Origin
Carol Stream, IL
Late night in Carol Stream on Tuesday
Local time
3:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Carol Stream, IL to Joliet, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
39 mi
63 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carol Stream, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Joliet, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling from Carol Stream to Joliet, you are looking at a straightforward 39-mile journey across the Illinois Midwest. Expect the drive to take roughly 56 minutes, making it an easy day trip that requires no overnight stops. With a fuel cost of about $6, this is a budget-friendly excursion that stays entirely within the state. Because there are zero planned stops along the way, you can easily complete this route in a single session. This drive functions best as a direct transit rather than a sightseeing tour, so plan your schedule accordingly. It is a practical, efficient way to connect these two points without any unnecessary detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Memorial Tollway | 25.9 mi | 30m |
| Maple Road | 5.7 mi | 11m |
| East North Avenue | 4.2 mi | 7m |
| North Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| Kuhn Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Ottawa Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West Thunderbird Trail | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Thunderbird Trail | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Veterans Memorial Tollway
— 25.9 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carol Stream, IL and Joliet, IL.
1
Start on West Thunderbird Trail
0.2 mi
·
54 sec
·
West Thunderbird Trail
2
At end of road, turn right onto Aztec Drive
160 ft
·
12 sec
·
Aztec Drive
3
Turn left onto Thunderbird Trail
202 ft
·
14 sec
·
Thunderbird Trail
4
Turn left onto Kuhn Road
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
Kuhn Road
5
Turn left onto IL 64
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Avenue
6
Continue on IL 64
4.2 mi
·
7 min
·
East North Avenue
Use the left / uturn lanes.
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward I 355 Toll South: Joliet
Use the right lane.
8
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
·
this road
Toward I 355 Toll South: Joliet
9
Merge onto I 355
26 mi
·
30 min
·
Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Exit 1
Toward US 6: Southwest Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto US 6
5.7 mi
·
11 min
·
Maple Road
12
Turn left onto IL 53
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Ottawa Street
13
Turn right
111 ft
·
8 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19.5 miles from Carol Stream, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 32.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Aztec Drive
At end of road, turn right onto Aztec Drive
Navigation decision point
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Thunderbird Trail
Turn left onto Thunderbird Trail
Navigation decision point
5
6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the ramp toward I 355 Toll South: Joliet
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 355 Toll South: Joliet
5
6.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway
Merge onto I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
32.5 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward US 6: Southwest Highway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1
Toward US 6: Southwest Highway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.10 one way
$12.19 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.69 | $13.39 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.51 | $15.01 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.61 | $17.22 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.81
Veterans Memorial Tollway
(25.9 mi)
$1.81
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$2
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.10 | $1.87 |
| Efficient EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.41 | $1.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.6 | 0 | $5.46 | $2.50 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Joliet, IL
Late night in Joliet on Tuesday
Local time
3:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°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
56m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive as you navigate your way between these two hubs. While you will spend a significant portion of your time on local roads like Maple Road and East North Avenue, you do get a break from the surface streets with a 25.9-mile stretch on the Veterans Memorial Tollway. This longest uninterrupted segment provides the most consistent speed, though the route overall maintains a highway share of 0% as you transition between varied road types. You will find that the personality of the drive shifts from suburban local navigation to more sustained highway movement. Be prepared to keep your focus on the road as the route demands frequent adjustments between these different driving environments.
Only 0% 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: 25.9 mi on Veterans 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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Aztec Drive.
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 39 miles you will encounter 8 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 (Aztec Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Thunderbird Trail): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Joliet, IL
Full guide →Founded 1833
Joliet is a city in the Chicagoland region of Illinois, a state in the Midwest of the United States of America. It is the largest city and county seat of Will County.
Top landmarks
- • Joliet Union Station — former train station in the United States
- • Christ Episcopal Church — church building in Joliet, Illinois, United States of America
- • Joliet Central High School — public school in Joliet, 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 56m. Total distance: 39 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.9 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.81 in tolls one way, starting with Veterans 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. 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 (Aztec Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Thunderbird Trail): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Joliet, 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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