Interstate 280 Iowa / Illinois

Interstate 280 Iowa
Interstate 280 Illinois
Davenport, IA ↔ Colona, IL•26.98 miles

Overview

I-280 - Sgt. John F. Baker, Jr. Bridge
The Sgt. John F. Baker, Jr. Bridge carries Interstate 280 across the Mississippi River between southwest Davenport, Iowa and southwest Rock Island, Illinois. 05/28/18

Forming the western and southern half of Quad Cities (Moline, Rock Island, Bettendorf, and Davenport) beltway system, Interstate 280 provides a bypass for long distance travelers between Des Moines and Chicago. The freeway begins at a rural directional T interchange with I-80/U.S. 6 in northwest Davenport. Heading south, the route doubles as U.S. 61 by West Lake Park to W River Drive, where U.S. 61 turns west toward Blue Grass and Muscatine. The remainder of I-280 in Iowa angles southeast to cross the Mississippi River near Credit Island Park.

Within Illinois, I-280 travels generally from west to east while paralleling the Rock River. A freeway spur, Illinois Route 92 / Centennial Expressway, connects the bypass with Downtown Rock Island from Exit 11. East from there and the Bally's Quad Cities Casino & Hotel complex, Interstate 280 continues through the village of Milan to Quad City International Airport (MLI).

Just north of the airport is the cloverleaf interchange joining I-280 with Interstate 74. The two overlap along a 9.4 mile long exit less stretch east to the Big X Interchange joining I-74 with I-80/IL 110 (Chicago Kansas City Expressway). There I-74 turns south toward Galesburg and Peoria.

Mileage by State

Iowa9.38 mi
Illinois17.60 mi

Data Sources

December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

History

Quad Cities Recommended Interstate Route Numbers - 11/58
Interstate System Route Numbering on November 10, 1958

The Urban Numbering Plan submitted by the Illinois Division of Highways to the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on July 24, 1958 called for numbering the East Loop of the Quad Cities belt line as Interstate 274 and the Southwest Loop as Interstate 280. I-74 and I-80 would overlap southward through Davenport, Bettendorf and Moline. Further changes to the current Quad Cities Interstate layout were made by AASHO when it approved the Interstate System Route Numbering on November 10, 1958.1

Within Iowa, the northernmost connection between U.S. 6/County Road F58 and I-80 opened along with Interstate 80 between U.S. 61 (Exit 295) and Iowa 38 (Exit 267) on December 1, 1960. The remainder of the freeway though Davenport opened to traffic on October 25, 1973.2

A designation change was proposed by the state of Illinois in 1991 to renumber existing I-280 as Interstate 80, change existing I-80 to Interstate 74, and redesignate the north to south section of I-74, including the twin suspension bridges, as Interstate 174. This action was not considered by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) at their Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering meeting on June 10, 1991 because the state of Iowa did not submit companion applications.

Illinois contested that shifting Interstate 80 to the Southwest Loop over I-280 would improve safety at the cloverleaf interchange where I-74 and I-80 both make TOTSO (turn off to stay on) movements near Colona. Economic advantages were also suggested for Rock Island, as the move from I-280 to I-80 would shift the city from the "local" route to the national one. The numbering debate between the two states continued to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) ruling made on July 1, 1993, which retained I-80 and I-280 on their current alignments.3

The tied arch bridge across the Mississippi River was originally painted blue and gold, per a public opinion survey conducted by the Times-Democrat in 1972. The survey provided four choices for the span: interstate blue, interstate green, international airways orange and the blue/yellow combination. The blue/yellow scheme won with 3,446 votes out of 8,300. Officials from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) also advocated for local input in the bridge color selection in 1972, concurring with the eventual paint scheme. The span was eventually repainted simply blue in 2007.4

Further changes for the I-280 were made in May 2008 when the bridge was formally named the Sgt. John F. Baker, Jr. Bridge in honor of the only Quad Cities area Medal of Honor recipient. Approved by Illinois lawmakers, the honor was bestowed upon the 24 year Army veteran who, was awarded the medal in 1966 for carrying fellow wounded soldiers to safety during a battle in the Vietnam War.5

Quad Cities inset – 1964 Iowa Official Highway Map
Interstate 280 within Iowa comprised a connector between I-80 and U.S. 6 (Kimberly Road) from 1960 to 1973. U.S. 6 was relocated onto this connector in 1980 as it bypassed Walcott, Durant and Wilton via I-80 west.
Quad Cities inset – 1964 Illinois Official Highway Map
Interstate 80 west defaulted onto I-74/280 to U.S. 6/150 south of Moline in 1964. The tolled Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge (later I-74) carried the bulk of through traffic at the time.
I-280 west - Mississippi River Bridge
The 1973 color scheme for the span carrying I-280 across the Mississippi River was blue and yellow. The tied arch bridge was repainted blue in 2007. 09/04/05

East End Interstate 74 Interstate 80Illinois Route 110 ‐ Colona, IL

Interstate 74 Interstate 280 East at Interstate 80 Illinois Route 110

I-74/280 east at I-80/IL 110 - Colona

I-74/280 arc southeast across a series of hills from the Rock River to the Big X Interchange with I-80/IL 110 (CKC). 06/21/22

