Origin
Danville, IL
Late night in Danville on Saturday
Local time
4:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Danville, IL to Champaign, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
34.3 mi
55 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Danville, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Connecting Danville and Champaign, Illinois, this straightforward 34.3-mile trip is an ideal candidate for a quick day excursion. You can expect to reach your destination in approximately 42 minutes, making it a highly efficient transition across the Illinois Midwest. With a fuel budget of just $5, the transit is incredibly economical for solo travelers or small groups. Because of the short duration, there is no need to plan for an overnight stay; you can comfortably complete the drive and return home in a single day. This route is best viewed as a practical link between two regional hubs rather than a multi-day sightseeing expedition. It offers a no-fuss, reliable way to navigate between these two Midwestern cities.
About the Cities
Arriving in Champaign, IL
Full guide →Champaign-Urbana is a metropolitan area in central Illinois, composed of the towns of Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy. The community is the site of the main campus of the University of Illinois, one of the great public universities of the United States.
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 42m. Total distance: 34.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
Expect a classic highway-focused experience, as 82% of your journey is spent on major thoroughfares. The vast majority of your time behind the wheel involves a 28.2-mile stretch on I-74, which serves as the backbone of this transit. Once you exit the interstate, you will navigate via County Road 1720 North and North Neil Street to reach your final destination. While the interstate portion is fast and efficient, the transition to local roads provides a shift in pace as you enter the Champaign area. You will find this a predictable, straightforward drive that prioritizes speed and directness over winding, technical paths.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 8 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 74 is the longest continuous segment at about 28.2 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
743 ft
601 ft
Total Climb
172 ft
Total Descent
38 ft
Highest Point
743 ft
~31.9 mi in
Elevation Range
142 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 74 and County Road 1720 North. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 4 miles in.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 42m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 4.5 miles (I 74): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 32.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward I 74 West: Champaign
Navigation decision point
Toward I 74 West: Champaign
3
4.5 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 74
Merge onto I 74
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
32.7 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward Neil Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 182
Toward Neil Street
9
33 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Neil Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Exit 182
Toward Neil Street
3
33 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
North Neil Street
Turn left onto North Neil Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 74 | 28.2 mi | 30m |
| County Road 1720 North | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| North Neil Street | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| East Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 74
— 28.2 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Danville, IL and Champaign, IL.
1
Start on US 136
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
East Main Street
2
Continue on US 150
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
County Road 1720 North
3
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Toward I 74 West: Champaign
4
Merge onto I 74
28 mi
·
30 min
·
I 74
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 182
Toward Neil Street
6
Keep slight left at fork
139 ft
·
5 sec
Exit 182
Toward Neil Street
Use the left lane.
7
Turn left onto North Neil Street
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
North Neil Street
8
Arrive at destination
North Neil Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.36 one way
$10.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.89 | $11.78 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.60 | $13.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.57 | $15.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.60 | $1.65 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.80 | $2.20 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% 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
Champaign, IL
Late night in Champaign on Saturday
Local time
4:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
53°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
21 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
42m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Danville, IL to Champaign, IL covers 34.3 miles and takes about 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 74, County Road 1720 North, North Neil Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.2 miles from Danville, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.36 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a straightforward 42m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 4.5 miles (I 74): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 32.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The route from Danville, IL to Champaign, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 601 ft to 743 ft elevation with about 172 ft of total climbing.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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