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Trip from Glen Carbon, IL to Melville, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 20, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

36m

Distance

24.7 mi

40 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 33m ★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m

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

Best Time
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village in Illinois, United States

Glen Carbon, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Melville, IL, IL

Melville, IL

Jonathan Cooper

Trip Overview

Glen Carbon, IL to Melville, IL is 24.7 miles and takes about 36m via IL 255, Great River Road, and River Heritage Parkway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, connecting two points in Illinois. It offers a straightforward journey with a mix of driving experiences, making it ideal for a quick excursion or an easy leg of a longer trip. Consider this route if you're looking for a convenient and efficient drive without extensive planning.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
IL 255 5.8 mi 6m
Great River Road 4.3 mi 6m
River Heritage Parkway 4.1 mi 4m
Madison Avenue 1.7 mi 2m
Edwardsville Road 1.6 mi 2m
I 270 1.2 mi 1m
South Main Street 1.1 mi 2m
South State Route 157 1 mi 1m
Longest stretch: IL 255 — 5.8 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Glen Carbon, IL and Melville, IL.

1

Start on South Main Street

1.1 mi · 2 min · South Main Street
2

Turn right onto IL 157

1.0 mi · 1 min · South State Route 157
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 54 sec
Toward I 270 West: Saint Charles
4

Merge onto I 270

1.2 mi · 1 min · I 270
5

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 7B Toward IL 255 North: Alton
6

Merge onto IL 255

5.8 mi · 6 min · IL 255
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 24 sec
Exit 6 Toward IL 143: Wood River, Edwardsville
8

Turn straight onto IL 143

1.6 mi · 2 min · Edwardsville Road
9

Continue on IL 143

1.7 mi · 2 min · Madison Avenue
10

Continue on IL 143

0.1 mi · 15 sec · West Ferguson Avenue
11

Continue on IL 143

4.1 mi · 4 min · River Heritage Parkway
12

Continue on US 67

0.9 mi · 1 min · Landmarks Boulevard
Use the left lane.
13

Turn left onto IL 100

0.3 mi · 24 sec · West Broadway
14

Continue on IL 100

4.3 mi · 6 min · Great River Road
15

Turn right onto Clifton Terrace Road

0.8 mi · 2 min · Clifton Terrace Road
16

At end of road, turn right onto IL 3

0.4 mi · 42 sec · West Delmar Avenue
17

Arrive at destination

IL 3

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 24.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in | IL 157 / South State Route 157

Turn right onto IL 157 / South State Route 157

Navigation decision point

3
2.1 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the ramp toward I 270 West: Saint Charles

Navigation decision point

Toward I 270 West: Saint Charles
5
3.7 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the exit toward IL 255 North: Alton

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Exit 7B Toward IL 255 North: Alton
6
10.2 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward IL 143: Wood River, Edwardsville

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

Exit 6 Toward IL 143: Wood River, Edwardsville
5
24.3 mi into trip | ~35m in | IL 3 / West Delmar Avenue

At end of road, turn right onto IL 3 / West Delmar Avenue

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.65 one way

$7.30 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $4.03 $8.05
premium $4.72 $4.59 $9.17
diesel $4.80 $4.66 $9.33

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.4 0 $2.59 $1.19
Efficient EV 6.2 0 $2.16 $0.99
EV Truck/SUV 9.9 0 $3.46 $1.58

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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 Jun 30, 2026

Origin

Glen Carbon, IL

Late night in Glen Carbon on Monday

Local time

5:05 AM

CDT

Current temp

74°F

Mostly Clear

S 5 to 12 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued June 29 at 8:53PM CDT until July 1 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued June 29 at 8:53PM CDT until July 1 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

Destination

Melville, IL

Late night in Melville on Monday

Local time

5:05 AM

CDT

Current temp

71°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

3 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

36m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive features a mixed profile, with 49% of the journey on highways. You'll experience stretches on IL 255, including one segment that lasts 5.8 miles without interruption. The route transitions between these faster sections and roads like the Great River Road and River Heritage Parkway, suggesting a varied driving feel. Expect a blend of efficient travel on main roads and potentially more local, scenic driving as you navigate through different segments.

49% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.8 mi on IL 255.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in near IL 157 / South State Route 157.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 24.7 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (IL 157 / South State Route 157): Navigation decision point; at 2.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

609 ft 425 ft

Total Climb

228 ft

Total Descent

84 ft

Highest Point

609 ft

~24.7 mi in

Elevation Range

184 ft

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 Glen Carbon, IL to Melville, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Edwardsville along the way.

Edwardsville

10.2 mi in | ~14m

About the Cities

Starting in Glen Carbon, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1892

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 36m. Total distance: 24.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

36m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (49%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 5.8 miles on IL 255. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas 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: at 1.1 miles (IL 157 / South State Route 157): Navigation decision point; at 2.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Melville, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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