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Trip from Cicero, IL to Geneseo, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 48m

Distance

146.2 mi

235 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$23

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 33 min
4 AM
2h 38m ★
6 AM
2h 49m
8 AM
3h 11m
10 AM
2h 56m
12 PM
2h 54m
3 PM
2h 57m
5 PM
3h 9m
8 PM
2h 42m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Illinois, United States

Geneseo, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This straightforward 146.2-mile drive from Cicero, IL, to Geneseo, IL, is designed for efficiency, taking approximately 2 hours and 48 minutes. With 96% of the journey on highways, it's a classic Midwest road trip, perfect for a single day of travel. The estimated fuel cost is around $23, making it an economical option. You'll primarily be on I-80, which allows for a consistent pace. Given its relatively short duration and highway focus, this route is well-suited for a day trip, allowing you to reach your destination with plenty of time to spare.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

73.1 miles from Cicero, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 28m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 80 106.2 mi 1h 53m
Adlai Stevenson Expressway 34.4 mi 44m
South Central Avenue 1.7 mi 3m
South Oakwood Avenue 1.2 mi 2m
South Laramie Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
West 31st Street 0.5 mi 1m
East Main Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 80 — 106.2 mi, about 1h 53m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cicero, IL and Geneseo, IL.

1

Start on South Laramie Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · South Laramie Avenue
2

Turn right onto West 31st Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · West 31st Street
3

Turn left onto South Central Avenue

1.7 mi · 3 min · South Central Avenue
4

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 55 South
5

Merge onto I 55

34 mi · 44 min · Adlai Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 1 min
Exit 250B Toward I 80 West: Iowa Use the slight right lane.
7

Merge onto I 80

106 mi · 1 hr 53 min · I 80
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 34 sec
Toward IL 82: Cambridge, Geneseo
9

Turn right onto IL 82

1.2 mi · 2 min · South Oakwood Avenue
10

Turn left onto US 6; IL 82

88 ft · 2 sec · East Main Street
11

Arrive at destination

US 6; IL 82

Trip Plan

For this 2 hour and 48 minute drive, departing Cicero, IL, in the morning is a smart move, allowing you to bypass potential rush hour traffic. You'll cover 146.2 miles, with the longest stretch on I-80 being over 100 miles. Plan for one stop to refuel or stretch your legs, perhaps before embarking on the 106.2-mile segment on I-80. The estimated $23 fuel cost is manageable, but it's always wise to have a buffer. This route is easily completed in a single day, so enjoy the flexibility of not needing to rush.

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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 73.1 miles from Cicero, IL, or about 1h 28m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 106.2 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 32 miles or 43m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 73.1 miles or 1h 28m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 19m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Geneseo, IL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Cicero, 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 Cicero, IL

This is one driving day of about 146.2 miles and 2h 48m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 32 miles from Cicero, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 80 for about 106.2 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ottawa, IL

73 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

Joliet, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 32 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

La Salle, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 73.1 miles from Cicero, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 80 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 106.2 miles.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Stops Along Your Drive

Picked by where they fit in your drive — first break, midpoint reset, final stretch.

Best meal stop

Cocula Restaurant Cicero

4.1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cicero, Illinois

Near the start, right off the route

0.6 mi from route ~1 min detour $20 to $30

Hours: 9 am–10 pm

+17086520500

Visit website

Culver’s

4.4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Geneseo, Illinois

0.9 mi

Capri Ristorante

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Burr Ridge, Illinois

1.6 mi

Best coffee break

Friendly Coffee Lounge

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Berwyn, Illinois

Near the start, short detour

2.4 mi from route ~6 min detour $1 to $10

Hours: 7 am–1 pm

+17084849794

Visit website

Cocula Restaurant Cicero

4.1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, right off the route

0.6 mi from route ~1 min detour $20 to $30

Cicero, Illinois

Hours: 9 am–10 pm

+17086520500

Visit website

Culver’s

4.4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.9 mi from route ~2 min detour $10 to $20

