Illinois Winter: How Much Road Salt The State Uses Each Year

Maybe one of your resolutions going into this year was to cut back on your usage of salt in the interests of your health. Considering the weather we've had so far this winter (very little snow and ice north of I-80), the state of Illinois may be joining you in your resolution. The difference is that you're trying to cut back on table salt, and the state is focused on road salt.

Illinois is part of what meteorologists and road crews call the “Salt Belt,” states that regularly use rock salt (sodium chloride) to melt snow and ice. Each winter, the state typically goes through well over 1 million tons of road salt, though totals vary widely depending on the severity of the winter and how many storms we get.

You've Never Heard It Called The Salt Belt? You're Not Alone, And To Be Honest, There Are Far More Desirable Regional Nicknames

Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. make up the Salt Belt.

According to Wikipedia, other states like Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah are also considered part of the Salt Belt but use less corrosive substances than road salt to get rid of snow and ice during winter months. Things like:

• Sand
• Calcium Chloride
• Beet Juice
• Pickle Brine
• Cheese Brine

Why Do We Use Salt Instead Of Some Of The Alternatives?

Salt is inexpensive, reliable, and very effective at lowering the freezing point of water, which is why road crews spread it on roads, parking lots, and sidewalks. It prevents ice formation and makes winter travel safer for drivers and pedestrians.

But there’s a reason it’s used sparingly and with increasing caution: road salt doesn’t just vanish after the snow melts.

Once salt dissolves in snowmelt or rain, that salty water runs off into storm drains and eventually into rivers, lakes, and groundwater. Salt does not break down naturally, so its chloride component builds up over time in our waterways and soils.

In Chicago specifically, recent winter usage has dropped compared with past years. For example:

• In the 2020-2021 winter, Chicago used about 322,000 tons of road salt.

• In the 2023-2024 winter, the city used around 119,500 tons, nearly two-thirds less than in that earlier period.

While there's no exact number available, most reliable sources put the state of Illinois' overall usage of road salt during winters at well over 1,000,000 tons.

The state that uses the most road salt on average each year is New York, where they go through over 8,500,000 tons, which is enough to cover 30,000 football fields under a foot of road salt.