Trip from Springfield, IL to Buena Vista, IL

Drive Time

4h 1m

Distance

192.4 mi

310 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$29

one way

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min

4 AM

3h 49m ★

6 AM

4h 2m

8 AM

4h 28m

10 AM

4h 11m

12 PM

4h 8m

3 PM

4h 12m

5 PM

4h 26m

8 PM

3h 54m

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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Springfield, IL

Mike Tyurin

Buena Vista, IL

Arturo Añez.

Trip Overview

The drive from Springfield, IL to Buena Vista, IL covers 192.4 miles and takes about 4h 1m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on North 12th Street, Clear Lake Avenue, North Dirksen Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $29.22 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

96.2 miles from Springfield, IL

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

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 1m drive with frequent turns across 192.4 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.

There are about 35 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

North 12th Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple — set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Route Complexity 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Navigation is easy, but the length (4h 1m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots.

Where does it get tricky?

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

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
North 12th Street	Unavailable	Refreshing
Clear Lake Avenue	Unavailable	Refreshing
North Dirksen Parkway	Unavailable	Refreshing
North Webster Street	Unavailable	Refreshing
West Park Street	Unavailable	Refreshing
State Route 29	Unavailable	Refreshing
N 2000 East Road	Unavailable	Refreshing
West Washington Street	Unavailable	Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: North 12th Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Springfield, IL and Buena Vista, IL.

Start on East Washington Street

0.2 mi · 42 sec · East Washington Street

Turn left onto North 12th Street

0.2 mi · 36 sec · North 12th Street

Turn straight onto Clear Lake Avenue

1.7 mi · 3 min · Clear Lake Avenue

Turn right onto North Dirksen Parkway

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Dirksen Parkway

Turn left

0.1 mi · 18 sec

Turn straight

1.8 mi · 2 min

Continue straight

4.7 mi · 7 min

Continue straight

1.3 mi · 2 min

Continue straight

16 mi · 19 min

Continue on North Webster Street

0.4 mi · 35 sec · North Webster Street

Turn left onto West Park Street

5.3 mi · 7 min · West Park Street

Continue on State Route 29

5.1 mi · 7 min · State Route 29

Continue on N 2000 East Road

5.4 mi · 7 min · N 2000 East Road

Continue on West Washington Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · West Washington Street

Turn right onto North Poplar Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · North Poplar Street

Turn straight onto Fair Avenue

0.6 mi · 2 min · Fair Avenue

Continue on County Road 2400 E

2.0 mi · 2 min · County Road 2400 E

Continue on 300 East Road

15 mi · 17 min · 300 East Road

Continue on County Road 875 East

11 mi · 12 min · County Road 875 East

Continue on North Kennedy Boulevard

1.5 mi · 1 min · North Kennedy Boulevard

Turn left onto West Gallatin Street

0.5 mi · 34 sec · West Gallatin Street

Turn right

0.1 mi · 7 sec

Continue on United States Highway 51

13 mi · 15 min · United States Highway 51

Continue on 250E

10 mi · 11 min · 250E

Turn left

7.6 mi · 8 min

Take the exit left

0.3 mi · 45 sec

Merge slight left

24 mi · 26 min

Keep slight right to continue on Ken Gray Expressway

37 mi · 40 min · Ken Gray Expressway

Take the exit slight right toward IL 13: Harrisburg, Marion, Carbondale

0.3 mi · 43 sec · IL 13: Harrisburg, Marion, Carbondale

Keep slight left to continue on IL 13: Harrisburg, Marion, Carbondale

0.5 mi · 59 sec · IL 13: Harrisburg, Marion, Carbondale

Keep slight left

0.2 mi · 29 sec

Merge slight right onto West Deyoung Street

22 mi · 31 min · West Deyoung Street

Turn left onto West Poplar Street

0.7 mi · 2 min · West Poplar Street

Turn left

164 ft · 12 sec

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 96.2 miles from Springfield, IL, or about 2h 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 80 miles or 1h 40m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 96.2 miles or 2h in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 18m

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

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Springfield, 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 Springfield, IL

This is one driving day of about 192.4 miles and 4h 1m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Springfield, 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.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 96.2 mi from Springfield, IL · 2h into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Edwardsville, IL

96 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

Decatur, IL

Fuel and coffee

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

Edwardsville, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 96.2 miles from Springfield, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Buena Vista, IL

The final approach into Buena Vista, 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 Buena Vista, IL.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$29.22 one way

$58.45 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 67 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.25	$32.22	$64.43
premium	$4.80	$36.32	$72.64
diesel	$5.64	$42.74	$85.49

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$29

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$54–$79

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 67.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $20 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	57.7	$20.20	$9.24
Efficient EV	48.1	$16.84	$7.70
EV Truck/SUV	77	$26.94	$12.31

Gas CO2

67 kg

EV CO2

23 kg (66% 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 16 hours ago

Origin

Springfield, IL

Afternoon in Springfield on Sunday

Local time

3:21 PM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Buena Vista, IL

Afternoon in Buena Vista on Sunday

Local time

3:21 PM

CDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

4h 1m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Springfield, IL to Buena Vista, IL covers 192.4 miles and takes about 4h 1m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are North 12th Street, Clear Lake Avenue, North Dirksen Parkway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 96.2 miles from Springfield, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $29.22 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. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Navigation is easy, but the length (4h 1m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots.

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

The route from Springfield, IL to Buena Vista, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.