Origin
Fairfield, IL
Night in Fairfield on Thursday
Local time
10:32 PM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fairfield, IL to Elgin, IL
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
34m
Distance
20.5 mi
33 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fairfield, IL
Choco Kitty
Elgin, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Fairfield, IL to Elgin, IL covers 20.5 miles and takes about 34m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on New Sutton Road, IL 59, Jane Addams Memorial Tollway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.3 miles on New Sutton Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.20 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 20.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 34m drive with frequent turns across 20.5 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
New Sutton Road is the longest continuous segment at about 6.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.3 miles in near East Main Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 20.5 miles you will encounter 11 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 2.3 miles (East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.9 miles (IL 59): Lane positioning matters here; at 17.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
East Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto East Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
4.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
IL 59
Turn left onto IL 59
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
17.6 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward IL 25
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
5
20.5 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
5
20.5 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
East Chicago Street
Turn left onto East Chicago Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Sutton Road | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| IL 59 | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| Dundee Avenue | 2 mi | 3m |
| Church Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| State Route 22 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| West Main Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| North Midlothian Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
New Sutton Road
— 6.3 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fairfield, IL and Elgin, IL.
1
Start on V77
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
Old McHenry Road
2
Turn left onto IL 63
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Midlothian Road
3
Continue on Church Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Church Street
4
At end of road, turn right onto East Main Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Main Street
5
Continue on IL 22
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on IL 22
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
State Route 22
7
Turn left onto IL 59
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
IL 59
Use the left lane.
8
Turn slight right
284 ft
·
4 sec
Use the slight right lane.
9
Continue on IL 59
6.3 mi
·
9 min
·
New Sutton Road
Use the left lane.
10
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford
11
Merge onto I 90
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
12
Take the exit
504 ft
·
12 sec
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
Use the slight right lane.
13
Continue on this road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
14
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
this road
15
Turn left onto IL 25
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Dundee Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on Center Street
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Center Street
17
Turn right
311 ft
·
28 sec
18
Turn left onto East Chicago Street
117 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Chicago Street
19
Arrive at destination
East Chicago Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.20 one way
$6.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.52 | $7.04 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.95 | $7.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.53 | $9.05 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.20
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(2.8 mi)
$0.20
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.15 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.79 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.87 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Elgin, IL
Night in Elgin on Thursday
Local time
10:32 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
4 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
34m 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 Fairfield, IL to Elgin, IL covers 20.5 miles and takes about 34m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are New Sutton Road, IL 59, Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.3 miles from Fairfield, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.20 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 20.5 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.3 miles (East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.9 miles (IL 59): Lane positioning matters here; at 17.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Fairfield, IL to Elgin, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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