Origin
Lanark, IL
Morning in Lanark on Sunday
Local time
9:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lanark, IL to Rockford, 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 12m
Distance
50.2 mi
81 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 12m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 16m
12 PM
1h 15m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 23m
8 PM
1h 9m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lanark, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Rockford, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lanark to Rockford is 50.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 12 minutes via IL 72 and US 20 Business, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward drive within Illinois, connecting two Midwest towns. Expect a mixed driving experience that's generally easy to navigate. With a short duration and minimal stops recommended, this trip is ideal for a quick journey between these locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| IL 72 | 10 mi | 14m |
| West State Road | 9.8 mi | 11m |
| US 20 Business | 8.9 mi | 14m |
| IL 26 | 8.6 mi | 12m |
| U.S. Grant Memorial Highway | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| North Broad Street | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| West South Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| West Locust Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
IL 72
— 10 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lanark, IL and Rockford, IL.
1
Start on this road
69 ft
·
10 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto West Locust Street
173 ft
·
12 sec
·
West Locust Street
3
Turn left onto IL 73
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
North Broad Street
4
Turn right onto IL 72
10 mi
·
14 min
·
IL 72
5
Turn left onto IL 26
8.6 mi
·
12 min
·
IL 26
6
Turn right onto West South Street
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
West South Street
7
Continue on US 20 Business
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
US 20 Business
8
Take the ramp onto US 20 Business
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
US 20 Business
9
Merge onto US 20
7.5 mi
·
8 min
·
U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
10
Continue on US 20
9.8 mi
·
11 min
·
West State Road
11
Take the exit onto US 20 Business
5.6 mi
·
9 min
·
US 20 Business
Toward US 20 Business
12
Arrive at destination
West State Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.1 miles from Lanark, 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 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 44.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Locust Street
Turn left onto West Locust Street
Navigation decision point
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 73 / North Broad Street
Turn left onto IL 73 / North Broad Street
Navigation decision point
4
13.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
IL 26
Turn left onto IL 26
Navigation decision point
4
22.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
West South Street
Turn right onto West South Street
Navigation decision point
4
44.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
|
US 20 Business
Take the exit onto US 20 Business toward US 20 Business
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 20 Business
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.85 one way
$15.70 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.62 | $17.23 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.66 | $19.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.08 | $22.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.27 | $2.41 |
| Efficient EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.39 | $2.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.1 | 0 | $7.03 | $3.21 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Destination
Rockford, IL
Morning in Rockford on Sunday
Local time
9:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°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
18 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 12m 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 route offers a mixed drive, with 55% of it on highways. You'll experience stretches of faster-paced roads like US 20 Business, interspersed with more local roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 10 miles on IL 72, giving you a good sense of the surrounding landscape without constant turns. The road character shifts subtly as you move between these different road types, providing a varied but manageable driving experience.
55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10 mi on IL 72.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Locust Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Lanark, IL to Rockford, IL is easy. At 1h 12m with 55% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Locust Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (IL 73 / North Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 13.8 miles (IL 26): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Lanark, IL
Full guide →Founded 1861
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 12m. Total distance: 50.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10 miles on IL 72. 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 (West Locust Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (IL 73 / North Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 13.8 miles (IL 26): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rockford, 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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