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Trip from Joliet, IL to Fairbury, IL

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

1h 36m

Distance

77 mi

124 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$12

one way

EV Charging

Fair

1 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 22 min
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.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Illinois, United States

Joliet, IL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Livingston County, Illinois, United States

Fairbury, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Joliet, IL to Fairbury, 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 I 55, North 1600 East Road, I 80 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 49.4 miles on I 55. 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 Joliet, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 45m into the drive .

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 (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 36m highway drive covering 77 miles, with most of the trip on I 55 and North 1600 East Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 49.4 miles on I 55.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 55 is the longest continuous segment at about 49.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 55 and North 1600 East Road. 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 US 6; IL 53 / Ottawa Street.

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 (US 6; IL 53 / Ottawa Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (I 80): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 15 key points

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

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 6; IL 53 / Ottawa Street

Turn right onto US 6; IL 53 / Ottawa Street

Navigation decision point

5
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in | I 80

Merge onto I 80

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
7.6 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the exit toward I 55 South: Saint Louis

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Exit 126A Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
5
7.9 mi into trip | ~11m in | I 55

Merge onto I 55

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
57.7 mi into trip | ~1h 5m in

Keep slight left at fork toward IL 23: Pontiac, Streator

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward IL 23: Pontiac, Streator

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 Fairbury, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Streator along the way.

Streator

57.3 mi in | ~1h 5m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 55 49.4 mi 53m
North 1600 East Road 7.3 mi 9m
I 80 6.4 mi 7m
East 800 North Road 2.4 mi 3m
North 1500 East Road 2.4 mi 3m
East 3100 North Road 2 mi 2m
West Oak Street 1.3 mi 2m
North 3360 East Road 1 mi 1m
Longest stretch: I 55 — 49.4 mi, about 53m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on this road

111 ft · 10 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto US 6; IL 53

0.3 mi · 43 sec · Ottawa Street
3

Continue on US 6; IL 53

0.1 mi · 21 sec · Ottawa Street
4

Continue on US 6; IL 53

0.4 mi · 1 min · Chicago Street
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Toward I 80 West: Moline, Rock Island
6

Merge onto I 80

6.4 mi · 7 min · I 80
Use the right lane.
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 54 sec
Exit 126A Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
8

Merge onto I 55

49 mi · 53 min · I 55
Use the right lane.
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 29 sec
Toward IL 23: Pontiac, Streator
10

Keep slight left at fork

111 ft · 2 sec
Toward IL 23: Pontiac, Streator
11

Turn left onto IL 23

2.4 mi · 3 min · North 1500 East Road
12

Turn right onto IL 23

0.4 mi · 42 sec · Old Route 66
13

Continue on IL 116

0.5 mi · 58 sec · IL 116
14

Turn left onto West Reynolds Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Reynolds Street
15

Turn right onto South Mill Street

0.5 mi · 58 sec · South Mill Street
16

Turn left onto West Torrance Avenue

0.3 mi · 33 sec · West Torrance Avenue
17

Turn right onto South Manlove Street

0.3 mi · 27 sec · South Manlove Street
18

Continue on CH 10

7.3 mi · 9 min · North 1600 East Road
19

Continue on CR 13

1.0 mi · 1 min · North 3360 East Road
20

Turn left onto US 24

2.0 mi · 2 min · East 3100 North Road
21

Continue on US 24

2.4 mi · 3 min · East 800 North Road
22

Continue on US 24

1.3 mi · 2 min · West Oak Street
23

Turn left onto South 2nd Street

0.2 mi · 1 min · South 2nd Street
24

Arrive at destination

North 2nd 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 Joliet, IL, or about 45m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 49.4 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 21m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 38.5 miles or 45m 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 Fairbury, IL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

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

Day 1

Settle into the route from Joliet, IL

This is one driving day of about 77 miles and 1h 36m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 17 miles from Joliet, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 55 for about 49.4 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 38.5 mi from Joliet, IL · 45m into the drive

Downtown Gardner, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Gardner, IL

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

Diamond, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Dwight, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 38.5 miles from Joliet, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Fairbury, IL

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

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

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Pullman National Historical Park

Pullman National Historical Park

National Historical Park

In a growing Chicago neighborhood, diverse people and stories intertwined. All were seeking opportunity. Some succeeded. Others were limited—by race, gender, or economic status. Their stories came tog...

27 mi from route ~68 min detour Free
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

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

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$12

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$37–$62

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.

EV Charging Along Route

1 DC fast chargers · Coverage: fair

InCharge Energy Charging Station

Fairbury, Illinois

InCharge

1 DCFC

InCharge: 1

Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.

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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Joliet, IL

Afternoon in Joliet on Thursday

Local time

3:45 PM

CDT

Current temp

69°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Fairbury, IL

Afternoon in Fairbury on Thursday

Local time

3:45 PM

CDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

74°F

Gardner, IL

39 mi in

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

17 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Joliet, IL to Fairbury, IL covers 77 miles and takes about 1h 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 55, North 1600 East Road, I 80. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 38.5 miles from Joliet, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.04 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 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.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 6; IL 53 / Ottawa Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (I 80): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
On the drive from Joliet, IL to Fairbury, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Streator along the way.

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