I-74/280 east at I-80/IL 110 - Colona I-74/280 east at I-80/IL 110 - Colona I-74/280 east at I-80/IL 110 - Colona I-74/280 east at I-80/IL 110 - Colona I-74/280 east at I-80/IL 110 - Colona

Interstate 80 West at Interstate 74 Interstate 280 Illinois Route 110

I-80 west at I-74/280-IL 110 - Colona

An 8.8-mile exit less stretch along Interstate 80 west concludes in two miles at the cloverleaf interchange with I-74 and I-280 west. 03/31/16

I-80 west at I-74/280-IL 110 - Colona I-80 west at I-74/280-IL 110 - Colona I-80 west at I-74/280-IL 110 - Colona I-80 west at I-74/280 - 1976 I-80 west at I-74/280-IL 110 - Colona

Interstate 74 West Illinois Route 110 North at Interstate 80 Interstate 280

Two miles from the Big X Interchange with I-80/280 on I-74 west

A 9.5 mile exit less stretch along I-74/IL 110 (CKC) culminates north at the Big X interchange with I-80/280 in two miles. 12/21/23

Two miles from the Big X Interchange with I-80/280 on I-74 west One mile south of I-80 and I-280 west on I-74 west near Colona, IL I-74 west at I-80 east to Chicago. The unnumbered exit for I-280 west is next. I-74 combines with I-280 west via a TOTSO movement I-74/IL 110 west at I-80/280 - Colona

Interstate 80 East Illinois Route 110 South at Interstate 74 Interstate 280

I-80/IL 110 east at I-74/280 - Colona

I-80/IL 110 (Chicago Kansas City Expressway) travel south through eastern reaches of Colona to the Big X interchange with I-74/280. A diamond interchange (Exit 9) precedes the freeway connection with U.S. 6. 06/21/22

I-80/IL 110 east at I-74/280 - Colona I-80/IL 110 east at I-74/280 - Colona I-80/IL 110 east at I-74/280 - Colona I-80/IL 110 east at I-74/280 - Colona I-80/IL 110 east at I-74/280 - Colona

West End Interstate 80U.S. 6 U.S. 61 ‐ Davenport, IA

Interstate 280 U.S. 6 West U.S. 61 North at Interstate 80

I-280/US 61 north at I-80/US 6 - Davenport, IA

Exit 1 joins I-280/U.S. 61 with U.S. 6 (Kimberly Road) east and CR F58 west (Historic U.S. 6) west in northwest Davenport. CR F58 was designated in place of Iowa 927 west to Walcott on July 1, 2003. 06/21/22

I-280/US 61 north at I-80/US 6 - Davenport, IA I-280/US 61 north at I-80/US 6 - Davenport, IA I-280/US 61 north at I-80/US 6 - Davenport, IA I-280/US 61 north at I-80/US 6 - Davenport, IA

Interstate 80 U.S. 6 East at Interstate 280 U.S. 61

I-80/US 6 east at I-280/US 61 - Davenport, IA

Greenouts added to signs at Interstate 280 in 2011 reflected the relocation of U.S. 61 to bypass the city of Davenport. U.S. 61 overlaps with I-280 south to W River Drive and I-80 east to Brady Street. 06/19/22

I-80/US 6 east at I-280/US 61 - Davenport, IA I-80/US 6 east at I-280/US 61 - Davenport, IA I-80/US 6 east at I-280/US 61 - Davenport, IA I-80/US 6 east at I-280/US 61 - Davenport, IA

Interstate 80 West U.S. 61 South at Interstate 280 U.S. 6

I-80/US 61 west at I-280/US 6 - Davenport, IA

U.S. 61 combines with I-80 five miles to Left Exit 290 exit for I-280/U.S. 6 east. U.S. 61 bypasses Davenport south from Dubuque and De Witt to Blue Grass and Muscatine. 06/21/22

I-80/US 61 west at I-280/US 6 - Davenport, IA I-80/US 61 west at I-280/US 6 - Davenport, IA I-80/US 61 west at I-280/US 6 - Davenport, IA I-80/US 61 west at I-280/US 6 - Davenport, IA

References

  1. Summers, S. Interstate system route numbering. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20040619055326/http://www.nwindianahwys.homestead.com/ILLI.html
  2. Iowa Completion Status of Interstate System as of January 1, 1982. Iowa Department of Transportation.
  3. "Iowa Wins Interstate - Interstate Battle FHWA Won't Change Numbering of Highways in Quad Cities Region." Peoria Journal Star, The (IL), July 3, 1993.
  4. "I-280 bridge gets the blues - Span no longer will sport unique yellow on arch." Quad-City Times, The (IA), September 14, 2007.
  5. "Illinois set to name I-280 bridge after Vietnam War hero - John F. Baker Jr. is a Medal of Honor recipient." Quad-City Times, The (IA), May 3, 2008.
Updated January 25, 2024