Trip from Naperville, IL to Metropolis, IL

Drive Time

6h 58m

Distance

376.8 mi

606 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$57

one way

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 34 min

4 AM

6h 47m ★

6 AM

6h 59m

8 AM

7h 21m

10 AM

7h 7m

12 PM

7h 4m

3 PM

7h 8m

5 PM

7h 20m

8 PM

6h 52m

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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Metropolis, IL

Paolo Sanchez

Trip Overview

The drive from Naperville, IL to Metropolis, IL covers 376.8 miles and takes about 6h 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 57, Ken Gray Expressway, I 24 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 252.4 miles on I 57. At current regular gas prices, budget about $57.23 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

188.4 miles from Naperville, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 32m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 6h 58m highway drive covering 376.8 miles, with most of the trip on I 57 and Ken Gray Expressway. The longest continuous stretch is about 252.4 miles on I 57.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

I 57 is the longest continuous segment at about 252.4 miles.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

730 ft 678 ft

Total Climb

21 ft

Total Descent

53 ft

Highest Point

730 ft

~31.4 mi in

Elevation Range

53 ft

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 57 and Ken Gray Expressway. 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 34 / East Ogden Avenue.

Route Complexity 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 376.8 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: near the start (US 34 / East Ogden Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.2 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 14 key points

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

0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 34 / East Ogden Avenue

Turn left onto US 34 / East Ogden Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

5 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the ramp toward I 355 Toll South: Joliet

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 355 Toll South: Joliet

5.2 mi into trip | ~10m 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.

24.4 mi into trip | ~32m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 80 East: Indiana

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 0A Toward I 80 East: Indiana

373.4 mi into trip | ~6h 51m in

Take the exit toward US 45: Metropolis, Brookport, Rest Area, Welcome Center

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

Exit 37 Toward US 45: Metropolis, Brookport, Rest Area,...

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
I 57	252.4 mi	4h 32m
Ken Gray Expressway	47.2 mi	50m
I 24	35.6 mi	38m
Veterans Memorial Tollway	19.2 mi	21m
I 80	10.6 mi	12m
East Ogden Avenue	5 mi	10m
United States Route 45	1.6 mi	2m
East 12th Street	0.9 mi	2m

Longest stretch: I 57 — 252.4 mi, about 4h 32m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Naperville, IL and Metropolis, IL.

Start on North Washington Street

50 ft · 9 sec · North Washington Street

Turn left onto US 34

5.0 mi · 10 min · East Ogden Avenue

Use the left lane.

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 29 sec

Toward I 355 Toll South: Joliet Use the right lane.

Merge onto I 355

19 mi · 21 min · Veterans Memorial Tollway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork

1.3 mi · 2 min

Exit 0A Toward I 80 East: Indiana

Merge onto I 80

11 mi · 12 min · I 80

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min

Exit 151A Toward I 57 South: Memphis

Merge onto I 57

187 mi · 3 hr 21 min · I 57

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 57

66 mi · 1 hr 10 min · I 57

Toward I 57 South: Memphis

Keep slight right at fork onto I 57

47 mi · 50 min · Ken Gray Expressway

Take the exit

1.4 mi · 1 min

Toward I 24 East: Nashville

Continue on I 24

36 mi · 38 min · I 24

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 39 sec

Exit 37 Toward US 45: Metropolis, Brookport, Rest Area, Welcome Center

Turn right onto US 45

1.6 mi · 2 min · United States Route 45

Turn right onto East 12th Street

0.9 mi · 2 min · East 12th Street

Turn left onto Ferry Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Ferry Street

Turn right onto West 5th Street

45 ft · 1 sec · West 5th Street

Arrive at destination

West 5th Street

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Evening Departure

This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 188.4 miles from Naperville, IL, or about 3h 32m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 252.4 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 83 miles or 1h 38m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 188.4 miles or 3h 32m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 5h 50m

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

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Naperville, 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 Naperville, IL

This is one driving day of about 376.8 miles and 6h 58m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 83 miles from Naperville, 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.

The longest stretch is on I 57 for about 252.4 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 188.4 mi from Naperville, IL · 3h 32m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Decatur, IL

188 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

Joliet, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 83 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Champaign, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 188.4 miles from Naperville, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 57 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 252.4 miles.

Arriving in Metropolis, IL

The final approach into Metropolis, 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 Metropolis, IL.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$57.23 one way

$114.46 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 132 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.25	$63.09	$126.18
premium	$4.80	$71.13	$142.26
diesel	$5.64	$83.71	$167.42

Estimated Tolls: $1.34

Veterans Memorial Tollway (19.2 mi) $1.34

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

$57

Tolls

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$84–$109

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 131.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $40 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	113	1	$39.56	$18.09
Efficient EV	94.2	1	$32.97	$15.07
EV Truck/SUV	150.7	1	$52.75	$24.12

Gas CO2

132 kg

EV CO2

44 kg (67% 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 8 hours ago

Origin

Naperville, IL

Afternoon in Naperville on Sunday

Local time

3:03 PM

CDT

Current temp

78°F

Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SSW 15 to 30 mph 45% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 12:21AM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 11 at 9:46PM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Destination

Metropolis, IL

Afternoon in Metropolis on Sunday

Local time

3:03 PM

CDT

Current temp

84°F

Mostly Sunny

S 3 to 15 mph 5% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 12:21AM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 11 at 9:46PM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

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

6 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

6h 58m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Naperville, IL to Metropolis, IL covers 376.8 miles and takes about 6h 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 57, Ken Gray Expressway, I 24. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 188.4 miles from Naperville, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $57.23 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

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.

The route from Naperville, IL to Metropolis, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 678 ft to 730 ft elevation with about 21 ft of total climbing.

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Return Trip

Metropolis, IL to Naperville, IL

Plan the drive back the other way.

364.3 mi 6h 59m

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Trip from Naperville, IL to Metropolis, IL

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Drive Character

Elevation Profile

How Hard Is This Drive?

Critical Maneuvers

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Arriving in Metropolis, IL

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Naperville, IL

Metropolis, IL

Same local time

6 degrees warmer at arrival

6h 58m on the road

Frequently Asked Questions

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