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steelhunter's avatar
steelhunter
Explorer
Mar 15, 2019

Hwy 24 Ft Wayne to Peoria

Is this a limited access 4 lane highway all the way?

I'm considering this route to avoid Chicago.
  • No it is not. There are stretches of two lane. For the most part it is a decent road, at least the section that we have traveled. We take it each year from US31 in Indiana to I57 in Illinois. I don't know how it is west of I57 or east of US31. Traffic along the section that we travel is not bad.
  • Some 4 lane, some 2 lane but anything is better than the Chicago crazy traffic. We run 24 all the time. Not a hurry up road.
  • We use routes 30 and 24 across OH and IN to avoid Chicago and the OH and IN toll roads. Route 30 is all divided highway with 2 lanes each side. Route 24 is the same as far west as Logansport, IN then 2 lane on west. We get off route 30 at Van Wert and take route 224 to join route 24 at Huntington to save miles going around Ft. Wayne. IMO the extra time to use route 24 is much better than the craziness around Chicago.
  • US-24 is a great way to cross Illinois. We've used it twice coming back from our cross country trips. It's a nice easy crossing. Many times, I prefer to drive the "blue" highways anyway just to get off interstates. Also, US-24 lets you avoid going anywhere near Chicago. This is always a plus.

    As others have said, it's a mix of two lane, four lane, and sometimes a bypass.
  • US 24 is a good route. Just a small "heads-up" - On the 24 Bypass around Huntington, IN US24 is with SR9. Just west of Huntington SR9 goes straight and US24 West makes a sharp Right at a light. So be prepared to make that turn which might be a surprise as you are cruising along. Happy trails and stay safe.
  • In Illinois, US 24 is a two lane road with the speed limit at 55. You will go through small towns about every 15-20 miles with agricultural land in between. It's an easy drive - straight forward. You'll want to avoid it during planting and harvest time.