Trip from Makanda, IL to Aurora, IL

Drive Time

5h 51m

Distance

367.2 mi

591 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$56

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min
4 AM
5h 38m ★
6 AM
5h 51m
8 AM
6h 17m
10 AM
6h 0m
12 PM
5h 58m
3 PM
6h 2m
5 PM
6h 16m
8 PM
5h 43m

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

Downtown Aurora, IL, IL

Aurora, IL

Markku Soini

Trip Overview

The drive from Makanda, IL to Aurora, IL covers 367.2 miles and takes about 5h 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Makanda Road, West Walnut Street, East Main Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $55.77 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

183.6 miles from Makanda, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 55m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 5h 51m drive with frequent turns across 367.2 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 38 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Makanda Road 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. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

This is a straightforward 5h 51m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Makanda, IL to Aurora, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Makanda Road Unavailable Refreshing
West Walnut Street Unavailable Refreshing
East Main Street Unavailable Refreshing
West Deyoung Street Unavailable Refreshing
Ken Gray Expressway Unavailable Refreshing
I 57 North Unavailable Refreshing
US 45 Unavailable Refreshing
South Schuyler Avenue Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Makanda Road — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Makanda, IL and Aurora, IL.

1

Start on Baptist Hill Road

75 ft · 3 sec · Baptist Hill Road
2

Continue on Makanda Road

1.8 mi · 6 min · Makanda Road
3

Turn right

8.1 mi · 9 min
4

Turn right onto West Walnut Street

1.3 mi · 2 min · West Walnut Street
5

Continue on East Main Street

9.7 mi · 14 min · East Main Street
6

Continue on West Deyoung Street

3.3 mi · 4 min · West Deyoung Street
7

Take the exit slight left

1.2 mi · 2 min
8

Merge slight left onto Ken Gray Expressway

41 mi · 44 min · Ken Gray Expressway
9

Keep slight right to continue on Ken Gray Expressway

67 mi · 1 hr 12 min · Ken Gray Expressway
10

Keep slight left to continue on I 57 North: Chicago

144 mi · 2 hr 34 min · I 57 North: Chicago
11

Take the exit slight right toward US 45, US 52: Kankakee

0.3 mi · 54 sec · US 45, US 52: Kankakee
12

Keep slight right

272 ft · 9 sec
13

Turn straight onto South Schuyler Avenue

2.0 mi · 3 min · South Schuyler Avenue
14

Turn left onto South East Avenue

0.5 mi · 49 sec · South East Avenue
15

Turn slight left onto West Water Street

0.4 mi · 44 sec · West Water Street
16

Turn right onto South Wall Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · South Wall Street
17

Continue on North Wall Street

1.5 mi · 2 min · North Wall Street
18

Continue on County Road North 303 West

8.9 mi · 15 min · County Road North 303 West
19

Continue on State Route 113

7.7 mi · 11 min · State Route 113
20

Turn right onto West River Road

3.1 mi · 4 min · West River Road
21

Turn left onto West Baltimore Street

256 ft · 9 sec · West Baltimore Street
22

Turn right onto Stripmine Road

1.6 mi · 2 min · Stripmine Road
23

Turn right onto Washington Street

0.4 mi · 33 sec · Washington Street
24

Take the ramp straight

0.4 mi · 55 sec
25

Merge slight right

19 mi · 20 min
26

Take the exit slight right toward US 30: Joliet, Aurora

0.3 mi · 40 sec · US 30: Joliet, Aurora
27

Keep slight left

135 ft · 5 sec
28

Turn left onto Joliet Road

2.5 mi · 5 min · Joliet Road
29

Turn slight right onto North Division Street

1.2 mi · 2 min · North Division Street
30

Turn left onto 143rd Street

1.0 mi · 1 min · 143rd Street
31

Turn right onto Lincoln Highway

7.5 mi · 11 min · Lincoln Highway
32

Continue on Hill Avenue

2.4 mi · 4 min · Hill Avenue
33

Continue on East Galena Boulevard

0.1 mi · 21 sec · East Galena Boulevard
34

Turn right onto North Ohio Street

0.1 mi · 21 sec · North Ohio Street
35

Turn left onto East New York Street

1.5 mi · 2 min · East New York Street
36

Turn left onto North Lake Street

417 ft · 15 sec · North Lake Street
37

Turn right onto West Galena Boulevard

0.1 mi · 10 sec · West Galena Boulevard
38

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 183.6 miles from Makanda, IL, or about 2h 55m into the drive.

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 81 miles or 1h 17m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 183.6 miles or 2h 55m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 4h 53m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Makanda, 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 Makanda, IL

This is one driving day of about 367.2 miles and 5h 51m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 81 miles from Makanda, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 183.6 mi from Makanda, IL · 2h 55m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Champaign, IL

184 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

Frankfort, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 81 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Champaign, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 183.6 miles from Makanda, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Aurora, IL

The final approach into Aurora, 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 Aurora, IL.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$55.77 one way

$111.55 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 129 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $61.48 $122.97
premium $4.80 $69.32 $138.64
diesel $5.64 $81.58 $163.16

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$56

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$81–$106

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 128.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $39 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 110.2 1 $38.56 $17.63
Efficient EV 91.8 1 $32.13 $14.69
EV Truck/SUV 146.9 1 $51.41 $23.50

Gas CO2

128 kg

EV CO2

43 kg (66% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 2 days ago

Origin

Makanda, IL

Afternoon in Makanda on Sunday

Local time

4:22 PM

CDT

Current temp

79°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Aurora, IL

Afternoon in Aurora on Sunday

Local time

4:22 PM

CDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

33 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

5h 51m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Makanda, IL to Aurora, IL covers 367.2 miles and takes about 5h 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Makanda Road, West Walnut Street, East Main Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 183.6 miles from Makanda, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $55.77 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 5h 51m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Makanda, IL to Aurora, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Makanda, IL to Aurora, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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