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Trip from Alden, IL to Rockford, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

56m

Distance

37.6 mi

60 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 52m ★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 53m

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 Alden, IL, IL

Alden, IL

Mike Tyurin

Downtown Rockford, IL, IL

Rockford, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Alden, IL to Rockford, IL covers 37.6 miles and takes about 56m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on West Brink Street, North 2nd Street, IL 173 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.4 miles on West Brink Street. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.74 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
West Brink Street 12.4 mi 17m
North 2nd Street 7.5 mi 11m
IL 173 6.1 mi 8m
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
North Wyman Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: West Brink Street — 12.4 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on V12

11 ft · 7 sec · Alden Road
2

Turn left onto IL 173

6.1 mi · 8 min · IL 173
3

Turn left onto US 14; IL 173

0.5 mi · 49 sec · North Division Street
4

Turn right onto IL 173

12 mi · 17 min · West Brink Street
5

Continue on IL 173

5.6 mi · 7 min · State Route 173
6

Continue on IL 173

4.9 mi · 8 min · West Lane Road
7

Turn left onto IL 251

7.5 mi · 11 min · North 2nd Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Turn right onto US 20 Business

0.4 mi · 45 sec · East Jefferson Street
9

Turn left onto North Wyman Street

0.2 mi · 24 sec · North Wyman Street
10

Turn right onto West State Street

75 ft · 2 sec · West State Street
11

Arrive at destination

West State Street

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Machesney Park, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Machesney Park, IL

19 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

Machesney Park, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 37.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Belvidere, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.8 miles from Alden, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 37 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | IL 173

Turn left onto IL 173

Navigation decision point

4
6.1 mi into trip | ~9m in | US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street

Turn left onto US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street

Navigation decision point

4
6.6 mi into trip | ~9m in | IL 173 / West Brink Street

Turn right onto IL 173 / West Brink Street

Navigation decision point

4
29.5 mi into trip | ~43m in | IL 251 / North 2nd Street

Turn left onto IL 251 / North 2nd Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
37 mi into trip | ~55m in | US 20 Business / East Jefferson Street

Turn right onto US 20 Business / East Jefferson Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.74 one way

$11.47 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $6.32 $12.64
premium $4.81 $7.11 $14.23
diesel $5.40 $8.00 $16.00

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.3 0 $3.95 $1.80
Efficient EV 9.4 0 $3.29 $1.50
EV Truck/SUV 15 0 $5.26 $2.41

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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 26, 2026

Origin

Alden, IL

Afternoon in Alden on Sunday

Local time

12:19 PM

CDT

Current temp

64°F

Partly Sunny

ESE 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 10:27AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 10:24AM CDT until April 29 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Rockford, IL

Afternoon in Rockford on Sunday

Local time

12:19 PM

CDT

Current temp

70°F

Mostly Sunny

ESE 10 to 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 10:27AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 26 at 10:24AM CDT until April 29 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

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

6 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

56m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

37.6 mi in 56m — 31% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: West Brink Street.

31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.4 mi on West Brink Street.

How Hard Is This Drive?

2/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near IL 173.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Alden, IL to Rockford, IL is easy. At 56m with 31% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (IL 173): Navigation decision point; at 6.1 miles (US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.6 miles (IL 173 / West Brink Street): Navigation decision point.

About the Cities

Arriving in Rockford, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1852

Rockford is a city in the Rock River Valley in Northern Illinois. With a population of over 145,000 (2019), it is the third largest city in the state.

Top landmarks

  • • Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House — Usonian house
  • • Herrick Cobblestone — house in Rockford, Illinois, USA
  • • Haight Village Historic District — park in the United States of America

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 37.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

56m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (31%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 12.4 miles on West Brink Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (IL 173): Navigation decision point; at 6.1 miles (US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.6 miles (IL 173 / West Brink Street): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rockford, IL before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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