miles (28.65 km) long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to
O'Hare International AirportChicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
. The
expresswayA controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
is named for the 35th U.S. President,
John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. The
Interstate 90In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 90 runs roughly northwest through the northern end of the state, from the Indiana border to Wisconsin. I-90 traverses a variety of settings, from farmland west of the Fox River Valley to medium-density suburban west of O'Hare International Airport, to the...
portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90 (which runs 3111.52 miles (5,007.49 km) from Boston, Massachusetts to
Seattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
). The Kennedy's official endpoints are the Circle Interchange with
Interstate 290Interstate 290 is a main Interstate freeway that runs westwards from the Chicago Loop. A portion of I-290 is officially called the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway. In short form, it is known as "the Ike" or the Eisenhower...
(Eisenhower Expressway/Congress Parkway) and the
Dan Ryan ExpresswayThe Dan Ryan is an expressway in the city of Chicago that runs from the Circle Interchange with I-290 near downtown Chicago through the South Side of the city. It is designated as both Interstate 94 and Interstate 90 south to 66th Street, a distance of...
(also I-90/94) at the east end, and the O'Hare Airport terminals at the west end. The
Interstate 190Interstate 190 is an intrastate Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. I-190 runs west from I-90 to O'Hare International Airport. This is a distance of . Interstate 190 is the westernmost leg of the Kennedy Expressway...
portion of the Kennedy is 3.07 miles (4.94 km) long and is meant to serve airport traffic. Interstate 90 picks up the Kennedy destination and runs a further 6.29 miles (10.12 km), before joining with I-94 for the final 8.44 miles (13.58 km).
Traveling eastbound from O'Hare, the Kennedy interchanges with the eastern terminus of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (Interstate 90) and with the
Tri-State TollwayThe Tri-State Tollway is a U.S. toll road maintained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority in northeastern Illinois which is considered one of the most heavily traveled highways in the country...
(
Interstate 294Interstate 294 is a tolled Interstate Highway in northeastern Illinois, U.S.A.. It forms the southern portion of the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois. I-294 runs from South Holland at Interstates 80 and 94, and Illinois Route 394 to Northbrook at I-94. Interstate 294 is long; are shared with I-80....
) at a complex junction just west of
Illinois Route 171Illinois Route 171 is a north–south state road in northeastern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 6 in Joliet north to Illinois Route 72 at the Chicago/Park Ridge border...
(Cumberland Avenue). The Kennedy later merges with the southern end of the
Edens ExpresswayThe Edens Expressway is the main major expressway north from the city of Chicago. For most of its length, the Edens carries Interstate 94; it also carries U.S. Route 41 from Wilmette to its northern terminus. Only the short portion from the Spur Ramp to the expressway's end in Highland Park does...
(
Interstate 94Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
) at Montrose Avenue; the Kennedy (at this point both I-90 and I-94) then turns south to its junction with the Dan Ryan and Eisenhower Expressways and Congress Parkway at the Circle Interchange in downtown Chicago.
With up to 327,000 vehicles traveling on some portions of the Kennedy daily, the Kennedy and its South Side extension, the
Dan RyanThe Dan Ryan is an expressway in the city of Chicago that runs from the Circle Interchange with I-290 near downtown Chicago through the South Side of the city. It is designated as both Interstate 94 and Interstate 90 south to 66th Street, a distance of...
, are the busiest roads in Illinois.
History
The Kennedy was originally constructed along the route of Avondale Avenue, an existing diagonal street, and the northwest railroad corridor, in the late 1950s and completed on November 5, 1960. Originally named the Northwest Expressway for its general direction of travel, the
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
City Council voted unanimously on November 29, 1963—one week after the assassination and death of President Kennedy--to rename the highway the
John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
Expressway. Until 1978, the Kennedy Expressway was marked as
Interstate 94Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
and Illinois 194,
Interstate 90Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
and Interstate 190 replaced Illinois 194 and thus the Eisenhower Expressway was renamed from
Interstate 90Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
to
Interstate 290Interstate 290 may refer to the following Interstate Highways in the United States:*Interstate 290 , a highway from Chicago, Illinois, to Rolling Meadows, Illinois...
.
The express was last reconstructed from 1992 through 1994. The existing express lanes, which previously were reversed by hand, were modernized. In addition, all aspects of the express lanes system were computerized, so that the process could be controlled at both ends from a central location. At least once a day, however, IDOT crews still examine the express lanes for debris while the lanes are still closed.
