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Trip from Bristol, IL to Elgin, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

52m

Distance

30.7 mi

49 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 48m ★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 1m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Bristol, IL, IL

Bristol, IL

Boys in Bristol Photography

city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois

Elgin, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Bristol, IL to Elgin, IL is 30.7 miles and takes about 52 minutes via IL 31, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward trip stays within Illinois, traversing the Midwest region. Expect a mixed drive, offering a blend of road types that make for a relatively quick and uncomplicated journey. It's a good option if you're looking for a short, direct connection between these two points without significant detours or lengthy travel time.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
IL 31 6.1 mi 11m
Bliss Road 5.3 mi 8m
South Randall Road 4.6 mi 7m
US 30 3.1 mi 3m
Fabyan Parkway 2.1 mi 3m
Galena Road 1.3 mi 1m
Randall Road 1.3 mi 2m
North Bridge Street 1.2 mi 1m
Longest stretch: IL 31 — 6.1 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bristol, IL and Elgin, IL.

1

Start on Cannonball Trail

1.1 mi · 2 min · Cannonball Trail
2

Turn left onto Galena Road

1.3 mi · 1 min · Galena Road
3

Turn right onto North Bridge Street

1.2 mi · 1 min · North Bridge Street
4

Continue on US 30; IL 47

3.1 mi · 3 min · US 30; IL 47
5

Continue on IL 47

0.9 mi · 1 min · Illinois Route 47
Use the left lane.
6

Turn right onto CR 78

5.3 mi · 8 min · Bliss Road
Use the left lane.
7

Enter roundabout onto Fabyan Parkway

151 ft · 3 sec · Fabyan Parkway
8

Continue on Fabyan Parkway

2.1 mi · 3 min · Fabyan Parkway
9

Turn left onto CR 84

0.7 mi · 1 min · Kaneville Road
10

Turn left onto CR 84

0.8 mi · 1 min · South Peck Road
11

Turn right onto CR 41

1.0 mi · 1 min · Keslinger Road
12

Turn left onto CR 34

1.3 mi · 2 min · Randall Road
13

Continue on CR 34

4.6 mi · 7 min · South Randall Road
14

Turn right onto CR 5

1.0 mi · 1 min · Silver Glen Road
15

At end of road, turn left onto IL 31

6.1 mi · 11 min · IL 31
16

Turn right onto East Chicago Street

0.3 mi · 55 sec · East Chicago Street
17

Arrive at destination

East Chicago Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city and county seat of Kane County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Geneva, IL

15 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Popular next leg

Geneva, IL to Elgin, IL

12.4 mi · 23m

Pacing Suggestions

South Elgin, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 30.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Geneva, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 15.4 miles from Bristol, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.4 and 30.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
2.4 mi into trip | ~4m in | North Bridge Street

Turn right onto North Bridge Street

Navigation decision point

5
7.5 mi into trip | ~10m in | CR 78 / Bliss Road

Turn right onto CR 78 / Bliss Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
4
12.8 mi into trip | ~19m in | Fabyan Parkway

Enter roundabout onto Fabyan Parkway

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
24.3 mi into trip | ~39m in | IL 31

At end of road, turn left onto IL 31

Navigation decision point

4
30.4 mi into trip | ~51m in | East Chicago Street

Turn right onto East Chicago Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.80 one way

$9.60 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.27 $10.54
premium $4.89 $5.91 $11.82
diesel $5.61 $6.78 $13.56

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.2 0 $3.22 $1.47
Efficient EV 7.7 0 $2.69 $1.23
EV Truck/SUV 12.3 0 $4.30 $1.96

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Bristol, IL

Afternoon in Bristol on Saturday

Local time

1:55 PM

CDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Elgin, IL

Afternoon in Elgin on Saturday

Local time

1:55 PM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

18 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

52m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This route offers a mixed drive, with about 40% of the journey on highway. You'll experience stretches on IL 31, Bliss Road, and South Randall Road, providing a varied driving experience. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.1 miles on IL 31. This means you'll transition between different road surfaces and speeds, keeping the drive engaging without being overly demanding. It’s not a monotonous interstate cruise, nor is it a challenging backroad adventure; it’s a practical mix designed for efficient travel.

40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.1 mi on IL 31.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in near North Bridge Street.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 52m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.4 miles (North Bridge Street): Navigation decision point; at 7.5 miles (CR 78 / Bliss Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.8 miles (Fabyan Parkway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

About the Cities

Arriving in Elgin, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1854

Elgin is a city in Chicagoland known for its Victorian architecture and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.

Top landmarks

  • Elgin Tower Building — building in Illinois, United States
  • Elgin Downtown Commercial District

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 52m. Total distance: 30.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

52m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (40%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 6.1 miles on IL 31. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 2.4 miles (North Bridge Street): Navigation decision point; at 7.5 miles (CR 78 / Bliss Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.8 miles (Fabyan Parkway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Elgin, IL before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore more options from Bristol, IL or browse trips ending in Elgin, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.