Granite City, IL Road Trips
Sitting in the Midwest, Granite City, IL is a local road trip base with 8 trip routes mapped and ready to explore. Routes from here tend to cover serious ground — the average trip runs 263 miles, so plan for multi-day adventures. Most routes from Granite City, IL head north, giving the route network a clear directional lean.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Trip Routes
8
Longest Drive
302.8 mi
Evanston, IL
Quickest Drive
4h 41m
Joliet, IL
Plan Around Granite City, IL
Popular Incoming Routes
Useful if Granite City, IL is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.
Continue From Granite City, IL
Good next legs if this city is only one stop in a longer road trip.
Trips from Granite City, IL
Driving from Granite City, IL
On average, trips departing from Granite City, IL run 263 miles with a drive time of roughly 4h 57m. This is long-haul territory. Most routes stretch past the 250-mile mark, so pack snacks and plan fuel stops. The longest mapped route runs 276 miles (5h 18m), while the shortest is just 254 miles.
Popular Destinations
Top road trip destinations from Granite City, IL are Wheaton, IL (276 mi, 5h 18m), Lockport, IL (259.3 mi, 4h 52m), and Joliet, IL (253.7 mi, 4h 41m). Most destinations stay within the same state, perfect for exploring the local region thoroughly.
Planning & Costs
Regular gas in IL currently averages around $4.68 per gallon. For the typical 263-mile trip from Granite City, IL, budget about $49 in fuel one way, assuming 25 MPG. Longer hauls and premium fuel will cost proportionally more.
Routes mostly head north. Summer trips benefit from long daylight hours, while winter departures should start early to maximize visibility. Most trips take a half-day, so a morning start gets you there in time for lunch or an afternoon of exploring.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 3 mapped routes leaving Granite City, IL and 5 routes heading into Granite City, IL, covering 8 total connections. Distances range from 254 to 276 miles.
The longest mapped route from Granite City, IL covers 276 miles and takes approximately 5h 18m. Shorter options start at just 254 miles.
The average route from Granite City, IL runs about 263 miles with a drive time of roughly 4h 57m. This includes both short day trips and longer multi-day drives.
At current gas prices (about $4.68/gallon for regular), the average 263-mile trip from Granite City, IL costs roughly $49 in fuel one way, based on 25 MPG. Your actual cost depends on your vehicle's efficiency.
The most popular road trip destinations from Granite City, IL include Wheaton, IL, Lockport, IL and Joliet, IL. Each route page has detailed drive times, fuel estimates, stop suggestions, and turn-by-turn directions.
Granite City, IL at a Glance
Founded
1896
Elevation
420 ft
Area
21 mi²
Notable People from Granite City, IL
A sampling of people born in Granite City, IL.
Robert Olen Butler
1945
American fiction writer
Andy Phillip
1922–2001
American basketball player-coach
Steve Trittschuh
1965
American soccer player
Ralph Tyler Smith
1915–1972
American politician (1915-1972)
Andrew Goodpaster
1915–2005
United States Army general (1915–2005)
Whip Wilson
1911–1964
American actor (1911-1964)
Winifred Freedman
1957
American actress
Bradford Keeney
1951
American therapist and healer
Craig Kelly
1966–2003
American snowboarder (1966–2003)
City data from Wikidata (Q176907), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.
Traveler Guide to Granite City, IL
Granite City is a town in the St. Louis Metro East area of Illinois.
Granite City is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States, part of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. At the 2010 census, the population was 29,849, with a total of about 67,000 in the immediate area. Officially founded in 1896, Granite City was named by the Niedringhaus brothers who established it as a steel making company town for the manufacture of kitchen utensils made to resemble granite.
Lincoln Place neighborhood. A historic district near downtown Granite City. Lincoln Place was a magnet for immigrants from Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and Mexico. It has numerous historic churches and a community center built by Commonwealth Steel to educate the children of immigrants. Today, the neighborhood's ethnic history is preserved by the Lincoln Place Heritage Association.
Tri-City Speedway. A dirt track boasting a newly-renovated 3/8 mile dirt oval with 10 degrees of banking in the corners. NASCAR legends such as Rusty Wallace and Tony Stewart have raced here. Granite City Cinema, 1243 Niedringhaus Ave, a 3 screen movie theater located downtown. +1 618-512-9000
1 Horseshoe Lake State Park, 3321 Hwy 11, ☏ +1 618 931-0270. Class C campground. No electricity or showers. Open May 15-Oct 15 KOA of Greater St Louis, 3157 W Chain of Rocks Rd, Granite City, ☏ +1 618 931-5160.
Travel tips adapted from Granite City (Illinois) on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.
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