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Trip from Rockford, IL to Spring Valley, IL

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

1h 32m

Distance

78.5 mi

126 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$12

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 21 min
4 AM
1h 25m ★
6 AM
1h 32m
8 AM
1h 46m
10 AM
1h 37m
12 PM
1h 36m
3 PM
1h 38m
5 PM
1h 45m
8 PM
1h 28m

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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Downtown Rockford, IL, IL

Rockford, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Spring Valley, IL, IL

Spring Valley, IL

Jan Brndiar

Trip Overview

The drive from Rockford, IL to Spring Valley, IL covers 78.5 miles and takes about 1h 32m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 39, U.S. Grant Memorial Highway, South Main Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 61.8 miles on I 39. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.27 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.

Midpoint

39.2 miles from Rockford, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 46m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 32m. Total distance: 78.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 32m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (80%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 32m highway drive covering 78.5 miles, with most of the trip on I 39 and U.S. Grant Memorial Highway. The longest continuous stretch is about 61.8 miles on I 39.

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 39 is the longest continuous segment at about 61.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 39 and U.S. Grant Memorial Highway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near IL 2 / South Church 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 1h 32m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (IL 2 / South Church Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (IL 2 / Cedar Street): Navigation decision point; at 71.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 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 | IL 2 / South Church Street

Turn left onto IL 2 / South Church Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | IL 2 / Cedar Street

Turn left onto IL 2 / Cedar Street

Navigation decision point

5
71.2 mi into trip | ~1h 20m in

Take the exit toward US 6: LaSalle, Peru, Ottowa

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

Toward US 6: LaSalle, Peru, Ottowa
4
72.9 mi into trip | ~1h 23m in | US 6 / 3rd Street

Turn right onto US 6 / 3rd Street

Navigation decision point

4
78.5 mi into trip | ~1h 32m in | IL 89 / North Spalding Street

Turn left onto IL 89 / North Spalding 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.

Between Rockford, IL and Spring Valley, IL, road signs point toward Peru and Ottowa.

Peru

71.2 mi in | ~1h 20m

Ottowa

71.2 mi in | ~1h 20m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 39 61.8 mi 1h 6m
U.S. Grant Memorial Highway 4.3 mi 4m
South Main Street 3.6 mi 6m
North 2725th Road 2.8 mi 4m
4th Street 1.8 mi 2m
US 6 1.2 mi 1m
3rd Street 0.6 mi <1m
5th Street 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 39 — 61.8 mi, about 1h 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Rockford, IL and Spring Valley, IL.

1

Start on West State Street

0.1 mi · 23 sec · West State Street
2

Turn left onto IL 2

0.3 mi · 36 sec · South Church Street
3

Turn left onto IL 2

275 ft · 4 sec · Cedar Street
4

Turn right onto IL 2

3.6 mi · 6 min · South Main Street
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 43 sec
6

Merge onto US 20

4.3 mi · 4 min · U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
7

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 1 min
8

Merge onto I 39; US 51

62 mi · 1 hr 6 min · I 39; US 51
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Toward US 6: LaSalle, Peru, Ottowa
10

Turn right onto US 6

1.2 mi · 1 min · US 6
11

Turn left onto US 6; IL 351

0.2 mi · 17 sec · Joliet Street
12

Turn right onto US 6

0.6 mi · 57 sec · 3rd Street
13

Continue on US 6

0.4 mi · 33 sec · 5th Street
14

Continue on US 6

1.8 mi · 2 min · 4th Street
15

Continue on US 6

2.8 mi · 4 min · North 2725th Road
16

Turn left onto IL 89

38 ft · 0 sec · North Spalding Street
17

Arrive at destination

IL 89

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 39.2 miles from Rockford, IL, or about 46m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 61.8 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 17 miles or 22m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 39.2 miles or 46m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 15m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Rockford, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Rockford, IL

This is one driving day of about 78.5 miles and 1h 32m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 17 miles from Rockford, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 39 for about 61.8 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 39.2 mi from Rockford, IL · 46m into the drive

city in Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Mendota, IL

39 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

Davis Junction, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Flagg, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 39.2 miles from Rockford, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 39 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 61.8 miles.

Arriving in Spring Valley, IL

The final approach into Spring Valley, 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

$12.27 one way

$24.55 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 28 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $13.47 $26.95
premium $4.89 $15.11 $30.21
diesel $5.61 $17.33 $34.66

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$12

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$37–$62

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 27.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 23.6 0 $8.24 $3.77
Efficient EV 19.6 0 $6.87 $3.14
EV Truck/SUV 31.4 0 $10.99 $5.02

Gas CO2

27 kg

EV CO2

9 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 as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Rockford, IL

Evening in Rockford on Thursday

Local time

5:05 PM

CDT

Current temp

71°F

Isolated Rain Showers

NW 5 to 10 mph 21% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 12:33PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 12:29PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Spring Valley, IL

Evening in Spring Valley on Thursday

Local time

5:05 PM

CDT

Current temp

75°F

Sunny

W 10 to 15 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 12:33PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 12:29PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

50°F

Mendota, IL

39 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 warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 32m 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 Rockford, IL to Spring Valley, IL covers 78.5 miles and takes about 1h 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 39, U.S. Grant Memorial Highway, South Main Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 39.2 miles from Rockford, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.27 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 32m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (IL 2 / South Church Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (IL 2 / Cedar Street): Navigation decision point; at 71.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Rockford, IL and Spring Valley, IL, road signs point toward Peru and Ottowa.

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