Interstate Highways and State Highways
Franklin County benefits from its easy, immediate access to the interstate highway system.
Interstate 57, the longest interstate in Illinois at 365 miles, runs through the center of Franklin County with entrance/exit ramps at West Frankfort, Benton/West City, and Ina. The north-south highway runs from I-55 in southeast Missouri to I-94 in Chicago.
Franklin County also has quick access to I-64, 20 miles north of the county and to I-24, 27 miles south of the county. Both I-64 and I-24 are accessible via I-57. I-64 covers 945 miles between Portsmouth, Va., and St. Louis. I-24, a 318-mile highway, runs from Chattanooga, Tenn., to I-57 in southern Illinois.
Three state highways, Illinois Route 37, Route 34, and Route 14, traverse Franklin County.
Once a part of the most direct route between Chicago and Memphis, Route 37 travels north and south through 10 counties beginning near Effingham and ending at Cairo.
Route 34 and Route 14 are both east-west highways that lead to two of the three major rivers that border the region – the Ohio River and the Wabash River. Route 34 connects four counties, starting at Benton and ending at the Ohio River at Rosiclare. Route 14 also extends through four counties from Du Quoin to the New Harmony, Ind., Toll Bridge over the Wabash River.
Highways serving Franklin County:
- Interstate 57
- Interstate 64
- Interstate 24
- Illinois State Route 37
- Illinois State Route 34
- Illinois State Route 14
Airports
Franklin County is served by five airports – Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah, Evansville Regional Airport, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, and Williamson County Regional Airport in Marion -- with scheduled flight service.
Three facilities – Benton Municipal Airport, Southern Illinois Airport, and Mt. Vernon Outland Airport -- have cargo, corporate, charter, and recreational capabilities.
Barkley Regional Airport
Evansville Regional Airport
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
Mt. Vernon Outland Airport
Southern Illinois Airport
Williamson County Regional Airport
Freight Rail Service
Railroad tracks linking Chicago, Paducah, and Memphis led mid-19th century Franklin County residents to move the settlement of Frankfort four miles to the west. The 20th century coal mining boom followed and gave the region an enviable network of railroad tracks, much of it still in use today.
Canadian National handles much of North America’s freight traffic. And, following its acquisition of the Illinois Central in 1999, CN handles many of the freight needs in Southern Illinois. But each of the nation’s main freight lines – BNSF, CN, CSX, Grand Trunk, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, Soo Line, and Union Pacific – are a common site rolling through the region.
Illinois has always been at the center of the nation’s rail development. Two of the nation’s top rail freight gateways located in Chicago and in East St. Louis. The Illinois Department of Transportation has a rail freight improvement program that focuses on preserving rail freight service for communities and shippers.
Canadian National’s facility at Memphis, Intermodal Gateway Memphis, allows shipments to reach 132 metropolitan markets and 60 percent of the U.S. population overnight.
Canadian National
Illinois Transload
Respondek Railroad Corp.
Passenger Rail Service
Passenger train service is available through Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. Nearby stations are at Carbondale, Centralia, and Du Quoin. The City of New Orleans provides daily service with a stop at Carbondale. The Saluki and the Illini Service also provide service each day.
Travel Distances
Benton, the Franklin County seat, is located in the geographic center of the county. The distances from Benton to major Illinois cities and to major metropolitan areas:
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United States Department of Transportation
Illinois Department of Transportation