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Trip from Quincy, 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

5h 59m

Distance

310.7 mi

500 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$49

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min
4 AM
5h 47m ★
6 AM
6h 0m
8 AM
6h 26m
10 AM
6h 9m
12 PM
6h 6m
3 PM
6h 10m
5 PM
6h 24m
8 PM
5h 52m

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

Downtown Quincy, IL, IL

Quincy, IL

Wikimedia Commons

village in Cook County, Illinois, United States

Elmwood Park, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Quincy, IL to Elmwood Park, IL covers 310.7 miles and takes about 5h 59m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Broadway Street, North 3rd Street, Gardner Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $48.57 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

155.3 miles from Quincy, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 59m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Broadway Street
North 3rd Street
Gardner Expressway
East 1083rd Lane
Chicago-Kansas City Expressway
I 55 North
I 294
I 294 North

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Broadway Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Quincy, IL and Elmwood Park, IL.

1

Start on the route

52 ft · 2 sec · the route
2

Turn right onto Broadway Street

381 ft · 36 sec · Broadway Street
3

Continue on Broadway Street

0.2 mi · 25 sec · Broadway Street
4

Turn left onto North 3rd Street

0.4 mi · 53 sec · North 3rd Street
5

Continue on Gardner Expressway

11 mi · 19 min · Gardner Expressway
6

Continue on East 1083rd Lane

0.1 mi · 12 sec · East 1083rd Lane
7

Take the ramp right

0.5 mi · 1 min
8

Merge slight left onto Chicago-Kansas City Expressway

2.8 mi · 3 min · Chicago-Kansas City Expressway
9

Merge slight right

107 mi · 1 hr 55 min
10

Continue straight

20 mi · 21 min
11

Keep slight right to continue on I 55 North: Chicago

29 mi · 31 min · I 55 North: Chicago
12

Keep slight left to continue on I 55 North, I 74 West: Chicago, Peoria

121 mi · 2 hr 14 min · I 55 North, I 74 West: Chicago, Peoria
13

Take the exit slight right toward I 294 Tollway North: Wisconsin

1.6 mi · 3 min · I 294 Tollway North: Wisconsin
14

Keep slight left to continue on I 294 North: Wisconsin

0.3 mi · 41 sec · I 294 North: Wisconsin
15

Merge slight left onto Tri-State Tollway

4.8 mi · 5 min · Tri-State Tollway
16

Keep slight left to continue on Tri-State Tollway

1.2 mi · 1 min · Tri-State Tollway
17

Take the exit slight right toward I 290 West, I 294 North, I 290 East: Rockford, Milwaukee, Chicago

322 ft · 8 sec · I 290 West, I 294 North, I 290 East: Rockford, Milwaukee, Chicago
18

Keep slight right to continue on I 290 East: Chicago

0.3 mi · 34 sec · I 290 East: Chicago
19

Continue straight

525 ft · 13 sec
20

Merge slight left onto Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

0.6 mi · 49 sec · Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
21

Merge slight right onto Eisenhower Expressway

3.4 mi · 4 min · Eisenhower Expressway
22

Take the exit slight right toward IL 171: 1st Avenue

0.2 mi · 20 sec · IL 171: 1st Avenue
23

Turn slight left onto Bataan Drive

381 ft · 18 sec · Bataan Drive
24

Turn left onto South 1st Avenue

3.6 mi · 7 min · South 1st Avenue
25

Turn right onto West Fullerton Avenue

1.3 mi · 3 min · West Fullerton Avenue
26

Turn right onto North 73rd Court

0.1 mi · 34 sec · North 73rd Court
27

Turn left onto West Belden Avenue

161 ft · 9 sec · West Belden Avenue
28

Turn right

187 ft · 14 sec
29

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 155.3 miles from Quincy, IL, or about 2h 59m 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 68 miles or 1h 18m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 155.3 miles or 2h 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 4h 54m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Quincy, 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 Quincy, IL

This is one driving day of about 310.7 miles and 5h 59m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 68 miles from Quincy, 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.

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bloomington, IL

155 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

Bedford, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 68 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Bloomington, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 155.3 miles from Quincy, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$48.57 one way

$97.15 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 109 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $53.33 $106.67
premium $4.89 $59.79 $119.58
diesel $5.61 $68.60 $137.20

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$49

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$74–$99

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 108.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $33 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 93.2 1 $32.62 $14.91
Efficient EV 77.7 0 $27.19 $12.43
EV Truck/SUV 124.3 1 $43.50 $19.88

Gas CO2

109 kg

EV CO2

36 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 as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Quincy, IL

Afternoon in Quincy on Saturday

Local time

1:26 PM

CDT

Current temp

75°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Elmwood Park, IL

Afternoon in Elmwood Park on Saturday

Local time

1:26 PM

CDT

Current temp

71°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

52°F

Bloomington, IL

155 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

4 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 59m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

310.7 mi in 5h 59m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: Broadway Street.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

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.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 5h 59m 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 Quincy, IL to Elmwood Park, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

About the Cities

Arriving in Elmwood Park, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1914

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 5h 59m. Total distance: 310.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

5h 59m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.

Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.

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

Not recommended in a single day. At 6.0 hours each way, a round trip means 12.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Elmwood Park, IL before the return drive.

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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Explore More

Return Trip

Elmwood Park, IL to Quincy, IL

Plan the drive back the other way.

311.4 mi 5h 58m

Explore more options from Quincy, IL or browse trips ending in Elmwood Park, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.