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Trip from Belleville, IL to Waterloo, 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

34m

Distance

20.7 mi

33 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 32m ★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m

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 in and seat of St. Clair County, Illinois, United States

Belleville, IL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Monroe County, Illinois, USA

Waterloo, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a quick excursion through the Illinois Midwest, the 20.7-mile connection between Belleville and Waterloo is an ideal choice. Expect a travel time of approximately 34 minutes, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via IL 3, Centreville Avenue, and West Washington Street throughout the journey. Budgeting about $3 for fuel will comfortably cover this short distance, keeping your travel costs minimal. Because the trip is so efficient, you have the flexibility to plan your departure around your personal schedule rather than worrying about strict time constraints.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
IL 3 5.5 mi 6m
Centreville Avenue 5.1 mi 9m
West Washington Street 4.8 mi 8m
North Market Street 1.4 mi 3m
Millstadt Road 1 mi 1m
East Washington Street 0.9 mi 1m
IL 158 0.6 mi 1m
West A Street 0.5 mi <1m
Longest stretch: IL 3 — 5.5 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Belleville, IL and Waterloo, IL.

1

Start on East F Street

59 ft · 10 sec · East F Street
2

Turn left onto IL 159

0.4 mi · 41 sec · North Illinois Street
3

Turn right onto West A Street

0.5 mi · 55 sec · West A Street
4

Turn left onto South 6th Street

348 ft · 7 sec · South 6th Street
5

Continue on Centreville Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · Centreville Avenue
6

Enter roundabout onto IL 158

176 ft · 3 sec · Centreville Avenue
7

Continue on IL 158

420 ft · 8 sec · Centreville Avenue
8

Enter roundabout onto IL 158

132 ft · 2 sec · Centreville Avenue
9

Continue on IL 158

4.3 mi · 7 min · Centreville Avenue
10

Continue on IL 158

1.0 mi · 1 min · Millstadt Road
11

Continue on IL 158

0.9 mi · 1 min · East Washington Street
12

Continue on IL 158

0.4 mi · 36 sec · South Illinois Street
13

Continue on IL 158

4.8 mi · 8 min · West Washington Street
14

Keep slight left at fork onto IL 158

0.6 mi · 1 min · IL 158
15

Merge onto IL 3

5.5 mi · 6 min · IL 3
16

Turn left onto North Market Street

1.4 mi · 3 min · North Market Street
17

Turn right onto West Mill Street

258 ft · 11 sec · West Mill Street
18

Arrive at destination

West Mill Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 1.7 — 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 159 / North Illinois Street

Turn left onto IL 159 / North Illinois Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.4 mi into trip | ~0m in | West A Street

Turn right onto West A Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.8 mi into trip | ~1m in | South 6th Street

Turn left onto South 6th Street

Navigation decision point

5
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in | IL 158 / Centreville Avenue

Enter roundabout onto IL 158 / Centreville Avenue

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
1.7 mi into trip | ~3m in | IL 158 / Centreville Avenue

Enter roundabout onto IL 158 / Centreville Avenue

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.24 one way

$6.47 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $3.55 $7.11
premium $4.89 $3.98 $7.97
diesel $5.61 $4.57 $9.14

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.2 0 $2.17 $0.99
Efficient EV 5.2 0 $1.81 $0.83
EV Truck/SUV 8.3 0 $2.90 $1.32

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Belleville, IL

Late night in Belleville on Tuesday

Local time

4:09 AM

CDT

Current temp

49°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 10 to 14 mph 100% chance Live forecast

Tornado Warning

Tornado Warning issued April 17 at 9:11PM CDT until April 17 at 9:30PM CDT by NWS Lincoln IL

Tornado Warning

Tornado Warning issued April 17 at 9:11PM CDT until April 17 at 9:45PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Waterloo, IL

Late night in Waterloo on Tuesday

Local time

4:09 AM

CDT

Current temp

69°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

20 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

34m 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 turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. Highway travel accounts for only 29% of the route, meaning you will spend the majority of your time navigating local surface streets. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 5.5-mile segment on IL 3, which provides a brief reprieve from more frequent turns. As you transition between the roads, the character of the drive shifts from urban streets to local highways, requiring you to stay alert at intersections. This is a hands-on driving experience that rewards drivers who prefer local navigation over high-speed highway transit.

Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.5 mi on IL 3.

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 early in the drive near IL 159 / North Illinois 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 20.7 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: near the start (IL 159 / North Illinois Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (West A Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (South 6th Street): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

706 ft 512 ft

Total Climb

289 ft

Total Descent

97 ft

Highest Point

706 ft

~20.7 mi in

Elevation Range

194 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Belleville, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1814

Belleville is a city in Illinois.

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 34m. Total distance: 20.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

34m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (29%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 5.5 miles on IL 3. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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: near the start (IL 159 / North Illinois Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (West A Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (South 6th Street): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Waterloo, 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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