Origin
Champaign, IL
Morning in Champaign on Tuesday
Local time
8:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Champaign, IL to Fairbury, 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
1h 21m
Distance
55.7 mi
90 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 15m
★
6 AM
1h 22m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 26m
12 PM
1h 25m
3 PM
1h 27m
5 PM
1h 34m
8 PM
1h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fairbury, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Champaign, IL to Fairbury, IL is 55.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 21 minutes via IL 9 and I-74, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. Expect a mix of highway cruising and surface road travel, making it a straightforward drive for a quick day trip or an easy addition to a longer Midwest itinerary. It’s a practical route for anyone needing to connect these two Illinois towns without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| IL 9 | 20.6 mi | 29m |
| I 74 | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| County Road 400 East | 7.7 mi | 10m |
| County Road 350 East | 4.5 mi | 6m |
| North 450 East Road | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| East 800 North Road | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| County Road 450 East | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| East 820 North Road | 1.7 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
IL 9
— 20.6 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Champaign, IL and Fairbury, IL.
1
Start on North Neil Street
42 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Neil Street
2
Turn right onto West University Avenue
463 ft
·
17 sec
·
West University Avenue
3
Turn right onto North Randolph Street
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
North Randolph Street
4
At end of road, turn left onto West Bradley Avenue
458 ft
·
13 sec
·
West Bradley Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Turn slight right onto Bloomington Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Bloomington Road
6
Turn right onto US 150
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
North Prospect Avenue
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 74 West: Bloomington
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 74
8.2 mi
·
9 min
·
I 74
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 172
Toward IL 47: Gibson City, Mahomet
10
Turn right onto IL 47
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
County Road 400 East
11
Continue on IL 47
4.5 mi
·
6 min
·
County Road 350 East
12
Continue on IL 47
7.5 mi
·
10 min
·
County Road 400 East
13
Continue on IL 47
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
County Road 450 East
14
Continue on IL 47
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
North 450 East Road
15
Continue on IL 47
383 ft
·
7 sec
·
North 450E Road
16
Continue on IL 47
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
South Sangamon Avenue
17
Turn left onto IL 9; IL 47; IL 54
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
West 1st Street
18
Turn slight right
138 ft
·
7 sec
19
Turn right onto IL 9; IL 47
21 mi
·
29 min
·
IL 9; IL 47
20
Turn left onto US 24
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
West Wabash Street
21
Continue on US 24
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
East 820 North Road
22
Continue on US 24
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
East 800 North Road
23
Continue on US 24
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
East Oak Street
24
Turn right onto South 2nd Street
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
South 2nd Street
25
Arrive at destination
North 2nd Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.9 miles from Champaign, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West University Avenue
Turn right onto West University Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Randolph Street
Turn right onto North Randolph Street
Navigation decision point
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
West Bradley Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto West Bradley Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 74 West: Bloomington
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 74 West: Bloomington
6
10.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward IL 47: Gibson City, Mahomet
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 172
Toward IL 47: Gibson City, Mahomet
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.71 one way
$17.42 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.56 | $19.12 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.72 | $21.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.30 | $24.60 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.85 | $2.67 |
| Efficient EV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.87 | $2.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.3 | 0 | $7.80 | $3.56 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (63% 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
Fairbury, IL
Morning in Fairbury on Tuesday
Local time
8:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 21m 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?
This drive features a 52% highway share, meaning you'll spend a good portion of the trip on faster roads like I-74 before transitioning to surface streets. The longest stretch without a major turn or exit is 20.6 miles on IL 9. You'll notice the shift from more developed highway exits to more open surface road cruising as you get closer to your destination. The profile is mixed highway and surface, offering a bit of both driving experiences.
52% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.6 mi on IL 9.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West University Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 21m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West University Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North Randolph Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (West Bradley Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Champaign, IL to Fairbury, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Mahomet along the way.
Mahomet
10.3 mi in
|
~14m
About the Cities
Starting in Champaign, IL
Full guide →Founded 1855
Champaign-Urbana is a metropolitan area in central Illinois, composed of the towns of Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy. The community is the site of the main campus of the University of Illinois, one of the great public universities of the United States.
Top landmarks
- • Orpheum Theatre — theater and movie theater in Champaign, Illinois, United States
- • Virginia Theatre — movie theater in Champaign, Illinois, United States
- • Cattle Bank — bank building in Champaign, United States of America
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 21m. Total distance: 55.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.6 miles on IL 9. 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 (West University Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North Randolph Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (West Bradley Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fairbury, 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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