Meet Illinois Route 4: The 'Mother' of Mother Road Route 66

Meet Illinois Route 4: The 'mother' of mother road Route 66

Illinois Route 4 is mostly a two-lane road that connects rural communities from central to southern Illinois. Its heritage, though, runs much deeper.

Route 4 Was The Mother Of Mother Roads

by Tom Emery Today, Illinois Route 4 is mostly a two-lane road that connects rural communities from central to southern Illinois. Its heritage, though, runs much deeper. Not only is the route one of the oldest numbered highways in the state, it was also one of the longest; in its earliest form, Route 4 stretched all the way from Chicago to St. Louis. And that’s not all. Most of the highway’s align...