^Southbound trailblazer at Illinois 108 in Kampsville, June 2023.
If routes could be friends with the rivers, Illinois Route 100 would be the best friend of the Illinois River. Starting just south of Canton, Illinois, Illinois 100 heads south to follow the path traversed by the southern third of the Illinois River, continuing past its mouth into the Mississippi River to end in Alton. Illinois 100 crosses the Illinois River four times.
Illinois 100 begins in the north at Illinois 78 a few miles south of Canton, and heads southwesterly:
Illinois 100 begins in the north at Illinois 78 a few miles south of Canton, and heads southwesterly:
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Just north of Lewistown, Illinois 100 joins Illinois 97 south into that town:
The major junction in Lewistown is the meeting of three distinct duplexes; as US Route 24 comes from the east to join Illinois 100 south, Illinois 97 joins that eastern road carrying US Route 24:
At Duncan Mills, US Route 136 joins from the east, forming a triple concurrency with Illinois 100 and US Route 24:
About two miles to the south, US Route 24 continues southwest, while US Route 136 and Illinois 100 turn easterly:
The easterly deviation of Illinois 100 doesn't last long, however, and it splits from US Route 136 to finally head south independently, right adjacent to the Illinois River...
After a considerable distance hugging the northwestern bank of the Illinois, Illinois 100 reaches a junction, where it joins US Route 67 south across the river and meets the eastern endpoint of Illinois 103...
In Beardstown, the concurrency of US Route 67 and Illinois 100 meets the western end of Illinois 125...
Just east of Meredosia, Illinois 104 comes from the west to join Illinois 100 and US Route 67 southward:
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Only a mile after Illinois 104 shows up, though, Illinois 100 breaks away from US Route 67 and Illinois 104 which both head more easterly toward Jacksonville:
Illinois 100 meets an interchange with Interstate 72 south of Bluffs, Illinois...
Illinois 100 joins Illinois 106 west to cross the Florence Bridge over the Illinois River....
Now back on the west side of the river, Illinois 100 turns southerly away from Illinois 106 at the tiny town of Detroit, Illinois...
In Kampsville, Illinois 100 meets the western end of Illinois 108, a block west of that route's ferry crossing of the Illinois River:
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Still in Kampsville, Illinois 100 meets the southern end of Illinois 96:
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In Hardin, Illinois 100 turns onto the southernmost bridge over the Illinois River, spawning the eastern beginning of Illinois 16, which follows Illinois 100 east from this point:
A few miles to the east, Illinois 16 splits to head eastward on its own, leaving Illinois 100 to turn southerly...
Illinois 100's southerly pathing turns easterly along the northern banks of the easterly-flowing Mississippi River, and it meets the western end of Illinois 3 in Grafton:
In downtown Alton, facing eastward, Illinois 100 meets its end at US Route 67, which connects to Illinois 143 and a bridge across the Mississippi River into Missouri...