This 316.8-mile journey from Berwyn, IL, to Pinckneyville, IL, is designed for a single day of travel, taking approximately 5 hours and 59 minutes. You'll primarily be on major interstates like I-57 and I-64, with a brief stint on IL-127, making it a highway-focused drive. With an estimated fuel cost of $50, this route is an efficient way to traverse the state. It's a straightforward trip across the Midwest, offering a direct path without many detours. Consider starting early to make the most of daylight hours.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
158.4 miles from Berwyn, IL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 4m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 57
249.5 mi
4h 29m
I 64
22.9 mi
24m
IL 127
22 mi
27m
South Cicero Avenue
11.6 mi
18m
Cicero Avenue
6.6 mi
10m
West Cermak Road
2.5 mi
5m
167th Street
0.2 mi
<1m
West Water Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 57
— 249.5 mi, about 4h 29m
Traffic on I-57
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~741 veh/hr typical
· worst 863
Quietest
3 AM
~100 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 51 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Berwyn, IL and Pinckneyville, IL.
1
Start on West Cermak Road
2.5 mi·5 min·West Cermak Road
2
Turn right onto IL 50
12 mi·18 min·South Cicero Avenue
Use the right lane.
3
Continue on IL 50
6.6 mi·10 min·Cicero Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Turn left onto 167th Street
0.2 mi·26 sec·167th Street
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 57 South: Kankakee, I-80
6
Merge onto I 57
188 mi·3 hr 23 min·I 57
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 57
61 mi·1 hr 5 min·I 57
Toward I 57 South: Memphis
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi·49 sec
Toward I 64 West: Saint Louis
9
Merge onto I 64
23 mi·24 min·I 64
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi·51 sec
Toward IL 127
11
Turn straight onto IL 127
22 mi·27 min·IL 127
12
Turn right onto IL 13; IL 154
135 ft·2 sec·West Water Street
13
Arrive at destination
IL 13; IL 154
Trip Plan
Given the nearly 6-hour duration, an early morning departure from Berwyn is advisable to arrive in Pinckneyville with ample daylight. You'll have one main stretch of road for over 200 miles, so plan your fuel and rest stops accordingly. The estimated fuel cost of $50 is a good budget to keep in mind. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge as you approach the longer stretches on I-57, as services can be spaced out. This is a drive where sticking to the main highways will get you there efficiently.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 158.4 miles from Berwyn, IL, or about 3h 4m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 249.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 70 miles or 1h 28m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 158.4 miles or 3h 4m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 53m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Pinckneyville, IL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Berwyn, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Berwyn, IL
This is one driving day of about 316.8 miles and 5h 59m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 70 miles from Berwyn, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 57 for about 249.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Final third
3.2 mi from route
~8 min detour
$20 to $30
Effingham, Illinois
Hours: 6–10 am
+12175407716
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 2.5 and 209.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.5 mi into trip|~5m in|IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue
Turn right onto IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
20.7 mi into trip|~34m in|167th Street
Turn left onto 167th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
20.9 mi into trip|~34m in
Take the ramp toward I 57 South: Kankakee, I-80
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 57 South: Kankakee, I-80
5
21.4 mi into trip|~36m in|I 57
Merge onto I 57
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
209.9 mi into trip|~4h in|I 57
Keep slight left at fork onto I 57 toward I 57 South: Memphis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 57 South: Memphis
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$46.78 one way
$93.57 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg111 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$51.65
$103.30
premium
$4.72
$58.82
$117.64
diesel
$4.80
$59.82
$119.64
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$47
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$72–$97
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 110.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
95
1
$33.26
$15.21
Efficient EV
79.2
0
$27.72
$12.67
EV Truck/SUV
126.7
1
$44.35
$20.28
Gas CO2
111 kg
EV CO2
37 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Jul 17, 2026
Origin
Berwyn, IL
Morning
in Berwyn on Sunday
Local time
10:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
91°F
Smoke
SW 5 to 10 mph44% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 11:01AM CDT until July 21 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 11:01AM CDT until July 21 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Paducah KY
Destination
Pinckneyville, IL
Morning
in Pinckneyville on Sunday
Local time
10:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
90°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
W 5 mph41% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 11:01AM CDT until July 21 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 11:01AM CDT until July 21 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Paducah KY
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
5h 59m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Pullman National Historical Park
National Historical Park
In a growing Chicago neighborhood, diverse people and stories intertwined. All were seeking opportunity. Some succeeded. Others were limited—by race, gender, or economic status. Their stories came tog...
7 mi from route
~18 min detour
Free
near mile 10.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a highway-intensive experience, with 93% of the drive utilizing major roadways. The majority of your time will be spent on I-57, where you'll encounter the longest uninterrupted stretch of 249.5 miles. This means consistent speeds and minimal slowdowns as you travel south through Illinois. While largely interstate, the inclusion of IL-127 offers a slight change of pace before reaching your destination. The drive is characterized by its efficiency and directness, rather than winding scenic byways.
93% 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: 249.5 mi on I 57.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 57 and I 64. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.5 miles in near IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue.
Driving Effort5/10
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 316.8 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 2.5 miles (IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 20.7 miles (167th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 59m. Total distance: 316.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 249.5 miles on I 57. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 39 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.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 39 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.5 miles (IL 50 / South Cicero Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 20.7 miles (167th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Pullman National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.0 hours each way, a round trip means 12.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Pinckneyville, IL before the return drive.
