# Illinois Route 146

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**Illinois Route 146** (**IL 146**) is an east–west state highway in the [U.S. state](/source/U.S._state) of [Illinois](/source/Illinois). It serves the extreme southern region of the state, commonly called [Little Egypt](/source/Little_Egypt_(region)) or the [Illinois Ozarks](/source/Illinois_Ozarks). IL 146 is 92.93 miles (149.56 km) long.[2] An east–west highway, it serves [Hardin County](/source/Hardin_County,_Illinois), [Pope County](/source/Pope_County,_Illinois), [Johnson County](/source/Johnson_County,_Illinois), [Union County](/source/Union_County,_Illinois), and [Alexander County](/source/Alexander_County,_Illinois). These are some of the least-populated counties in Illinois. IL 146 serves two sections of the [Shawnee National Forest](/source/Shawnee_National_Forest).

## Route description

IL 146 generally follows a land route of the [Trail of Tears](/source/Trail_of_Tears), a trail taken by bands of approximately 9,000 [Cherokee](/source/Cherokee) who were forced to march through southern Illinois from November 1838 until January 1839 as part of a U.S. government mandated relocation. In 2006, the state of Illinois designated IL 146 as a historic highway and route of the Trail of Tears.[3]

IL 146 intersects with two U.S. [Interstate Highways](/source/Interstate_Highway): [Interstate 24](/source/Interstate_24) at exit 16 near [Vienna](/source/Vienna,_Illinois), and [Interstate 57](/source/Interstate_57) at exit 30 near [Anna](/source/Anna,_Illinois).

IL 146 passes through an area of Illinois noted for scenic beauty and significant tourist visitation. State-operated parks and recreation areas on or adjacent to IL 146 include, from west to east:

- [Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area](/source/Union_County_State_Fish_and_Wildlife_Area) near [Jonesboro](/source/Jonesboro,_Illinois)
- [Trail of Tears State Forest](/source/Trail_of_Tears_State_Forest) near Jonesboro
- [Cache River State Natural Area](/source/Cache_River_State_Natural_Area) near Vienna
- [Dixon Springs State Park](/source/Dixon_Springs_State_Park) near [Dixon Springs](/source/Dixon_Springs,_Illinois)
- [Rauchfuss Hill State Recreation Area](/source/Rauchfuss_Hill_State_Recreation_Area) near [Golconda](/source/Golconda,_Illinois)
- [Rose Hotel State Historic Site](/source/Rose_Hotel_State_Historic_Site) in [Elizabethtown](/source/Elizabethtown,_Illinois)
- [Cave-in-Rock State Park](/source/Cave-in-Rock_State_Park) in Cave-in-Rock

The city of Jonesboro was the site of an open-air debate between [Abraham Lincoln](/source/Abraham_Lincoln) and [Stephen Douglas](/source/Stephen_Douglas) in 1858. The site of the debate is preserved as a picnic area and park in Jonesboro.

## History

SBI Route 146 originally ran from [East Cape Girardeau](/source/East_Cape_Girardeau,_Illinois) east to Golconda. In 1937 it was extended east to Elizabethtown, replacing a leg of [Route 34](/source/Illinois_Route_34).[4] In 1942 the road was extended east to Cave-In-Rock. There have been no changes since 1942.[1]

## References

1. Carlson, Rich. [Illinois Highways Page: Routes 141 thru 160](http://www.n9jig.com/141-160.html). Last updated April 15, 2005. Retrieved June 26, 2006.

1. Illinois Technology Transfer Center (2006). ["T2 GIS Data"](http://www.dot.state.il.us/gist2/select.html). Retrieved 2007-11-08.

1. "House Joint Resolution 142", Illinois 94th General Assembly, adopted November 29, 2006. [\[1\]](http://ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=142&GAID=8&GA=94&DocTypeID=HJR&LegID=26217&SessionID=50)

1. Foust, Hal (March 28, 1937). ["24 Highways Renumbered as Tourist Aid"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90765772/il-changes-march-28-1937/). *[The Chicago Tribune](/source/The_Chicago_Tribune)*. p. 54. Retrieved December 18, 2021. – via Newspapers.com.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Illinois Route 146](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Route_146) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Route_146?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.