Macon County, IL Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- No-sign zone
- 660 ft of freeway right-of-way
- Interchange sign size cap
- 300 sq ft maximum
- Billboards
- Barred outright in interchange area
- Off-premises signs
- Max 2 per business per interchange
- Overlay districts
- IR, IB, IM, IA near interchanges
- Penalty
- Up to $500 per offense, weekly
Summary
In the interchange areas the county's overlay zoning covers near freeway ramps in unincorporated Macon County, Macon County Code § 155.166(H)(8) bars every sign except traffic-control and directory signs within 660 feet of the freeway right-of-way, caps any remaining interchange-area sign at 300 square feet, and bars billboards or other large advertising signs from the interchange area outright.
(8) Outdoor advertising. There shall be no signs, with the exception of traffic control and directory signs, within 660 feet of the freeway right-of- way. The following restrictions shall apply to the remainder of the interchange area plus any other restrictions for outdoor advertising for that agricultural district. ... (e) No sign should contain more than 300 square feet of area. (f) No billboard or other large advertising sign should be located in the interchange area.
Full Breakdown
Macon County's zoning chapter creates four overlay districts around freeway interchanges: IR (Interchange Residential), IB (Interchange Business), IM (Interchange Industrial), and IA (Interchange Agriculture). 166(H)(8), governing outdoor advertising in the IA District's property development standards, states there shall be no signs, with the exception of traffic control and directory signs, within 660 feet of the freeway right-of-way, and adds further conditions for the rest of the interchange area. Those conditions, in subsections (a) through (g), bar any sign resembling an official traffic device, any sign that obstructs a driver's view at an intersection, any sign with a distracting animated or moving part, any sign illuminated by a flashing light, any sign over 300 square feet, any billboard or other large advertising sign anywhere in the interchange area, and more than two off-premises signs per business per interchange area.
166(F)(10), which sets the same 660-foot ban on non-traffic signage near the freeway right-of-way. The IR (residential) and IM (industrial) interchange districts instead cross-reference all provisions for outdoor advertising of the conventional residential or industrial district they parallel. 136), which apply outside the half-mile interchange radius.
Violations & Fines
A sign inside 660 feet of a freeway right-of-way, or an interchange-area sign that exceeds 300 square feet or is illuminated by a flashing light, violates § 155.166(H)(8) and is enforced as a zoning violation under § 155.999: up to a $500 fine for each offense, with each week of continued noncompliance counted separately. The county can also require the sign's removal or relocation outside the restricted radius.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close to a freeway interchange can a sign be placed in unincorporated Macon County?
Are billboards allowed near a Macon County freeway interchange?
How many off-site advertising signs can one business have near an interchange?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Macon County
Compare Macon County to another location·View the Illinois sign regulations overview
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