Origin
Fairbury, IL
Morning in Fairbury on Sunday
Local time
10:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fairbury, IL to Champaign, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 20m
Distance
56 mi
90 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 15m
★
6 AM
1h 21m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 24m
3 PM
1h 26m
5 PM
1h 33m
8 PM
1h 17m
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
Fairbury, IL to Champaign, IL is 56 miles and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes via North 390 East Road and I-74, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within Illinois, traversing the Midwest region. Expect a local drive with frequent turns, making it less of a highway sprint and more of a steady progression through familiar territory. Given its short duration, this trip is ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing for plenty of flexibility.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North 390 East Road | 10.8 mi | 15m |
| I 74 | 9 mi | 10m |
| County Road 400 East | 7.7 mi | 10m |
| North 2700 East Road | 6.7 mi | 9m |
| 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 |
Longest stretch:
North 390 East Road
— 10.8 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fairbury, IL and Champaign, IL.
1
Start on North 2nd Street
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
North 2nd Street
2
Turn left onto US 24; CH 6
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
West Oak Street
3
Continue on US 24
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
East 800 North Road
4
Continue on US 24
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
East 820 North Road
5
Continue on US 24
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
West Wabash Street
6
Turn right onto IL 47
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
South Center Street
7
Continue on IL 47
6.7 mi
·
9 min
·
North 2700 East Road
8
Continue on IL 47
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North 2750 East Road
9
Continue on IL 47
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
North 2775 East Road
10
Continue on IL 47
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
North 2790 East Road
11
Continue on IL 47
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
·
North 385 East Road
12
Continue on IL 47
11 mi
·
15 min
·
North 390 East Road
13
Turn left onto IL 9; IL 47; IL 54
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West 1st Street
14
Turn right onto IL 47
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
South Sangamon Avenue
15
Continue on IL 47
383 ft
·
7 sec
·
North 450E Road
16
Continue on IL 47
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
North 450 East Road
17
Continue on IL 47
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
County Road 450 East
18
Continue on IL 47
7.5 mi
·
10 min
·
County Road 400 East
19
Continue on IL 47
4.5 mi
·
6 min
·
County Road 350 East
20
Continue on IL 47
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
County Road 400 East
21
Continue on IL 47
506 ft
·
12 sec
·
North Lombard Street
22
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 74 East: Champaign
23
Merge onto I 74
9.0 mi
·
10 min
·
I 74
Use the slight right lane.
24
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 182
Toward Neil Street
25
Keep slight right at fork
140 ft
·
5 sec
Exit 182
Toward Neil Street
26
Turn right onto North Neil Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
North Neil Street
27
Arrive at destination
North Neil 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 28 miles from Fairbury, 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 54.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 24; CH 6 / West Oak Street
Turn left onto US 24; CH 6 / West Oak Street
Navigation decision point
4
5.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
IL 47 / South Center Street
Turn right onto IL 47 / South Center Street
Navigation decision point
5
45.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
|
I 74
Merge onto I 74
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
5
54.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
Take the exit toward Neil Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 182
Toward Neil Street
7
54.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Neil Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 182
Toward Neil Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.75 one way
$17.51 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.61 | $19.23 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.78 | $21.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.36 | $24.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.8 | 0 | $5.88 | $2.69 |
| Efficient EV | 14 | 0 | $4.90 | $2.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.4 | 0 | $7.84 | $3.58 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Champaign, IL
Morning in Champaign on Sunday
Local time
10:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
53°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
1h 20m 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 is characterized by its turn-heavy nature, with only 16% of the journey on the highway. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 10.8 miles on North 390 East Road. As you transition from local roads like North 390 East Road to I-74 and then back to County Road 400 East, you’ll notice the pace change, requiring more active navigation. It's a route that keeps you engaged with the road ahead, rather than settling into a long highway cruise.
Only 16% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.8 mi on North 390 East Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near US 24; CH 6 / West Oak 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 1h 20m 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: at 0.2 miles (US 24; CH 6 / West Oak Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.8 miles (IL 47 / South Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 45.5 miles (I 74): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 20m. Total distance: 56 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (16%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.8 miles on North 390 East Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (US 24; CH 6 / West Oak Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.8 miles (IL 47 / South Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 45.5 miles (I 74): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Champaign, 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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