Origin
Richmond, IL
Evening in Richmond on Friday
Local time
5:47 PM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Richmond, IL to Rockford, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 12m
Distance
49.1 mi
79 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 12m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 16m
12 PM
1h 15m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 23m
8 PM
1h 9m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Richmond, IL
Kelly
Rockford, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Richmond, IL to Rockford, IL covers 49.1 miles and takes about 1h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Kenosha Street, West Brink Street, North 2nd Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.3 miles on Kenosha Street. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.68 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 12m. Total distance: 49.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (11%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 12m drive with frequent turns across 49.1 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.
Kenosha Street is the longest continuous segment at about 17.3 miles.
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. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 12 / Main Street.
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 1h 12m drive. You will face about 8 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 (US 12 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (IL 173 / Kenosha Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 17.6 miles (US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 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
|
US 12 / Main Street
Turn right onto US 12 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 173 / Kenosha Street
Turn left onto IL 173 / Kenosha Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
17.6 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street
Turn left onto US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street
Navigation decision point
4
18.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
IL 173 / West Brink Street
Turn right onto IL 173 / West Brink Street
Navigation decision point
4
41 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
IL 251 / North 2nd Street
Turn left onto IL 251 / North 2nd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kenosha Street | 17.3 mi | 24m |
| West Brink Street | 12.4 mi | 17m |
| North 2nd Street | 7.5 mi | 11m |
| State Route 173 | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| West Lane Road | 4.9 mi | 8m |
| North Division Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Jefferson Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Kenosha Street
— 17.3 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Richmond, IL and Rockford, IL.
1
Start on Broadway Street
46 ft
·
4 sec
·
Broadway Street
2
Turn right onto US 12
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn left onto IL 173
17 mi
·
24 min
·
Kenosha Street
Use the left lane.
4
Turn left onto US 14; IL 173
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
·
North Division Street
5
Turn right onto IL 173
12 mi
·
17 min
·
West Brink Street
6
Continue on IL 173
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
State Route 173
7
Continue on IL 173
4.9 mi
·
8 min
·
West Lane Road
8
Turn left onto IL 251
7.5 mi
·
11 min
·
North 2nd Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto US 20 Business
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Jefferson Street
10
Turn left onto North Wyman Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
North Wyman Street
11
Turn right onto West State Street
75 ft
·
2 sec
·
West State Street
12
Arrive at destination
West State Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 24.5 mi from Richmond, IL · 35m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.5 miles from Richmond, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Rockford, IL
The final approach into Rockford, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.68 one way
$15.35 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.43 | $16.86 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.45 | $18.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.84 | $21.68 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.16 | $2.36 |
| Efficient EV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.30 | $1.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.6 | 0 | $6.87 | $3.14 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Rockford, IL
Evening in Rockford on Friday
Local time
5:47 PM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms
SSW 15 mph
49% chance
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
5 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
1h 12m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Richmond, IL to Rockford, IL covers 49.1 miles and takes about 1h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Kenosha Street, West Brink Street, North 2nd Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 24.5 miles from Richmond, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.68 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 1h 12m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 12 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (IL 173 / Kenosha Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 17.6 miles (US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Richmond, IL to Rockford, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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