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Trip from Lockport, IL to Dixon, IL

Data updated 3 hours ago

Drive Time

1h 53m

Distance

96.6 mi

155 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$15

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 25 min
4 AM
1h 45m ★
6 AM
1h 54m
8 AM
2h 10m
10 AM
1h 59m
12 PM
1h 58m
3 PM
2h 0m
5 PM
2h 9m
8 PM
1h 49m

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 Will County, Illinois, United States

Lockport, IL

Wikimedia Commons

city and county seat of Lee County, Illinois, United States

Dixon, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Lockport, IL to Dixon, IL covers 96.6 miles and takes about 1h 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, Veterans Memorial Tollway, West 9th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 76.1 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $15.10 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

0 planned breaks

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

Midpoint

48.3 miles from Lockport, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 59m into the drive .

Loading map...

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 53m drive with frequent turns across 96.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway is the longest continuous segment at about 76.1 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 2.8 miles in.

Route Complexity 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 9 significant decision points across 96.6 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

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

6
2.8 mi into trip | ~5m in

Turn left toward I 355 North: West Suburbs

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 355 North: West Suburbs
5
3.3 mi into trip | ~6m in | I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway

Merge onto I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
17.1 mi into trip | ~22m 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
17.7 mi into trip | ~23m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 88 West: Aurora

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 88 West: Aurora
8
35.2 mi into trip | ~45m in | I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward I 88 Toll West, IL 47: DeKalb

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 88 Toll West, IL 47: DeKalb

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 Lockport, IL to Dixon, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Chicago along the way.

Chicago

17.1 mi in | ~22m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 76.1 mi 1h 23m
Veterans Memorial Tollway 13.8 mi 16m
West 9th Street 1.9 mi 3m
IL 26 1.3 mi 2m
West 159th Street 0.8 mi 1m
East 6th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway — 76.1 mi, about 1h 23m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lockport, IL and Dixon, IL.

1

Start on IL 7

1.9 mi · 3 min · West 9th Street
2

Continue on IL 7

0.8 mi · 1 min · West 159th Street
3

Turn left

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 355 North: West Suburbs Use the left lane.
4

Merge onto I 355

14 mi · 16 min · Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 20A Toward I 88 Toll: Aurora, Chicago Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork

0.7 mi · 1 min
Toward I 88 West: Aurora Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7

Merge onto I 88; IL 110

17 mi · 20 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110

59 mi · 1 hr 3 min · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Toward I 88 Toll West, IL 47: DeKalb Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Toward IL 26: Dixon
10

Turn right onto IL 26

1.3 mi · 2 min · IL 26
11

Turn right onto East 6th Street

282 ft · 12 sec · East 6th Street
12

Arrive at destination

East 6th 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 48.3 miles from Lockport, IL, or about 59m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 76.1 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 33m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 48.3 miles or 59m 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 32m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Lockport, 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 Lockport, IL

This is one driving day of about 96.6 miles and 1h 53m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Lockport, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway for about 76.1 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 48.3 mi from Lockport, IL · 59m into the drive

city on tripoints of DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties in Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Aurora, IL

48 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

Rockford, IL

Fuel and coffee

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

Aurora, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 48.3 miles from Lockport, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 76.1 miles.

Arriving in Dixon, IL

The final approach into Dixon, 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 Dixon, IL.

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...

21 mi from route ~53 min detour Free near mile 6.7
Caution: Road Construction Near the Park
View on nps.gov

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$15.10 one way

$30.20 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 34 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $16.58 $33.16
premium $4.89 $18.59 $37.18
diesel $5.61 $21.33 $42.66

Estimated Tolls: $5.54

Reagan Memorial Tollway (76.1 mi) $4.57
Veterans Memorial Tollway (13.8 mi) $0.97

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

$15

Tolls

$6

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$46–$71

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 33.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 29 0 $10.14 $4.64
Efficient EV 24.2 0 $8.45 $3.86
EV Truck/SUV 38.6 0 $13.52 $6.18

Gas CO2

34 kg

EV CO2

11 kg (68% 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

Lockport, IL

Evening in Lockport on Tuesday

Local time

7:51 PM

CDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Dixon, IL

Evening in Dixon on Tuesday

Local time

7:51 PM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

46°F

Aurora, IL

48 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

3 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 53m 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 Lockport, IL to Dixon, IL covers 96.6 miles and takes about 1h 53m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, Veterans Memorial Tollway, West 9th Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 48.3 miles from Lockport, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $15.10 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 is a demanding drive. With 9 significant decision points across 96.6 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Lockport, IL to Dixon, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Chicago along the way.

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