Origin
Coal City, IL
Afternoon in Coal City on Saturday
Local time
3:25 PM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Coal City, IL to Elk Grove, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 23m
Distance
61.9 mi
100 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 17m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Coal City, IL
Braeson Holland
Elk Grove, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Coal City, IL to Elk Grove, IL covers 61.9 miles and takes about 1h 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 55, Kingery Highway, Busse Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 38.2 miles on I 55. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.68 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 55 | 38.2 mi | 45m |
| Kingery Highway | 15.5 mi | 23m |
| Busse Road | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| West Division Street | 2 mi | 3m |
| West Coal City Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Touhy Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| East Higgins Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Elmhurst Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 55
— 38.2 mi, about 45m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Coal City, IL and Elk Grove, IL.
1
Start on IL 113
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
West Division Street
2
Continue on IL 113
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Coal City Road
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 55 North: Joliet
4
Merge onto I 55
38 mi
·
45 min
·
I 55
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 274
Toward IL 83: Kingery Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road North
Use the right lane.
8
Continue on IL 83
16 mi
·
23 min
·
Kingery Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on IL 83
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Busse Road
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto Touhy Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Touhy Avenue
11
Turn right onto IL 72
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
East Higgins Road
12
Turn right onto South Elmhurst Road
349 ft
·
7 sec
·
South Elmhurst Road
13
Arrive at destination
South Elmhurst Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 30.9 miles from Coal City, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 2.9 and 41.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 55 North: Joliet
Navigation decision point
Toward I 55 North: Joliet
5
3.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 55
Merge onto I 55
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
41.4 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Take the exit toward IL 83: Kingery Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 274
Toward IL 83: Kingery Road
8
41.6 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Keep slight left at fork toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road
8
41.8 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Keep slight right at fork toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward IL 83 North: Kingery Road North
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.68 one way
$19.35 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $10.63 | $21.25 |
| premium | $4.89 | $11.91 | $23.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.67 | $27.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.6 | 0 | $6.50 | $2.97 |
| Efficient EV | 15.5 | 0 | $5.42 | $2.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.8 | 0 | $8.67 | $3.96 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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.
Destination
Elk Grove, IL
Afternoon in Elk Grove on Saturday
Local time
3:25 PM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Mostly Sunny
S 15 to 20 mph
32% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 17 at 12:19PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 17 at 12:18PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL
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
31 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 23m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
61.9 mi in 1h 23m, mostly highway — 38.2 mi of that is on I 55.
62% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 38.2 mi on I 55.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 55 and Kingery Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 61.9 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (I 55): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 23m. Total distance: 61.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 38.2 miles on I 55. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Elk Grove, IL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 2.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (I 55): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Pullman National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Elk Grove, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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