Origin
Champaign, IL
Evening in Champaign on Sunday
Local time
5:06 PM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Champaign, IL to Gardner, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 2m
Distance
83 mi
134 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 54m
★
6 AM
2h 3m
8 AM
2h 20m
10 AM
2h 9m
12 PM
2h 7m
3 PM
2h 10m
5 PM
2h 19m
8 PM
1h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Champaign, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Gardner, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Trip Overview
The drive from Champaign, IL to Gardner, IL covers 83 miles and takes about 2h 2m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on IL 9, I 74, County Road 400 East for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 46 miles on IL 9. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.87 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
41.5 miles from Champaign, IL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| IL 9 | 46 mi | 1h 11m |
| I 74 | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| County Road 400 East | 7.7 mi | 10m |
| I 55 | 6.3 mi | 6m |
| County Road 350 East | 4.5 mi | 6m |
| North 450 East Road | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| County Road 450 East | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| North Randolph Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
IL 9
— 46 mi, about 1h 11m
Traffic on I-74
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,223 veh/hr typical · worst 1,683
Quietest
2 AM
~95 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
12.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 84 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 Champaign, IL and Gardner, 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
46 mi
·
1 hr 11 min
·
IL 9; IL 47
20
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 55 North: Joliet
21
Merge onto I 55
6.3 mi
·
6 min
·
I 55
22
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
Toward IL 53: Gardner
23
Turn right onto IL 53
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
IL 53
24
Continue on West Main Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
25
Turn right onto South Grundy Street
111 ft
·
4 sec
·
South Grundy Street
26
Arrive at destination
South Grundy Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 41.5 miles from Champaign, IL, or about 1h into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 46 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 18 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 41.5 miles or 1h in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 45m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Gardner, IL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Champaign, 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 Champaign, IL
This is one driving day of about 83 miles and 2h 2m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Champaign, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on IL 9 for about 46 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
42 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 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 41.5 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 135 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
$12.87 one way
$25.74 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
29 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $14.11 | $28.22 |
| premium | $4.93 | $16.10 | $32.21 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $18.30 | $36.59 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 29 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 24.9 | 0 | $8.72 | $3.98 |
| Efficient EV | 20.8 | 0 | $7.26 | $3.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 33.2 | 0 | $11.62 | $5.31 |
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (66% 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
Gardner, IL
Evening in Gardner on Sunday
Local time
5:06 PM
CDT
Current temp
87°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
22 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
2h 2m 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?
83 mi in 2h 2m, mostly highway — 46 mi of that is on IL 9.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 46 mi on IL 9.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on IL 9 and I 74. 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 2h 2m drive. You will face about 13 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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
834 ft
587 ft
Total Climb
218 ft
Total Descent
366 ft
Highest Point
834 ft
~35.6 mi in
Elevation Range
247 ft
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 Gardner, 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
Arriving in Gardner, IL
Full guide →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 2h 2m. Total distance: 83 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 46 miles on IL 9. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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 Gardner, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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