Origin
Lockport, IL
Morning in Lockport on Tuesday
Local time
8:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lockport, IL to Fox Lake, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 24m
Distance
65.8 mi
106 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lockport, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Fox Lake, IL
John Baker
Trip Overview
Lockport to Fox Lake is 65.8 miles and takes about 1 hour 24 minutes via Veterans Memorial Tollway and North Rand Road, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, moving from one Midwest community to another. Expect a mix of highway driving and surface streets as you make your way north. With only a 1-day recommendation, this route is ideal for a quick excursion or a convenient way to connect two points in the region without a major time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Memorial Tollway | 27 mi | 32m |
| North Rand Road | 14.3 mi | 18m |
| IL 53 | 8.9 mi | 11m |
| US 12 | 6 mi | 7m |
| I 290 | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| West 9th Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| West 159th Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Lake Cook Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Veterans Memorial Tollway
— 27 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lockport, IL and Fox Lake, IL.
1
Start on IL 7
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
West 9th Street
2
Continue on IL 7
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West 159th Street
3
Turn left
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 355 North: West Suburbs
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto I 355
27 mi
·
32 min
·
Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 290
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
I 290
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
8.9 mi
·
11 min
·
IL 53
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on Lake Cook Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Cook Road
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on US 12
14 mi
·
18 min
·
North Rand Road
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on US 12; IL 59
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
US 12; IL 59
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on US 12; IL 59
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
US 12; IL 59
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on this road
58 ft
·
6 sec
·
this road
12
Turn left
67 ft
·
4 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
33 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32.9 miles from Lockport, 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 65 decision points cluster between mile 2.8 and 65.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Turn left toward I 355 North: West Suburbs
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 355 North: West Suburbs
5
3.3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway
Merge onto I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
30.3 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
I 290
Merge onto I 290
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
35.9 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
IL 53
Keep slight left at fork onto IL 53
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
65.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 24m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.29 one way
$20.57 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $11.29 | $22.59 |
| premium | $4.89 | $12.66 | $25.33 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.53 | $29.06 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.89
Veterans Memorial Tollway
(27 mi)
$1.89
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Tolls
$2
Total
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 23 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.7 | 0 | $6.91 | $3.16 |
| Efficient EV | 16.5 | 0 | $5.76 | $2.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 26.3 | 0 | $9.21 | $4.21 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Fox Lake, IL
Morning in Fox Lake on Tuesday
Local time
8:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°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 24m 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?
The route features a 31% highway share, with the longest stretch of continuous highway driving being 27 miles on the Veterans Memorial Tollway. You'll transition from tollway to surface roads, specifically North Rand Road and IL 53, which will involve more local traffic and intersections. Be prepared for more frequent stops and slower speeds once you leave the main tollway.
31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 27 mi on Veterans Memorial Tollway.
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 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.8 miles in.
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 65.8 miles you will encounter 6 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.3 miles (I 290): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
849 ft
595 ft
Total Climb
356 ft
Total Descent
208 ft
Highest Point
849 ft
~51.7 mi in
Elevation Range
254 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Fox Lake, IL
Full guide →Founded 1907
Fox Lake is a city in the Chain O' Lakes region of Chicagoland, Illinois.
Top landmarks
- • Mineola Hotel — old hotel building in Fox Lake, Illinois, USA
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 24m. Total distance: 65.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 27 miles on Veterans Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.89 in tolls one way, starting with Veterans Memorial Tollway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.3 miles (I 290): 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 Fox Lake, 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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