Origin
Elmwood Park, IL
Afternoon in Elmwood Park on Saturday
Local time
3:21 PM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elmwood Park, IL to Rockford, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 36m
Distance
77 mi
124 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 29m
★
6 AM
1h 36m
8 AM
1h 51m
10 AM
1h 41m
12 PM
1h 40m
3 PM
1h 42m
5 PM
1h 50m
8 PM
1h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elmwood Park, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Rockford, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Elmwood Park, IL to Rockford, IL covers 77 miles and takes about 1h 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, East State Street, North East River Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 61.5 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.04 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
38.5 miles from Elmwood Park, IL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 49m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 61.5 mi | 1h 6m |
| East State Street | 6 mi | 10m |
| North East River Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| West Higgins Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| North Cumberland Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| West Grand Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East Jefferson Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Thatcher Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
— 61.5 mi, about 1h 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elmwood Park, IL and Rockford, IL.
1
Start on this road
186 ft
·
15 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto West Belden Avenue
175 ft
·
13 sec
·
West Belden Avenue
3
Turn left onto North 73rd Avenue
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
North 73rd Avenue
4
Turn left onto West Fullerton Avenue
143 ft
·
6 sec
·
West Fullerton Avenue
5
Turn right onto 73rd Avenue
361 ft
·
16 sec
·
73rd Avenue
6
Turn left onto West Grand Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
West Grand Avenue
7
Turn right onto IL 171
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Thatcher Avenue
8
Continue on IL 171
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North Cumberland Avenue
9
Turn left onto West Montrose Avenue
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
West Montrose Avenue
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on North East River Road
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
North East River Road
11
Turn left onto IL 72
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
West Higgins Road
Use the left lane.
12
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 90 Toll West
13
Merge onto I 90
62 mi
·
1 hr 6 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward US 20 Business, State Street
15
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
16
Turn straight onto US 20 Business
6.0 mi
·
10 min
·
East State Street
17
Turn right onto US 20 Business
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Jefferson Street
18
Turn left onto North Wyman Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
North Wyman Street
19
Turn right onto West State Street
75 ft
·
2 sec
·
West State Street
20
Arrive at destination
West State Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 38.5 miles from Elmwood Park, IL, or about 49m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 61.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 17 miles or 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 38.5 miles or 49m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 18m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Rockford, IL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Elmwood Park, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Elmwood Park, IL
This is one driving day of about 77 miles and 1h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 17 miles from Elmwood Park, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway for about 61.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
39 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 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 38.5 miles from Elmwood Park, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Jane Addams Memorial Tollway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 61.5 miles.
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 155 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 6.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Belden Avenue
Turn right onto West Belden Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North 73rd Avenue
Turn left onto North 73rd Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
West Fullerton Avenue
Turn left onto West Fullerton Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
73rd Avenue
Turn right onto 73rd Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
6.2 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
IL 72 / West Higgins Road
Turn left onto IL 72 / West Higgins Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.04 one way
$24.08 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
27 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $13.22 | $26.43 |
| premium | $4.89 | $14.82 | $29.64 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $17.00 | $34.00 |
Estimated Tolls: $4.31
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(61.5 mi)
$4.31
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Tolls
$4
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$41–$66
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 26.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 23.1 | 0 | $8.08 | $3.70 |
| Efficient EV | 19.3 | 0 | $6.74 | $3.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 30.8 | 0 | $10.78 | $4.93 |
Gas CO2
27 kg
EV CO2
9 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
Rockford, IL
Afternoon in Rockford on Saturday
Local time
3:21 PM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
22 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
1h 36m 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?
77 mi in 1h 36m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 61.5 mi on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Belden Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 77 miles you will encounter 15 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: near the start (West Belden Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North 73rd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West Fullerton Avenue): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Elmwood Park, IL
Full guide →Founded 1914
The Northwest Suburbs are in Chicagoland, primarily in northwestern Cook, southern Lake and northern DuPage County, centered along Metra’s North Central Service, though encompassing areas well beyond the rail line. The Northwestern Suburbs constitute the largest portion of Chicagoland outside of the city. For further-out suburbs, see Fox River Valley.
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 1h 36m. Total distance: 77 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 61.5 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $4.31 in tolls one way, starting with Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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: near the start (West Belden Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North 73rd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West Fullerton Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rockford, 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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