Army Trail Road begins at a junction with Illinois 25 in Wayne. From here, the road heads east through a residential forested area to County Highway 19. Past Dunham Road, the road briefly becomes County Highway 20 before entering DuPage County. The road continues east through Wayne to Munger Road, where it becomes County Highway 11. Army Trail Road then passes Illinois Route 59 and heads east along the border of Bartlett and Carol Stream. The route passes to the north of two small lakes before entering a developed residential area. It continues east through Bloomingdale and Glendale Heights, intersecting County Highway 4 near Black HawkElementary School. After passing County Highways 5 and 24, the road runs through a county forest preserve before intersecting Interstate 355 in Addison. Past the interstate, the road meets Illinois Route 53, the eastern terminus of County Highway 11. Army Trail Road continues through residential Addison, passing to the south of Addison Trail High School. The road ends at a cul-de-sac near Addison Village Hall; its terminus almost intersects U.S. Route 20, which connects to Army Trail Road via John F. Kennedy Drive.
History
Army Trail Road followed an Indian Trail for early settlers who traveled in covered wagons in the early 19th century that was part of a trail that continued on to Burlington Road running northwest until it reached Galena, IL. Its name is based on the fact that General Winfield Scott's troops used this route during the Black Hawk War. Near its end at the Fox River is a stone marking the graves of U.S. Army soldiers of the Indian War era. Until December 1989, Army Trail Road was the southern terminus of the freeway portion of Illinois Route 53, which was subsequently designated I-355. In December 1989, the North-South Tollway was opened extending the limited access highway south to I-55 and reducing the traffic flow caused by the concurrency of Route 53 and a short stretch of Army Trail Road. In late 2004, construction began on parts of the road to widen the road to six lanes. A divider was to be set in place including new turn lanes and paving of the road. Project has completed sections of the road in Addison and was expected to be completed in November 2005. It is four lanes in parts east of Illinois Highway 59 to a few hundred feet west of Illinois Highway 59 where it enters the Village of Wayne, Illinois. It remains two lanes to its western end at Illinois Highway 25 and is "rural" looking through Wayne and its horse farms.
