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Trip from Joliet, IL to Sleepy Hollow, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 23m

Distance

56.5 mi

91 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 17m ★
6 AM
1h 23m
8 AM
1h 36m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 26m
3 PM
1h 28m
5 PM
1h 35m
8 PM
1h 19m

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

Downtown Sleepy Hollow, IL, IL

Sleepy Hollow, IL

Stéphane Tendon

Trip Overview

The drive from Joliet, IL to Sleepy Hollow, IL covers 56.5 miles and takes about 1h 23m 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, Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, I 290 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.4 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.83 one way before food or hotel costs.

About the Cities

Starting in Joliet, IL

Full guide →

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.

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 23m. Total distance: 56.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 23m drive with frequent turns across 56.5 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Veterans Memorial Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 24.4 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 early in the drive near US 6; IL 53 / Ottawa Street.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 56.5 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 9.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 38.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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

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
38.8 mi into trip | ~56m in

Take the exit toward IL 72, IL 58: Higgins Road, Woodfield Road, Golf Road

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

Use the right lane. Exit 1B Toward IL 72, IL 58: Higgins Road, Woodfield Ro...
6
41.4 mi into trip | ~1h 2m in

Turn left toward I 90 Toll West: Rockford

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 90 Toll West: Rockford
7
53.8 mi into trip | ~1h 16m in

Take the exit toward IL 31 North

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 54B Toward IL 31 North

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Veterans Memorial Tollway 24.4 mi 29m
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway 11.9 mi 12m
I 290 4.6 mi 5m
South State Street 4.3 mi 9m
South Archer Avenue 2.4 mi 4m
Collins Street 2 mi 4m
North Meacham Road 1.4 mi 2m
South 8th Street 1.2 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Veterans Memorial Tollway — 24.4 mi, about 29m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Joliet, IL and Sleepy Hollow, 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

24 mi · 29 min · Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Merge onto I 290

4.6 mi · 5 min · I 290
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Exit 1B Toward IL 72, IL 58: Higgins Road, Woodfield Road, Golf Road Use the right lane.
12

Turn left onto IL 72

0.8 mi · 1 min · East Higgins Road
Use the left lane.
13

Turn right onto North Meacham Road

1.4 mi · 2 min · North Meacham Road
Use the left lane.
14

Turn left

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 90 Toll West: Rockford Use the left lane.
15

Merge onto I 90

12 mi · 12 min · Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 42 sec
Exit 54B Toward IL 31 North Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Turn straight onto IL 31

0.2 mi · 24 sec · North State Street
18

Continue on IL 31

1.2 mi · 2 min · South 8th Street
Use the left lane.
19

Turn left onto Willow Lane

0.5 mi · 1 min · Willow Lane
20

At end of road, turn right onto Locust Drive

435 ft · 24 sec · Locust Drive
21

Turn left onto Willow Lane

0.3 mi · 1 min · Willow Lane
22

Arrive at destination

Willow Lane

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 28.3 mi from Joliet, IL · 44m into the drive

village in Downers Grove, Lisle, and York Townships, DuPage County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Downers Grove, IL

28 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

Bolingbrook, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lombard, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28.3 miles from Joliet, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Sleepy Hollow, IL

The final approach into Sleepy Hollow, 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.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.83 one way

$17.67 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $9.70 $19.40
premium $4.89 $10.87 $21.75
diesel $5.61 $12.47 $24.95

Estimated Tolls: $2.54

Veterans Memorial Tollway (24.4 mi) $1.71
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (11.9 mi) $0.83

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$3

Total

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17 0 $5.93 $2.71
Efficient EV 14.1 0 $4.94 $2.26
EV Truck/SUV 22.6 0 $7.91 $3.62

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (65% 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

Evening in Joliet on Friday

Local time

5:38 PM

CDT

Current temp

69°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Sleepy Hollow, IL

Evening in Sleepy Hollow on Friday

Local time

5:38 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

19 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 23m 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 Sleepy Hollow, IL covers 56.5 miles and takes about 1h 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Veterans Memorial Tollway, Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, I 290. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 28.3 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 $8.83 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 56.5 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 9.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 38.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

The route from Joliet, IL to Sleepy Hollow, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Pullman National Historical Park.

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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Sleepy Hollow, IL to Joliet, IL

Plan the drive back the other way.

60.2 mi 1h 21m

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