Origin
Aurora, IL
Late night in Aurora on Wednesday
Local time
2:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Aurora, IL to Central, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 29, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
24.7 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aurora, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Central, IL
Jérémy Glineur
Trip Overview
Aurora, IL to Central, IL is 24.7 miles and takes about 37 minutes via South Lake Street and Minkler Road, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Midwest region, specifically moving between areas in Illinois. Given its brief duration and primarily surface road profile, this route is ideal for a quick trip when you need to get from point A to point B without a significant time commitment. Consider this an easy, straightforward connection rather than an expansive scenic tour.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Lake Street | 5.9 mi | 9m |
| Minkler Road | 4.3 mi | 6m |
| Ashley Road | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| Caton Farm Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| US 34 | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Orchard Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Whitewillow Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Schoolhouse Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Lake Street
— 5.9 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, IL and Central, IL.
1
Start on West Galena Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
West Galena Boulevard
2
Turn right onto IL 31
5.9 mi
·
9 min
·
South Lake Street
Use the right lane.
3
Continue on US 34
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
US 34
4
Turn left onto Orchard Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Orchard Road
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on Minkler Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Minkler Road
6
Enter roundabout onto Minkler Road
128 ft
·
3 sec
·
Minkler Road
7
Continue on Minkler Road
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Minkler Road
8
At end of road, turn right onto IL 126
0.5 mi
·
47 sec
·
East Schoolhouse Road
9
Turn left onto Ashley Road
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Ashley Road
10
Turn right onto Caton Farm Road
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Caton Farm Road
11
Turn left
6.2 mi
·
8 min
Use the straight lane.
12
Turn right onto Whitewillow Road
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Whitewillow Road
13
Turn right
103 ft
·
7 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 18 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 31 / South Lake Street
Turn right onto IL 31 / South Lake Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
7.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Orchard Road
Turn left onto Orchard Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
8.8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
Minkler Road
Enter roundabout onto Minkler Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
12.2 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
IL 126 / East Schoolhouse Road
At end of road, turn right onto IL 126 / East Schoolhouse Road
Navigation decision point
5
18 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.86 one way
$7.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.37 | $4.25 | $8.50 |
| premium | $4.88 | $4.74 | $9.49 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $5.20 | $10.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-27.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.19 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.16 | $0.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.46 | $1.58 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Central, IL
Late night in Central on Wednesday
Local time
2:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
1 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
37m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is almost entirely on surface roads, with only about 5% on highways. You'll spend most of your time navigating local streets, with the longest continuous stretch on surface roads measuring 5.9 miles on South Lake Street. Expect a more stop-and-go feel as you transition from South Lake Street onto Minkler Road and Ashley Road. This means you'll be encountering more intersections and varying speed limits throughout the 37-minute drive.
Only 5% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.9 mi on South Lake Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near IL 31 / South Lake Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 24.7 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (IL 31 / South Lake Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles (Orchard Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.8 miles (Minkler Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
About the Cities
Starting in Aurora, IL
Full guide →Founded 1835
Aurora is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, located about 35 miles west of Chicago. It's at the very edge of Chicagoland and, situated on the Fox River, has many opportunities for urban, suburban, and rural recreation. Often overlooked, Aurora in fact has many surprisingly interesting attractions and a downtown unlike that of a typical suburb. It is probably best known for being the setting of the "Wayne's World" movies.
Top landmarks
- • Aurora University — private university in Aurora, Illinois, U.S
- • Hotel Arthur — United States historic place
- • Graham Building — historic building in Aurora, Illinois
Arriving in Central, IL
Full guide →Central Illinois is a region of Illinois extending south from Chicagoland along the border with Indiana. It includes Champaign, DeWitt, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, LaSalle, Livingston, McLean, and Shelby counties.
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 37m. Total distance: 24.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (5%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.9 miles on South Lake 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: at 0.1 miles (IL 31 / South Lake Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles (Orchard Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.8 miles (Minkler Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Central, 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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