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Trip from Rock Island, IL to Champaign, IL

Data updated 25 minutes ago

Drive Time

3h 28m

Distance

190.8 mi

307 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$30

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 37 min
4 AM
3h 16m ★
6 AM
3h 28m
8 AM
3h 53m
10 AM
3h 37m
12 PM
3h 34m
3 PM
3h 38m
5 PM
3h 52m
8 PM
3h 21m

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

city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States

Rock Island, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Rock Island, IL to Champaign, IL covers 190.8 miles and takes about 3h 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 74, I 280, I 474 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 154.2 miles on I 74. At current regular gas prices, budget about $29.83 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

95.4 miles from Rock Island, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 43m into the drive .

Loading map...

Drive Character

This is a 3h 28m highway drive covering 190.8 miles, with most of the trip on I 74 and I 280. The longest continuous stretch is about 154.2 miles on I 74.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 74 is the longest continuous segment at about 154.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 74 and I 280. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 16th Street.

Route Complexity 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 13 significant decision points across 190.8 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: at 0.1 miles (16th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (IL 92 / 1st Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 134.8 miles (I 74): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

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

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | 16th Street

Turn left onto 16th Street

Navigation decision point

6
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | IL 92 / 1st Avenue

At end of road, turn left onto IL 92 / 1st Avenue

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

6
134.8 mi into trip | ~2h 25m in | I 74

Keep slight right at fork onto I 74 toward I 55 South, I 74 East, US 51 South: Saint Louis, Indianapolis

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 55 South, I 74 East, US 51 South: Sain...
8
141.4 mi into trip | ~2h 32m in | I 74; US 51

Keep slight left at fork onto I 74; US 51 toward I 74 East, US 51 South, US 55 Business North: Indianapolis, Decatur

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 74 East, US 51 South, US 55 Business N...
7
189.6 mi into trip | ~3h 25m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Neil Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 182 Toward Neil Street

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Rock Island, IL and Champaign, IL, road signs point toward Indianapolis and Decatur.

Indianapolis

134.8 mi in | ~2h 25m | via I 74

Decatur

141.4 mi in | ~2h 32m | via I 74; US 51

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 74 154.2 mi 2h 45m
I 280 15.8 mi 16m
I 474 13.8 mi 14m
Centennial Expressway 3.8 mi 4m
North Neil Street 1.2 mi 2m
1st Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
2nd Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
16th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 74 — 154.2 mi, about 2h 45m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Rock Island, IL and Champaign, IL.

1

Start on US 67

293 ft · 10 sec · 15th Street
2

Turn right onto 2nd Avenue

408 ft · 19 sec · 2nd Avenue
3

Turn left onto 16th Street

401 ft · 18 sec · 16th Street
4

At end of road, turn left onto IL 92

0.2 mi · 27 sec · 1st Avenue
5

Continue on IL 92

3.8 mi · 4 min · Centennial Expressway
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Toward I 280 East: Chicago
7

Merge onto I 280

16 mi · 16 min · I 280
8

Keep slight right at fork onto I 74

73 mi · 1 hr 17 min · I 74
Toward I 74 East: Peoria
9

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 1 min
Toward I 474 East: Indianapolis
10

Merge onto I 474

14 mi · 14 min · I 474
11

Merge onto I 74

27 mi · 28 min · I 74
12

Keep slight right at fork onto I 74

6.6 mi · 7 min · I 74
Toward I 55 South, I 74 East, US 51 South: Saint Louis, Indianapolis
13

Keep slight left at fork onto I 74; US 51

48 mi · 51 min · I 74; US 51
Toward I 74 East, US 51 South, US 55 Business North: Indianapolis, Decatur Use the slight right lane.
14

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Exit 182 Toward Neil Street
15

Keep slight right at fork

140 ft · 5 sec
Exit 182 Toward Neil Street
16

Turn right onto North Neil Street

1.2 mi · 2 min · North Neil Street
17

Arrive at destination

North Neil Street

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 95.4 miles from Rock Island, IL, or about 1h 43m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 154.2 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 80 miles or 1h 27m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 95.4 miles or 1h 43m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 49m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Rock Island, 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 Rock Island, IL

This is one driving day of about 190.8 miles and 3h 28m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Rock Island, 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 74 for about 154.2 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 95.4 mi from Rock Island, IL · 1h 43m into the drive

Downtown Peoria, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Peoria, IL

95 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

Peoria, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Peoria, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 95.4 miles from Rock Island, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 74 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 154.2 miles.

Arriving in Champaign, IL

The final approach into Champaign, 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 Champaign, 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

$29.83 one way

$59.66 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 67 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $32.75 $65.50
premium $4.89 $36.72 $73.44
diesel $5.61 $42.13 $84.25

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$30

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$55–$80

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 66.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $20 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 57.2 0 $20.03 $9.16
Efficient EV 47.7 0 $16.70 $7.63
EV Truck/SUV 76.3 0 $26.71 $12.21

Gas CO2

67 kg

EV CO2

22 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.

Forecast data refreshed 4 days ago

Origin

Rock Island, IL

Afternoon in Rock Island on Tuesday

Local time

2:41 PM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Champaign, IL

Afternoon in Champaign on Tuesday

Local time

2:41 PM

CDT

Current temp

54°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

55°F

Peoria, IL

95 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

3 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

3h 28m 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 Rock Island, IL to Champaign, IL covers 190.8 miles and takes about 3h 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 74, I 280, I 474. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 95.4 miles from Rock Island, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $29.83 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. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 13 significant decision points across 190.8 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (16th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (IL 92 / 1st Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 134.8 miles (I 74): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Rock Island, IL and Champaign, IL, road signs point toward Indianapolis and Decatur.

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