Illinois Route 22 - Route Description

Route Description

Beginning at its western terminus at a commercially developed intersection with U.S. Route 14 (Northwest Highway), Illinois 22 starts out as a two lane road in Fox River Grove, just inside the McHenry County line. It quickly becomes much more rural as it enters the city of Lake Barrington and Lake County about a half mile east. The Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital and Stonehenge Golf Club on the north side are all that lie in this wooded area of sporadic residential development. Heading into North Barrington, the road continues its journey as it crosses paths with Illinois Route 59 (Hough Street) until soon after, when it nears the more densely populated area of Lake Zurich.

It becomes a four lane road as it approaches commercial development and the busy intersection of U.S. Route 12 (Rand Road). Shortly after, it proceeds to briefly take a northeast direction while it bypasses the narrow, downtown area of Lake Zurich, including a grade separation at the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (EJ&E). Returning due east, the road travels through a mix of light industrial and commercial developments to the north, and residential to the south before intersecting with Quentin Road. This is where, for a short distance, Illinois 22 runs past the southern edge of Forest Lake on the north side and heads into Kildeer which is largely on the south side. This all takes place while it narrows back down to two lanes near two housing developments and returns to a rural setting with light forestry. The road then passes by the Kemper Lakes Business Center, Kemper Lakes Golf Club, and the Egret Marsh and then enters Long Grove. Soon after passing a mixed-use development on the northwest corner at an intersection with Old McHenry Road, it briefly enters a denser forest area before widening back to four lanes while again passing by residential developments.

After a major intersection with Illinois Route 83, the route takes on the name Half Day Road and enters Buffalo Grove. It passes by more neighborhoods, a shopping plaza on the northeast corner of Buffalo Grove Road, the Arboretum Club, and the Prairie View Metra Station next to the at-grade North Central Service tracks. The road then enters Lincolnshire and heads nearby the Stevenson High School and an office complex before intersecting with Illinois Route 21/U.S. Route 45 (Milwaukee Avenue), with all corners currently being undeveloped except the northwest which contains a gas station. It then travels by Crane's Landing Golf Course, near the Half Day and Wright Woods Forest Preserves, and goes over the Des Plaines River as it once again encounters a wooded area which surrounds nearby homes. Soon the road intersects and forms a diamond interchange with Interstate 94 (Tri-State Tollway); many office complexes and corporate buildings, such as Hewitt Associates, are located nearby.

On the east side of the interchange, Illinois 22 enters Bannockburn and reverts back to a two lane road as it passes near Trinity International University, as well as some upper class real estate areas. The road returns to four lanes as it approaches the at-grade Milwaukee District/North Line tracks and Illinois Route 43 (Waukegan Road) and passes a shopping area on the southeast corner of that intersection. Finally, it arrives in Highland Park, where it heads near the Prairie Wolf Slough Forest Preserve and once again goes down to two lanes for a short distance. Shortly after, it returns to four lanes for the last time as it goes under the grade separated Union Pacific/North Line tracks and a pedestrian crossing before terminating at the well traveled, at-grade intersection of U.S. Route 41 (Skokie Highway); Half Day Road continues east without a state route designation.