Geneseo, Illinois

Hours: 10 am–10 pm

+13099445300

Visit website

Capri Ristorante

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, short detour

First break 1.6 mi from route ~4 min detour Moderately

Burr Ridge, Illinois

Hours: 11:30 am–10 pm

+16304554003

Visit website

El Faro Restaurant

4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, short detour

1.7 mi from route ~4 min detour $10 to $20

Chicago, Illinois

Hours: 7 am–7 pm

+17732771155

Visit website

Jalisco Express Restaurant

4.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, short detour

1.5 mi from route ~4 min detour $10 to $20

Cicero, Illinois

Hours: 9 am–12 pm

+17084776561

Visit website

Champs Chicken

4.2 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.7 mi from route ~2 min detour Inexpensiv

Geneseo, Illinois

Hours: 5 am–4 pm

+13099445811

Visit website

Taco Bell

4.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, short detour

First break 2.1 mi from route ~5 min detour $10 to $20

Countryside, Illinois

Hours: 9 am–2 pm

+17083545535

Visit website

LongHorn Steakhouse

4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, short detour

First break 2.3 mi from route ~6 min detour Moderately

Bolingbrook, Illinois

Hours: 11 am–10 pm

+16307830684

Visit website

Friendly Coffee Lounge

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, short detour

2.4 mi from route ~6 min detour $1 to $10

Berwyn, Illinois

Hours: 7 am–1 pm

+17084849794

Visit website

Prairie Trail Park

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, ~10 min detour

First break 3.9 mi from route ~10 min detour

Willowbrook, Illinois

Hours: 8:30 am–4:30 pm

Visit website

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 144.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in | West 31st Street

Turn right onto West 31st Street

Navigation decision point

5
3.4 mi into trip | ~6m in | I 55 / Adlai Stevenson Expressway

Merge onto I 55 / Adlai Stevenson Expressway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
37.7 mi into trip | ~50m in

Take the exit toward I 80 West: Iowa

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 250B Toward I 80 West: Iowa
5
38.6 mi into trip | ~51m in | I 80

Merge onto I 80

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
144.8 mi into trip | ~2h 45m in

Take the exit toward IL 82: Cambridge, Geneseo

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward IL 82: Cambridge, Geneseo

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$22.86 one way

$45.71 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 51 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $25.10 $50.19
premium $4.89 $28.13 $56.27
diesel $5.61 $32.28 $64.56

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$23

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$48–$73

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 51.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $15 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 43.9 0 $15.35 $7.02
Efficient EV 36.6 0 $12.79 $5.85
EV Truck/SUV 58.5 0 $20.47 $9.36

Gas CO2

51 kg

EV CO2

17 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 20, 2026

Origin

Cicero, IL

Late night in Cicero on Tuesday

Local time

4:34 AM

CDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Geneseo, IL

Late night in Geneseo on Tuesday

Local time

4:34 AM

CDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

65°F

Ottawa, IL

73 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

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

2h 48m 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.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Pullman National Historical Park

Pullman National Historical Park

National Historical Park

In a growing Chicago neighborhood, diverse people and stories intertwined. All were seeking opportunity. Some succeeded. Others were limited—by race, gender, or economic status. Their stories came tog...

12 mi from route ~31 min detour Free near mile 5
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this 146.2-mile trip. You'll spend 96% of your time on major roads like I-80 and the Adlai Stevenson Expressway. The longest uninterrupted stretch clocks in at 106.2 miles on I-80, meaning you can settle into a rhythm for a significant portion of the drive. This profile suggests a route prioritizing speed and directness over winding scenic byways, making it predictable and easy to navigate.

96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 106.2 mi on I 80.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and Adlai Stevenson Expressway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near West 31st Street.

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 48m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (West 31st Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.4 miles (I 55 / Adlai Stevenson Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 37.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in Cicero, IL

Full guide →

Cicero is a town of 81,000 people (2019) in the Chicagoland area, just west of the Chicago city limits. It became famous when gangster Al Capone moved here to escape from the Chicago Police in the early 1920s.

Arriving in Geneseo, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1836

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 48m. Total distance: 146.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 48m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (96%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 106.2 miles on I 80. 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: at 0.6 miles (West 31st Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.4 miles (I 55 / Adlai Stevenson Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 37.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Pullman National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Geneseo, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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