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Trip from Joliet, IL to Elmwood Park, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 6m

Distance

40.2 mi

65 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 1m ★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 11m
5 PM
1h 17m
8 PM
1h 3m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Illinois, United States

Joliet, IL

Wikimedia Commons

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Elmwood Park, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Joliet, IL to Elmwood Park, IL covers 40.2 miles and takes about 1h 6m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Veterans Memorial Tollway, Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, South State Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.2 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.28 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Veterans Memorial Tollway 11.2 mi 13m
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 9.2 mi 11m
South State Street 4.3 mi 9m
South 1st Avenue 3.6 mi 7m
Eisenhower Expressway 3.4 mi 4m
South Archer Avenue 2.4 mi 4m
Collins Street 2 mi 4m
West Fullerton Avenue 1.3 mi 3m
Longest stretch: Veterans Memorial Tollway — 11.2 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on this road

111 ft · 10 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto US 6; IL 53

175 ft · 12 sec · Ottawa Street
3

Turn left onto US 30

0.2 mi · 26 sec · East Jefferson Street
4

Keep slight right at fork onto US 6; US 30

0.4 mi · 1 min · East Jefferson Street
5

Continue on US 6; US 30

2.0 mi · 4 min · Collins Street
6

Continue on IL 171

4.3 mi · 9 min · South State Street
7

Continue on IL 171

2.4 mi · 4 min · South Archer Avenue
Use the right lane.
8

Turn left

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 355 North: West Suburbs Use the left lane.
9

Merge onto I 355

11 mi · 13 min · Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 20A Toward I 88 Toll: Aurora, Chicago Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight right at fork

0.7 mi · 1 min
Toward I 88 East: Chicago Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12

Merge onto I 88; IL 110

3.2 mi · 3 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
13

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110

6.0 mi · 7 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Merge onto I 290; IL 110

3.4 mi · 4 min · Eisenhower Expressway
15

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 19 sec
Exit 20 Toward IL 171: 1st Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Turn slight left onto Bataan Drive

381 ft · 17 sec · Bataan Drive
17

Turn left onto IL 171

3.6 mi · 7 min · South 1st Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
18

Turn right onto West Fullerton Avenue

1.3 mi · 3 min · West Fullerton Avenue
19

Turn right onto North 73rd Court

0.1 mi · 34 sec · North 73rd Court
20

Turn left onto West Belden Avenue

160 ft · 9 sec · West Belden Avenue
21

Turn right

186 ft · 13 sec
22

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lisle, IL

20 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

Oak Park, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lisle, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.1 miles from Joliet, 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 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 9.3 and 34.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
9.3 mi into trip | ~20m in

Turn left toward I 355 North: West Suburbs

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 355 North: West Suburbs
8
20.9 mi into trip | ~34m in

Take the exit toward I 88 Toll: Aurora, Chicago

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 20A Toward I 88 Toll: Aurora, Chicago
7
21.6 mi into trip | ~36m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 88 East: Chicago

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 88 East: Chicago
6
25.4 mi into trip | ~41m in | I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
34.8 mi into trip | ~53m in

Take the exit toward IL 171: 1st Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 20 Toward IL 171: 1st Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.28 one way

$12.57 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $6.90 $13.80
premium $4.89 $7.74 $15.47
diesel $5.61 $8.88 $17.75

Estimated Tolls: $1.33

Veterans Memorial Tollway (11.2 mi) $0.78
Reagan Memorial Tollway (9.2 mi) $0.55

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Tolls

$1

Total

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.1 0 $4.22 $1.93
Efficient EV 10.1 0 $3.52 $1.61
EV Truck/SUV 16.1 0 $5.63 $2.57

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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 as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Joliet, IL

Afternoon in Joliet on Saturday

Local time

3:58 PM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Sunny

WNW 15 to 20 mph 15% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 5:50AM CDT until April 21 at 4:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 5:48AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Elmwood Park, IL

Afternoon in Elmwood Park on Saturday

Local time

3:58 PM

CDT

Current temp

71°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

20 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 6m 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?

40.2 mi in 1h 6m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.2 mi on Veterans Memorial Tollway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 9.3 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 40.2 miles you will encounter 16 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 9.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Joliet, IL to Elmwood Park, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Chicago along the way.

Chicago

20.9 mi in | ~34m

About the Cities

Starting in Joliet, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1833

Joliet is a city in the Chicagoland region of Illinois, a state in the Midwest of the United States of America. It is the largest city and county seat of Will County.

Top landmarks

  • • Joliet Union Station — former train station in the United States
  • • Christ Episcopal Church — church building in Joliet, Illinois, United States of America
  • • Joliet Central High School — public school in Joliet, Illinois

Arriving 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 6m. Total distance: 40.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 11.2 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.33 in tolls one way, starting with Veterans 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.

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 Elmwood Park, 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 9.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Elmwood Park, IL before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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