Illinois Route 125 Explained

State:IL
Type:IL
Maint:IDOT
Route:125
Map Custom:yes
Map Notes:IL 125 highlighted in red
Length Mi:37.10
Length Round:2
Length Ref:[1]
Direction B:East
Direction A:West
Terminus A: in Beardstown
Terminus B: in Pleasant Plains
Counties:Cass, Sangamon
Established:1924[2]
Previous Route:124
Previous Type:IL
Next Type:IL
Next Route:126

Illinois Route 125 (IL-125) is a major 37.1miles highway in the central portion of the U.S. state of Illinois. Illinois 125 runs east from the concurrent U.S. Route 67 and Illinois Route 100 near Beardstown to Illinois Route 97 in Farmingdale, west of Springfield.

Route description

Illinois 125 lies within Cass County and Sangamon County, and serves the towns of Ashland and Virginia. Virginia is the county seat of Cass County.

IL-125 follows most of the route of the Sangamon Trail, a pioneer trail from Springfield, the state capital, to the Illinois River. Points of interest directly located on IL-125 include the Clayville Tavern, an 1824 hostelry located 2miles east of Pleasant Plains, and the Illinois River bluff at Bluff Springs, five miles (8 km) east of Beardstown and the river.

Points of interest marked on IL-125, but not directly on the road, include the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area in eastern Cass County northwest of Ashland, and the old Cass County courthouse in Beardstown where lawyer Abraham Lincoln practiced.

History

SBI Route 125 originally ran from Springfield to Virginia. In 1968 it was extended west to Beardstown, replacing U.S. 67 and parts of Illinois Route 3. The next year it was truncated on its eastern portion from Springfield to Illinois 97. There have been no changes to Illinois 125 since 1969.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Illinois Technology Transfer Center . T2 GIS Data . 2007-11-08 . 2006.
  2. Carlson, Rich. Illinois Highways Page: Routes 121 thru 140. Last updated March 15, 2005. Retrieved May 10, 2006.