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Trip from Aurora, IL to La Salle, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 19m

Distance

56.7 mi

91 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 13m ★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 32m
10 AM
1h 24m
12 PM
1h 22m
3 PM
1h 24m
5 PM
1h 31m
8 PM
1h 16m

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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city on tripoints of DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties in Illinois, United States

Aurora, IL

Wikimedia Commons

city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States

La Salle, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 56.7-mile journey from Aurora, IL to La Salle, IL is a straightforward 1 hour and 19-minute drive, making it an ideal day trip. Primarily utilizing IL 71 and I 80, you'll experience an 86% highway-focused drive. With an estimated fuel cost of $9, this route keeps expenses low as you travel within the Midwest region. Given its short duration and minimal stops, this trip offers a flexible and easy excursion without the need for an overnight stay. It's a practical option for a quick change of scenery.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
IL 71 30 mi 43m
I 80 14.5 mi 15m
South Lake Street 5.9 mi 9m
I 39 2.1 mi 2m
US 34 1.2 mi 2m
US 6 1 mi 1m
Orchard Road 0.7 mi 1m
West Galena Boulevard 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: IL 71 — 30 mi, about 43m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, IL and La Salle, 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

Turn right onto IL 71

30 mi · 43 min · IL 71
Use the left lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 44 sec
Toward I 80 West: Moline, Rock Island
7

Merge onto I 80

15 mi · 15 min · I 80
8

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 79A Toward I 39 South, US 51 South: Normal, Bloomington
9

Merge onto I 39; US 51

2.1 mi · 2 min · I 39; US 51
10

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Toward US 6: LaSalle, Peru, Ottowa
11

Turn right onto US 6

1.0 mi · 1 min · US 6
12

Turn right onto Tonti Street

171 ft · 7 sec · Tonti Street
13

Arrive at destination

Tonti Street

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Fox, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Fox, IL

28 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

Yorkville, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Newark, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28.4 miles from Aurora, 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 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 55.3 — 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.
5
7.9 mi into trip | ~13m in | IL 71

Turn right onto IL 71

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
37.9 mi into trip | ~57m in

Take the ramp toward I 80 West: Moline, Rock Island

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 80 West: Moline, Rock Island
6
52.8 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in

Take the exit toward I 39 South, US 51 South: Normal, Bloomington

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

Exit 79A Toward I 39 South, US 51 South: Normal, Bloomin...
5
55.3 mi into trip | ~1h 16m 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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.86 one way

$17.73 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $9.73 $19.47
premium $4.89 $10.91 $21.82
diesel $5.61 $12.52 $25.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17 0 $5.95 $2.72
Efficient EV 14.2 0 $4.96 $2.27
EV Truck/SUV 22.7 0 $7.94 $3.63

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (65% 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 13, 2026

Origin

Aurora, IL

Late night in Aurora on Tuesday

Local time

3:58 AM

CDT

Current temp

61°F

Mostly Cloudy

SW 15 mph 6% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 12 at 9:52PM CDT until April 17 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 12 at 9:52PM CDT until April 17 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Destination

La Salle, IL

Late night in La Salle on Tuesday

Local time

3:58 AM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

64°F

Fox, IL

28 mi in

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

5 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 19m 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?

Expect a predominantly highway-focused experience on this route, with 86% of the drive occurring on faster roads. You'll encounter a significant uninterrupted stretch of 30 miles along IL 71, offering a consistent pace. The use of I 80 also contributes to the highway feel. This drive is characterized by its efficiency, allowing you to cover ground quickly without many deviations from the main thoroughfares. It’s a route designed for straightforward travel.

86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 30 mi on IL 71.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on IL 71 and I 80. You will hit about 10 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 56.7 miles you will encounter 10 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 7.9 miles (IL 71): Lane positioning matters here; at 37.9 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

770 ft 563 ft

Total Climb

204 ft

Total Descent

317 ft

Highest Point

770 ft

~16.2 mi in

Elevation Range

207 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Aurora, IL and La Salle, IL, road signs point toward Rock Island and Bloomington.

Rock Island

37.9 mi in | ~57m

Bloomington

52.8 mi in | ~1h 13m

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 La Salle, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1838

Top landmarks

  • • Julius W. Hegeler I House — historic house in Illinois, United States

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 1h 19m. Total distance: 56.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 19m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 30 miles on IL 71. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 4 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 7.9 miles (IL 71): Lane positioning matters here; at 37.9 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at La Salle, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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