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Interstate 57
Total length: 380 miles (611 km)
Southern terminus: Sikeston, MO, at JCT I-55
Northern terminus: Chicago, IL, at JCT I-94
States traversed & length in each:
- Missouri — 22 miles (35 km)
- Illinois — 358 miles (576 km)
Major cities along route:
- Champaign, IL
- Kankakee, IL
- Chicago, IL
Junctions with non-related Interstates:
Related loops and spurs:
Length I’ve traveled: Entire length
Time zones:
Central — Entire length
Counties traversed:
Missouri — Scott, Mississippi
Illinois — Alexander, Pulaski, Union, Johnson, Williamson, Franklin, Jefferson, Marion, Fayette, Clay, Effingham, Shelby, Cumberland, Coles, Douglas, Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Will, Cook
A quick hypertext drive: Interstate 57 serves as a bypass of St. Louis, MO, for Memphis-to-Chicago traffic. Drivers can cut roughly 60 miles off the trip between these two cities by using Interstate 57.
I-57 begins at an interchange connecting itself, I-55, and U.S. Route 60 southeast of Sikeston, MO. There are only three exits along the short and very flat stretch in southeastern Missouri before I-57 crosses the Mississippi River to Cairo, IL (pronounced KAY-roe), a small town best known for sitting at the point where the Ohio and Mississippi rivers meet. As it leaves the river valleys, I-57 becomes progressively more and more hilly as it approaches the Shawnee National Forest and eventually the Interstate 24 interchange.
Very shortly thereafter, I-57 flattens out again and passes through an area dominated by forests and lakes; a rest area at milepost 78 on the southbound side sits almost literally on the shores of scenic Rend Lake, providing opportunities for sporting and recreation. North of Rend Lake, I-57 carries on a short multiplex with I-64 and then passes into a largely agricultural landscape.
Not much about the surroundings of I-57 changes as the highway passes Effingham (with a short I-70 multiplex), Mattoon, Champaign/Urbana, and even Kankakee, although it does pass closer to the built-up areas of Kankakee than any of the others. Finally, near Monee, I-57 begins to very slowly become more suburban in character, and not far south of I-80, it widens to six lanes for the first time. Although it crosses Interstate 294 (Tri-State Tollway), I-57 lacks a direct interchange with I-294; drivers wishing to connect between the two must use Interstate 80 to make that connection. Finally, on the south side of Chicago, I-57 terminates into I-94 (Dan Ryan Expwy or Bishop Ford Fwy).
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