Origin
Ramsey, IL
Evening in Ramsey on Friday
Local time
7:21 PM
CDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ramsey, IL to Saint Elmo, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
26.9 mi
43 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ramsey, IL
Wolrider YURTSEVEN
Saint Elmo, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Ramsey, IL to Saint Elmo, IL covers 26.9 miles and takes about 32m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Interstate 70, County Road 875 East, Interstate Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.7 miles on Interstate 70. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.21 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 26.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
The drive from Ramsey, IL to Saint Elmo, IL covers 26.9 miles and takes about 32m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Interstate 70 is the longest continuous segment at about 12.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Main Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 32m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 12 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 25.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Main Street
Turn left onto West Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
12 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward I-70 East: Effingham
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I-70 East: Effingham
5
25.1 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward St Elmo
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 76
Toward St Elmo
4
26.2 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
US 40 / East Cumberland Road
At end of road, turn right onto US 40 / East Cumberland Road
Navigation decision point
5
26.9 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
East 4th Street
Turn right onto East 4th Street
Navigation decision point
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 Ramsey, IL to Saint Elmo, IL, road signs begin pointing toward St Elmo along the way.
St Elmo
25.1 mi in
|
~28m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Interstate 70 | 12.7 mi | 13m |
| County Road 875 East | 11.1 mi | 12m |
| Interstate Drive | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Superior Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Cumberland Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| North Kennedy Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Interstate 70
— 12.7 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ramsey, IL and Saint Elmo, IL.
1
Start on East Front Street
107 ft
·
13 sec
·
East Front Street
2
Turn left onto West Main Street
195 ft
·
10 sec
·
West Main Street
3
Turn right onto US 51
0.5 mi
·
36 sec
·
South Superior Street
4
Continue on US 51
11 mi
·
12 min
·
County Road 875 East
5
Continue on US 51
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
·
North Kennedy Boulevard
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward I-70 East: Effingham
7
Merge onto I 70
13 mi
·
13 min
·
Interstate 70
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 76
Toward St Elmo
9
Turn left onto Interstate Drive
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Interstate Drive
10
At end of road, turn right onto US 40
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
East Cumberland Road
11
Turn left onto South Main Street
0.2 mi
·
57 sec
·
South Main Street
12
Turn right onto East 4th Street
145 ft
·
6 sec
·
East 4th Street
13
Arrive at destination
East 4th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.21 one way
$8.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.62 | $9.23 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.18 | $10.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.94 | $11.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $1.72 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Saint Elmo, IL
Evening in Saint Elmo on Friday
Local time
7:21 PM
CDT
Current temp
54°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
1 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
32m 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 Ramsey, IL to Saint Elmo, IL covers 26.9 miles and takes about 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Interstate 70, County Road 875 East, Interstate Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.5 miles from Ramsey, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.21 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 straightforward 32m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 12 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 25.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
On the drive from Ramsey, IL to Saint Elmo, IL, road signs begin pointing toward St Elmo along the way.
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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