It runs east from Missouri over the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River with Interstate 72.

The eastern terminus of U.S. 36 in Illinois is located near the unincorporated area of Raven near the Illinois-Indiana state line.

[1] U.S. 36 parallels the old Wabash Railroad from the Mississippi River at Hannibal, MO east to Decatur, IL.

After turning east, U.S. 36 runs largely in a straight line, mostly through open country, until it exits the state.

[11] In 2000, I-72 extended west to connect to Hannibal, Missouri, after a new Mark Twain Memorial Bridge opened.