Origin
Joliet, IL
Morning in Joliet on Saturday
Local time
7:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Joliet, IL to Elmwood Park, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh 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
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.
Joliet, IL
Wikimedia Commons
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 Ottawa Street, East Jefferson Street, Collins Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.28 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.
Arriving in Elmwood Park, IL
Full guide →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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 6m drive with frequent turns across 40.2 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.
Ottawa Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Joliet, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is easy. At 1h 6m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Joliet, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ottawa Street | — | — |
| East Jefferson Street | — | — |
| Collins Street | — | — |
| South State Street | — | — |
| South Archer Avenue | — | — |
| I 355 North | — | — |
| Veterans Memorial Tollway | — | — |
| I 88 | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Ottawa Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Joliet, IL and Elmwood Park, IL.
1
Start on the route
112 ft
·
10 sec
·
the route
2
Turn right onto Ottawa Street
174 ft
·
12 sec
·
Ottawa Street
3
Turn left onto East Jefferson Street
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
East Jefferson Street
4
Keep slight right to continue on East Jefferson Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Jefferson Street
5
Continue on Collins Street
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Collins Street
6
Continue on South State Street
4.3 mi
·
9 min
·
South State Street
7
Continue on South Archer Avenue
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
South Archer Avenue
8
Turn left onto I 355 North: West Suburbs
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 355 North: West Suburbs
9
Merge slight left onto Veterans Memorial Tollway
11 mi
·
13 min
·
Veterans Memorial Tollway
10
Take the exit slight right toward I 88 Toll: Aurora, Chicago
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
I 88 Toll: Aurora, Chicago
11
Keep slight right to continue on I 88 East: Chicago
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
I 88 East: Chicago
12
Merge slight left onto Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
13
Keep slight right to continue on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
14
Merge slight right onto Eisenhower Expressway
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Eisenhower Expressway
15
Take the exit slight right toward IL 171: 1st Avenue
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
IL 171: 1st Avenue
16
Turn slight left onto Bataan Drive
381 ft
·
18 sec
·
Bataan Drive
17
Turn left onto South 1st Avenue
3.6 mi
·
7 min
·
South 1st Avenue
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
161 ft
·
9 sec
·
West Belden Avenue
21
Turn right
187 ft
·
14 sec
22
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 20.1 mi from Joliet, IL · 33m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.1 miles from Joliet, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Elmwood Park, IL
The final approach into Elmwood Park, 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
$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 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
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.
Destination
Elmwood Park, IL
Morning in Elmwood Park on Saturday
Local time
7:57 AM
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
2 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
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 Elmwood Park, IL covers 40.2 miles and takes about 1h 6m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Ottawa Street, East Jefferson Street, Collins Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 20.1 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 $6.28 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.
The drive from Joliet, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is easy. At 1h 6m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Joliet, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Joliet, IL to Elmwood Park, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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