Burlington to Rockford is 42.7 miles and takes about 58 minutes via Jane Addams Memorial Tollway and IL 23, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest. Expect a mix of tollway cruising and surface road driving as you make your way to Rockford. It's a straightforward drive, making it ideal for a quick hop between towns.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
20.5 mi
21m
IL 23
6.4 mi
9m
East State Street
6 mi
10m
IL 72
5.4 mi
7m
French Road
2.4 mi
4m
East Jefferson Street
0.7 mi
1m
Main Street
0.2 mi
<1m
North Wyman Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
— 20.5 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Burlington, IL and Rockford, IL.
1
Start on Main Street
0.2 mi·27 sec·Main Street
2
Turn right onto CR 11
2.4 mi·4 min·French Road
3
At end of road, turn left onto IL 72
5.4 mi·7 min·IL 72
4
Turn right onto IL 23
6.1 mi·9 min·IL 23
5
Enter roundabout onto IL 23
111 ft·2 sec·IL 23
6
Continue on IL 23
0.2 mi·19 sec·IL 23
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·50 sec
Toward I 90 Toll West: Rockford
8
Merge onto I 90
20 mi·21 min·Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi·50 sec
Toward US 20 Business, State Street
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·21 sec
11
Turn straight onto US 20 Business
6.0 mi·10 min·East State Street
12
Turn right onto US 20 Business
0.7 mi·1 min·East Jefferson Street
13
Turn left onto North Wyman Street
0.2 mi·24 sec·North Wyman Street
14
Turn right onto West State Street
75 ft·2 sec·West State Street
15
Arrive at destination
West State Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 21.4 miles from Burlington, 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 35.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|CR 11 / French Road
Turn right onto CR 11 / French Road
Navigation decision point
5
2.6 mi into trip|~4m in|IL 72
At end of road, turn left onto IL 72
Navigation decision point
4
8 mi into trip|~12m in|IL 23
Turn right onto IL 23
Navigation decision point
5
14.2 mi into trip|~21m in|IL 23
Enter roundabout onto IL 23
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
35.2 mi into trip|~44m in
Take the exit toward US 20 Business, State Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 20 Business, State Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.51 one way
$13.03 round trip
$3.88/gal25.4 MPG avg15 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.27
$7.17
$14.35
premium
$4.81
$8.08
$16.16
diesel
$5.40
$9.08
$18.17
Estimated Tolls: $1.43
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(20.5 mi)$1.43
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
12.8
0
$4.48
$2.05
Efficient EV
10.7
0
$3.74
$1.71
EV Truck/SUV
17.1
0
$5.98
$2.73
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Forecast as of Apr 26, 2026
Origin
Burlington, IL
Afternoon
in Burlington on Sunday
Local time
12:20 PM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny
E 5 to 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 26 at 4:59AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 26 at 4:55AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
Destination
Rockford, IL
Afternoon
in Rockford on Sunday
Local time
12:20 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny
E 5 to 15 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 26 at 4:59AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 26 at 4:55AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
40°F
Cherry Valley, IL
21 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
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
58m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
About 28% of this 42.7-mile drive is on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, covering your longest stretch of 20.5 miles. After that, you'll transition to surface roads, primarily IL 23 and East State Street. This means you'll go from highway speeds to navigating local traffic and intersections. Pay attention as you exit the tollway; the change in road type will be noticeable.
Only 28% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.5 mi on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.
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 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near CR 11 / French Road.
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 42.7 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.2 miles (CR 11 / French Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles (IL 72): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles (IL 23): Navigation decision point.
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 42.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (28%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.5 miles on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.43 in tolls one way, starting with Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 0.2 miles (CR 11 / French Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles (IL 72): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles (IL 23): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rockford, IL before heading back.
