The drive from Joliet, IL to Garfield, IL covers 71.2 miles and takes about 1h 36m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 55, East 3200 North Road, East 3000 North Road for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 32.9 miles on I 55.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.04 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
35.6 miles from Joliet, IL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 42m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 55
32.9 mi
35m
East 3200 North Road
9.9 mi
14m
East 3000 North Road
8.2 mi
12m
I 80
6.4 mi
7m
East 3000 N Road
5.7 mi
8m
E 3200 N Road
3 mi
4m
County Highway 44
1.5 mi
3m
North 9th Road
1 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 55
— 32.9 mi, about 35m
Traffic on I-55
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,073 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,464
Quietest
2 AM
~148 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 73 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 Joliet, IL and Garfield, IL.
1
Start on this road
111 ft·10 sec·this road
2
Turn right onto US 6; IL 53
0.3 mi·43 sec·Ottawa Street
3
Continue on US 6; IL 53
0.1 mi·21 sec·Ottawa Street
4
Continue on US 6; IL 53
0.4 mi·1 min·Chicago Street
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·41 sec
Toward I 80 West: Moline, Rock Island
6
Merge onto I 80
6.4 mi·7 min·I 80
Use the right lane.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi·54 sec
Exit 126AToward I 55 South: Saint Louis
8
Merge onto I 55
33 mi·35 min·I 55
Use the right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi·36 sec
Exit 217Toward IL 17: Streator, KankakeeUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn right onto IL 17
9.9 mi·14 min·East 3200 North Road
11
Continue on IL 17
3.0 mi·4 min·E 3200 N Road
12
At end of road, turn left onto IL 17
1.8 mi·2 min·East 3000 North Road
13
Continue on IL 17
5.7 mi·8 min·East 3000 N Road
14
Continue on IL 17
6.4 mi·9 min·East 3000 North Road
15
Continue on IL 17
1.0 mi·1 min·North 9th Road
16
Turn right onto CH 44
1.5 mi·3 min·County Highway 44
17
Turn left onto North 1050th Road
0.3 mi·1 min·North 1050th Road
18
Continue on East 1075th Road
0.3 mi·1 min·East 1075th Road
19
Turn slight right
249 ft·18 sec
20
Arrive at destination
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 35.6 miles from Joliet, IL, or about 42m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 32.9 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 16 miles or 20m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 35.6 miles or 42m 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 17m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Garfield, IL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Joliet, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Joliet, IL
This is one driving day of about 71.2 miles and 1h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Joliet, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 55 for about 32.9 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 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 40.8 — 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|US 6; IL 53 / Ottawa Street
Turn right onto US 6; IL 53 / Ottawa Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.1 mi into trip|~2m in|I 80
Merge onto I 80
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
7.6 mi into trip|~10m in
Take the exit toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 126A
Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
5
7.9 mi into trip|~11m in|I 55
Merge onto I 55
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
40.8 mi into trip|~47m in
Take the exit toward IL 17: Streator, Kankakee
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 217
Toward IL 17: Streator, Kankakee
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.04 one way
$22.08 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.32
$12.10
$24.21
premium
$4.93
$13.81
$27.63
diesel
$5.60
$15.69
$31.39
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$11
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$36–$61
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21.4
0
$7.48
$3.42
Efficient EV
17.8
0
$6.23
$2.85
EV Truck/SUV
28.5
0
$9.97
$4.56
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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 Sep 6, 2026
Origin
Joliet, IL
Evening
in Joliet on Sunday
Local time
7:34 PM
CDT
Current temp
86°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Garfield, IL
Evening
in Garfield on Sunday
Local time
7:34 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
86°F
Wilmington, IL
36 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
20 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
1h 36m 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
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...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
71.2 mi in 1h 36m — 57% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: I 55.
57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 32.9 mi on I 55.
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 early in the drive near US 6; IL 53 / Ottawa Street.
Driving Effort5/10
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 71.2 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: near the start (US 6; IL 53 / Ottawa Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (I 80): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
733 ft529 ft
Total Climb
328 ft
Total Descent
201 ft
Highest Point
733 ft
~50.9 mi in
Elevation Range
204 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 Joliet, IL to Garfield, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Kankakee along the way.
Joliet is a city in the Chicagoland region of Illinois, a state in the Midwest of the United States of America. It is the largest city and county seat of Will County.
Top landmarks
•Joliet Union Station — former train station in the United States
•Christ Episcopal Church — church building in Joliet, Illinois, United States of America
•Joliet Central High School — public school in Joliet, Illinois
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 36m. Total distance: 71.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 32.9 miles on I 55. 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: near the start (US 6; IL 53 / Ottawa Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (I 80): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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 Garfield, IL before heading back.
