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Trip from Guilford, IL to Joliet, IL

Data updated 0 seconds ago

Drive Time

3h 46m

Distance

166 mi

267 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$26

one way

EV Charging

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station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 38 min
4 AM
3h 34m ★
6 AM
3h 46m
8 AM
4h 12m
10 AM
3h 55m
12 PM
3h 53m
3 PM
3h 56m
5 PM
4h 10m
8 PM
3h 39m

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

city in Illinois, United States

Joliet, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Guilford, IL to Joliet, IL covers 166 miles and takes about 3h 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on U.S. Grant Memorial Highway, Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, I 39 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 55.6 miles on U.S. Grant Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $25.95 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.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

83 miles from Guilford, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 53m into the drive .

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Drive Character

Expect a 3h 46m drive with frequent turns across 166 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 36 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
U.S. Grant Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 55.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 102 miles in.

Route Complexity 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 166 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 102 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 140.4 miles (IL 56): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 141.3 miles (Sullivan Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 17 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
102 mi into trip | ~2h 14m in

Take the exit toward I 88 East Toll: Chicago

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Exit 97A Toward I 88 East Toll: Chicago
8
140.4 mi into trip | ~2h 56m in | IL 56

Take the exit onto IL 56 toward IL 31 East, IL 56 East

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 117 Toward IL 31 East, IL 56 East
5
141.3 mi into trip | ~2h 58m in | Sullivan Road

Turn left onto Sullivan Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
144 mi into trip | ~3h 3m in | East New York Street

Turn left onto East New York Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
156.2 mi into trip | ~3h 24m in | US 30; IL 59 / North Division Street

Turn right onto US 30; IL 59 / North Division Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
U.S. Grant Memorial Highway 55.6 mi 1h 10m
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 38 mi 40m
I 39 21.5 mi 23m
West State Road 9.8 mi 11m
North Elizabeth Scales Mound Road 8.1 mi 14m
Lincoln Highway 7.4 mi 11m
Plainfield Road 5.2 mi 11m
Hill Avenue 2.5 mi 4m
Longest stretch: U.S. Grant Memorial Highway — 55.6 mi, about 1h 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Guilford, IL and Joliet, IL.

1

Start on West Guilford Road

0.4 mi · 56 sec · West Guilford Road
2

Continue on West Rawlins Road

1.9 mi · 4 min · West Rawlins Road
3

At end of road, turn right onto CR 4

8.1 mi · 14 min · North Elizabeth Scales Mound Road
4

At end of road, turn left onto US 20

0.7 mi · 1 min · Madison Street
5

Continue on US 20

0.1 mi · 20 sec · West Diagonal Street
6

Continue on US 20

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Main Street
7

Continue on US 20

4.6 mi · 6 min · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
8

Continue on US 20

0.5 mi · 1 min · East Woodbine Street
9

Continue on US 20

6.4 mi · 8 min · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
10

Continue on US 20

2.1 mi · 3 min · West North Avenue
11

Continue on US 20

33 mi · 41 min · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
12

Continue on US 20

9.8 mi · 11 min · West State Road
13

Continue on US 20

11 mi · 13 min · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
Toward US 20 East: Chicago
14

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 1 min
15

Merge onto I 39; US 51

21 mi · 23 min · I 39; US 51
16

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Exit 97A Toward I 88 East Toll: Chicago
17

Merge onto I 88; IL 110

38 mi · 40 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
18

Take the exit onto IL 56

0.6 mi · 1 min · IL 56
Exit 117 Toward IL 31 East, IL 56 East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Turn right onto IL 31

0.4 mi · 55 sec · South Lincolnway Street
20

Turn left onto Sullivan Road

0.4 mi · 56 sec · Sullivan Road
Use the left lane.
21

Turn right onto IL 25

2.3 mi · 4 min · IL 25
Use the right lane.
22

Turn left onto East New York Street

1.1 mi · 1 min · East New York Street
Use the left lane.
23

Turn slight right

175 ft · 8 sec
24

Turn slight right onto North Ohio Street

0.1 mi · 17 sec · North Ohio Street
25

Turn left onto East Galena Boulevard

0.1 mi · 17 sec · East Galena Boulevard
26

Continue on Hill Avenue

2.5 mi · 4 min · Hill Avenue
Use the left lane.
27

Turn straight onto US 30

7.4 mi · 11 min · Lincoln Highway
Use the left lane.
28

Turn left onto US 30

1.0 mi · 1 min · 143rd Street
Use the left lane.
29

Turn right onto US 30; IL 59

1.2 mi · 2 min · North Division Street
Use the right lane.
30

Turn left onto US 30

2.5 mi · 5 min · North Joliet Road
Use the left lane.
31

Continue on US 30

5.2 mi · 11 min · Plainfield Road
32

Continue on US 30

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Center Street
33

Turn left onto US 30

0.4 mi · 1 min · West Jefferson Street
34

Turn left onto Joliet Street

174 ft · 6 sec · Joliet Street
35

Turn right

272 ft · 19 sec
36

Arrive at destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 83 miles from Guilford, IL, or about 1h 53m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 55.6 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 80 miles or 1h 50m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 83 miles or 1h 53m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 51m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Joliet, IL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Guilford, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Guilford, IL

This is one driving day of about 166 miles and 3h 46m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Guilford, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on U.S. Grant Memorial Highway for about 55.6 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 83 mi from Guilford, IL · 1h 53m into the drive

Downtown Rockford, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Rockford, IL

83 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

Rockford, IL to Joliet, IL

94.9 mi · 2h 9m

Pacing Suggestions

Rockford, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Rockford, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 83 miles from Guilford, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Joliet, IL

The final approach into Joliet, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Joliet, IL.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$25.95 one way

$51.90 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 58 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $28.49 $56.99
premium $4.89 $31.95 $63.89
diesel $5.61 $36.65 $73.30

Estimated Tolls: $2.28

Reagan Memorial Tollway (38 mi) $2.28

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

$26

Tolls

$2

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$53–$78

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 58.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $17 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 49.8 0 $17.43 $7.97
Efficient EV 41.5 0 $14.52 $6.64
EV Truck/SUV 66.4 0 $23.24 $10.62

Gas CO2

58 kg

EV CO2

19 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.

Forecast data refreshed 5 days ago

Origin

Guilford, IL

Late night in Guilford on Wednesday

Local time

5:34 AM

CDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Joliet, IL

Late night in Joliet on Wednesday

Local time

5:34 AM

CDT

Current temp

69°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

4 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

3h 46m 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 Guilford, IL to Joliet, IL covers 166 miles and takes about 3h 46m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are U.S. Grant Memorial Highway, Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, I 39. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 83 miles from Guilford, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $25.95 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 166 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 102 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 140.4 miles (IL 56): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 141.3 miles (Sullivan Road): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Guilford, IL to Joliet, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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