Illinois Route 149 is an east–west state road in southern Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. It runs from Illinois Route 3

Illinois Route 3

Illinois Route 3 is a major north–south arterial state highway in southwestern Illinois. It has its southern terminus at Cairo Junction at the intersection of Interstate 57 and U.S. Route 51, and its northern terminus in Grafton at Illinois Route 100...

 near Grimsby east to Illinois Route 37

Illinois Route 37

Illinois Route 37, or Illinois 37, is a north–south route in southern Illinois. It is in length. Originally connecting Effingham to Cairo, it was a heavily-traveled highway before Interstate 57 was opened. That Interstate, which lies very close to most of Illinois 37 , supplanted it as a...

 in Thompsonville

Thompsonville, Illinois

Thompsonville is a village in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 571 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Thompsonville is located at ....

. This is a distance of 45.92 miles (73.9 km).

Route description

Illinois 149 runs east–west through downtown Murphysboro

Murphysboro, Illinois

Murphysboro is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,970 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area.-Geography:Murphysboro is located at ....

 and to the north of Carbondale

Carbondale, Illinois

Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...

. It also runs to the north of Herrin

Herrin, Illinois

Herrin is a city in Williamson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,501 at the 2010 census. It is home to Country Musicstar David Lee Murphy, the hometown of baseball's Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman, and the hometown of San Diego State University men's basketball coach Steve...

. West of Carbondale, Illinois 149 overlaps Illinois Routes 13

Illinois Route 13

Illinois Route 13 is a major east–west state route in southern Illinois. Illinois 13 has its western terminus at Centreville at Illinois Route 157 and its eastern terminus at the Kentucky state line and the Ohio River, at Kentucky Route 56. This is a distance of .- Route description :Illinois...

 and 127

Illinois Route 127

Illinois Route 127 is a north–south highway in central and southern Illinois. Its southern terminus is at Illinois Route 3 near Olive Branch and its northern terminus at Interstate 55, along with the southern terminus of Illinois Route 48 in Raymond. This is a distance of .- Route description...

. Through West Frankfort

West Frankfort, Illinois

West Frankfort is a city in Franklin County, Illinois, USA. The population was 8,182 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area.-History:...

, Illinois 149 doubles as "Main Street."

History

SBI Route 149 originally ran from Hurst

Hurst, Illinois

Hurst is a city in Williamson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 805 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hurst is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

 to Thompsonville. In 1963, it replaced Illinois Route 144 when Illinois 149 was extended west to Illinois 3.