Features
One feature of the Kennedy Expressway is the
Chicago Transit Authority'sChicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
Blue LineThe Blue Line consists of a long trunk line in the Chicago Transit Authority's rapid transit system which extends through Chicago's Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, and across the West Side to its...
that lies in the median for about ten miles (16 km) from just south of Addison Street to just east of Mannheim Road. In 1984, the city of Chicago decided that to best serve the needs of the people regarding public transportation, a rapid transit line should be constructed in the median to O'Hare Airport instead of a fourth lane in both directions. This had been done previously in the early 1950s within the medians of the Eisenhower Expressway, and for the
Dan Ryan ExpresswayThe Dan Ryan is an expressway in the city of Chicago that runs from the Circle Interchange with I-290 near downtown Chicago through the South Side of the city. It is designated as both Interstate 94 and Interstate 90 south to 66th Street, a distance of...
in 1969. The decision proved to be wise, as the
rail lineThe Blue Line consists of a long trunk line in the Chicago Transit Authority's rapid transit system which extends through Chicago's Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, and across the West Side to its...
is heavily traveled by commuters and travelers during the rush hour.
The second distinct feature of the Kennedy Expressway are its reversible express lanes where Interstate 94 merges into Interstate 90. The reversible lanes lie in the median of the highway from the Kennedy Expressway/Edens Expressway junction until just north of the Loop (at Ohio street), a distance of about 8 miles (13 km). These reversible lanes allow 2 lanes of traffic to flow towards or away from the city, depending on the time of the day. The lanes are controlled by computers and verified by humans at a separate control center. Steel mesh barriers and breakaway gates prevent traffic from entering oncoming lanes. To date, there has never been a successful wrong-way vehicle incursion incident in the express lanes.
The final distinct feature are the last two miles (3 km) — there are 9 exits in 2 miles (3.2 km) along mileposts 50 and 51, and the southbound exit to Interstate 290 and Congress Parkway is marked as exits 51H and I. While the density of interchanges is quite dangerous, the hazard is partially offset by the fact that exits are 500 feet (152 m) apart and on the right hand side, while entrances to the highway are also 500 feet (152.4 m) apart, but on the left side. In spite of the separated nature of the interchanges, there is little to no acceleration zone on the entrance ramps, and traffic on the ramps cannot see mainline traffic until the last fifty feet (15 m) of the ramp. Many believe that these factors make these entrances unsafe, and avoid them. Because of these factors, the speed limit is still 45 mph (70 km/h) in this area, and most people choose to use Ohio Street or Congress Parkway since these entrances are on the right. In December 2005, as part of replacing the Washington Street bridge, the city of Chicago closed its entrance ramps to the Kennedy as a safety measure while still allowing access to the expressway from the West Loop. A major construction project to revamp these so called 'suicide ramps' was started in 2009.
The Kennedy Expressway was the location of a large
MagikistMagikist was a U.S.-based rug cleaner manufacturer and cleaning company. After the company went out of business in 2001, the name was sold and is currently used by a Canadian manufacturer of car wash equipment. The original company was notable for its large advertising signs which were a part of...
lips flashing sign which was a
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
pop culture icon for many years. Located at the southeast corner where Montrose Avenue abutted the expressway, the sign was torn down in 2004.
Exit list
The entire road is in Cook County.
| Location |
Mile |
#An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....
|
Destinations |
Notes |
| See I-190 for the continuation towards O'Hare Airport |
RosemontRosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States located immediately northwest of Chicago. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that...
|
1.79 |
1B |
– IndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
|
Signed as exit 1D eastbound |
| 1.81 |
1C |
– Milwaukee, Rockford |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| 2.24 |
1A |
River Road (9400 West) |
Signed as exits 1A (north) and 1B (south) eastbound |
| Chicago |
3.07/78.7 |
78 |
, Milwaukee |
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 79.6 |
79 |
|
Signed as exits 79A (south) and 79B (north) |
| 80.3 |
80 |
Canfield Road (7900 West) |
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 81.2 |
81A |
|
|
| 81.2 |
81B |
Sayre Avenue (7000 West) |
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 82.2 |
82A |
Nagle Avenue (6432 West) |
No westbound exit |
| 82.4 |
82B |
Bryn Mawr Avenue (5600 North) |
Westbound exit only |
| 82.8 |
82C |
Austin Avenue (6000 West) |
Eastbound exit only |
| 83.3 |
83A |
Foster Avenue Foster Avenue is a major east-west street on the North Side of Chicago as well as the northwestern suburbs. Foster Avenue separates the Chicago lakefront neighborhoods of Edgewater to the north and Uptown to the south....
(5200 North) |
No eastbound exit |
| 83.5 |
83B |
Central Avenue (5600 West) |
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 84.2 |
84 |
Lawrence Avenue (4800 North) |
Signed to Interstate 94The Edens Expressway is the main major expressway north from the city of Chicago. For most of its length, the Edens carries Interstate 94; it also carries U.S. Route 41 from Wilmette to its northern terminus. Only the short portion from the Spur Ramp to the expressway's end in Highland Park does...
West; WisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
|
| West end of I-94 overlap; west end of express lanes |
| 84.8/43.32 |
|
– Milwaukee |
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; Kennedy Expressway takes exit 43B from I-94; colloquially known as The Junction |
| 43.6 |
43C |
Montrose Avenue (4400 North) |
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 43.9 |
43D |
Kostner Avenue (4400 West) |
Westbound exit only |
| 44.2-44.4 |
44A |
(4200 West) |
No westbound exit |
| 44.4-44.6 |
44B |
|
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 45.1 |
45A |
Addison Street Addison Street is a major east west street on the north side of Chicago. It is most associated with Wrigley Field, located at 1060 West Addison Street, which is the home of the Chicago Cubs.- Chicago communities :From east to west:...
(3600 North) |
|
| 45.5 |
45B |
Kimball Avenue (3400 West) |
|
| 45.8 |
45C |
Belmont Avenue Belmont Avenue is a major east-west street on the North Side of Chicago. Belmont is a central commercial street in Lakeview and, west of the North Branch of the Chicago River, Avondale...
(3200 North) to Kedzie AvenueKedzie Avenue is a major north-south street in Chicago, Illinois.Named for John H. Kedzie, an early Chicago real-estate developer, Kedzie extends more than 20 miles from the southern suburb of Olympia Fields to Bryn Mawr Avenue , and again from Lincoln Avenue to the Evanston border at Howard Street...
|
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 46.1 |
|
Sacramento Avenue (3000 West) |
Eastbound entrance only |
| 46.3 |
46A |
California Avenue (2800 West) |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| 46.5 |
46B |
Diversey Avenue (2800 North) |
Westbound exit only and eastbound entrance |
| 47.05-47.5 |
47A |
Western AvenueWestern Avenue is the longest continuous street within the city of Chicago at in length. Western Avenue extends south as a continuous road to the Dixie Highway at Sibley Boulevard in Dixmoor, giving the road a total length of . However, Western Avenue extends intermittently through the...
(2400 West), Fullerton Avenue (2400 North) |
Western Avenue has only a westbound exit and an eastbound entrance. The exit splits off from the westbound entrance from Fullerton; similarly, the entrance merges with the eastbound exit to Fullerton. Consequently, all traffic wishing to move between the Kennedy and Western Avenue must first cross Fullerton. |
|
| 47.6 |
47B |
Damen Avenue (2000 West) |
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 48.15 |
48A |
Armitage Avenue (2000 North) |
|
| 48.7 |
48B |
|
|
| 49.4 |
49A |
Division Street Division Street is a major east-west street in Chicago, Illinois, located at 1200 North . Division Street begins in the Gold Coast neighborhood near Lake Shore Drive, passes through Polonia Triangle at Milwaukee Avenue into Wicker Park and continues to Chicago's city limits and into the city's...
(1200 North) |
|
| 49.7-49.8 |
49B |
Augusta Boulevard (1000 North), Milwaukee AvenueMilwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
|
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 50.1 |
50A |
Ogden Avenue Ogden Avenue is an arterial street extending from the Near West Side of Chicago to Aurora, Illinois.The street follows the route of the Southwestern Plank Road, which opened in 1848 across swampy terrain between Chicago and Riverside, Illinois, and was extended to Naperville by 1851.The 1909 Plan...
(1200 West) |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| East end of express lanes |
| 50.4 |
50B |
Ohio Street east (Ohio/Ontario Feeder) (600 North) |
|
| 51.0 |
51A |
Lake StreetLake Street is an east-west arterial road in Chicago and its suburbs. Part of Lake Street is designated as U.S. Route 20. Lake Street begins in the city of Chicago and travels west and slightly north to the Chicago suburbs. It ends at the eastern terminus of the Elgin Bypass around Elgin, where...
(200 North) |
Westbound exit only |
| 51.1 |
51B |
Randolph Street west (150 North) |
Westbound entrance & exit, Eastbound exit only |
| 51.2 |
51C |
Washington Boulevard east (100 North) |
Both entrance ramps have been demolished |
| 51.3 |
51D |
Madison StreetMadison Street is a major east-west street in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to human intervention, the Chicago River emptied into Lake Michigan at the present day intersection of Madison Street and Michigan Avenue....
(0 North/South) |
|
| 51.4 |
51E |
Monroe Street (100 South) |
Right exits, no entrances |
| 51.5 |
51F |
Adams Street west (200 South) |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| 51.6 |
51G |
Jackson Boulevard east (300 South) |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| 51.8 |
51H |
 
– West Suburbs |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| 51.8 |
51I |
Congress Parkway – Chicago LoopThe Loop or Chicago Loop is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas located in the City of Chicago, Illinois. It is the historic commercial center of downtown Chicago...
(500 South) |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
|
|
– IndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
|
Continuation beyond I-290 |
External links