The drive from Champaign, IL to Oglesby, IL covers 111.6 miles and takes about 2h 5m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 51, I 74, West Walnut Street for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly highway.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 54.5 miles on US 51.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.30 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
55.8 miles from Champaign, IL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 3m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 51
54.5 mi
58m
I 74
52.6 mi
56m
West Walnut Street
1.1 mi
2m
I 55
0.9 mi
<1m
North Randolph Street
0.8 mi
2m
Bloomington Road
0.7 mi
1m
North Prospect Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
West University Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
US 51
— 54.5 mi, about 58m
Traffic on I-39
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~755 veh/hr typical
· worst 994
Quietest
1 AM
~66 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 100 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 Oglesby, 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: BloomingtonUse the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 74
53 mi·56 min·I 74
9
Continue on I 55; US 51
0.9 mi·58 sec·I 55; US 51
10
Take the exit onto US 51
55 mi·58 min·US 51
Exit 164Toward I 39 North: RockfordUse the slight right lane.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi·44 sec
Toward Oglesby
12
Turn right onto West Walnut Street
1.1 mi·2 min·West Walnut Street
13
Arrive at destination
East Walnut 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 55.8 miles from Champaign, IL, or about 1h 3m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 54.5 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 25 miles or 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 55.8 miles or 1h 3m 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 41m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Oglesby, 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 111.6 miles and 2h 5m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 25 miles from Champaign, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 51 for about 54.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 55.6 — 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
7
55.6 mi into trip|~1h 3m in|US 51
Take the exit onto US 51 toward I 39 North: Rockford
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 164
Toward I 39 North: Rockford
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.30 one way
$34.60 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg39 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.32
$18.97
$37.94
premium
$4.93
$21.65
$43.30
diesel
$5.60
$24.60
$49.20
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$17
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$42–$67
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 39 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
33.5
0
$11.72
$5.36
Efficient EV
27.9
0
$9.77
$4.46
EV Truck/SUV
44.6
0
$15.62
$7.14
Gas CO2
39 kg
EV CO2
13 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 Aug 30, 2026
Origin
Champaign, IL
Late night
in Champaign on Friday
Local time
5:19 AM
CDT
Current temp
87°F
Partly Sunny
SSW 10 mph13% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Watch
Extreme Heat Watch issued August 30 at 12:27PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 12:27PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Destination
Oglesby, IL
Late night
in Oglesby on Friday
Local time
5:19 AM
CDT
Current temp
85°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
S 10 to 15 mph43% chanceLive forecast
Extreme Heat Watch
Extreme Heat Watch issued August 30 at 12:27PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 12:27PM CDT until September 4 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
71°F
Bloomington, IL
56 mi in
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
2 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
2h 5m 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?
111.6 mi in 2h 5m, mostly highway — 54.5 mi of that is on US 51.
97% 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: 54.5 mi on US 51.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 51 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 Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 5m drive. You will face about 8 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.
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
The longest stretch is about 54.5 miles on US 51. 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 Oglesby, IL before heading back.
