Origin
Naperville, IL
Morning in Naperville on Sunday
Local time
10:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Naperville, IL to Dixon, 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 27m
Distance
75.2 mi
121 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 20m
★
6 AM
1h 27m
8 AM
1h 41m
10 AM
1h 32m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 40m
8 PM
1h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dixon, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 75.2-mile drive from Naperville, IL to Dixon, IL is a straightforward, one-day trip taking about 1 hour and 27 minutes. You'll primarily travel on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway before transitioning to IL 26 and Mill Street. With a fuel cost estimated at $12, this route is budget-friendly for a quick excursion within the Midwest. It's an easy drive that doesn't require an overnight stay, making it ideal for a day trip. Plan for a relatively short journey with minimal stops needed.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway | 70.2 mi | 1h 16m |
| IL 26 | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Mill Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| West Diehl Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Winfield Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Ogden Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East 6th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Washington Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
— 70.2 mi, about 1h 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Naperville, IL and Dixon, IL.
1
Start on North Washington Street
50 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Washington Street
2
Turn right onto US 34
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
West Ogden Avenue
3
Turn right onto Mill Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Mill Street
4
Turn left onto West Diehl Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Diehl Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto Winfield Road
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
Winfield Road
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 88 West: Aurora
Use the left lane.
7
Merge onto I 88; IL 110
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110
59 mi
·
1 hr 3 min
·
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Toward I 88 Toll West, IL 47: DeKalb
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward IL 26: Dixon
10
Turn right onto IL 26
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
IL 26
11
Turn right onto East 6th Street
282 ft
·
12 sec
·
East 6th Street
12
Arrive at destination
East 6th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
38 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 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 37.6 miles from Naperville, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 70.2 miles.
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 95 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 73.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
1.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
West Diehl Road
Turn left onto West Diehl Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 88 West: Aurora
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 88 West: Aurora
5
2.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Merge onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
13.9 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway toward I 88 Toll West, IL 47: DeKalb
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 88 Toll West, IL 47: DeKalb
4
73.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 22m in
Take the exit toward IL 26: Dixon
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward IL 26: Dixon
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.76 one way
$23.51 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $12.91 | $25.82 |
| premium | $4.89 | $14.47 | $28.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $16.60 | $33.21 |
Estimated Tolls: $4.22
Reagan Memorial Tollway
(70.2 mi)
$4.22
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Tolls
$4
Total
$16
Estimated CO2 emission: 26.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 22.6 | 0 | $7.90 | $3.61 |
| Efficient EV | 18.8 | 0 | $6.58 | $3.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 30.1 | 0 | $10.53 | $4.81 |
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 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
Dixon, IL
Morning in Dixon on Sunday
Local time
10:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°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 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 27m 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 blend of highway and local road driving, with 50% of the journey on higher-speed roads like the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 70.2 miles on the tollway, providing a good opportunity for steady progress. The latter portion of the drive involves more turns as you navigate IL 26 and Mill Street, shifting the character from open highway to a more local feel. Expect a varied driving experience as you transition from the main tollway to more community-oriented roads.
Only 2% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 70.2 mi on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near West Diehl Road.
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 75.2 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: at 1.4 miles (West Diehl Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Naperville, IL
Full guide →Naperville is a bedroom community in the Chicagoland area. In 2008, Money magazine ranked Naperville third on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.
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 27m. Total distance: 75.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (2%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 70.2 miles on Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $4.22 in tolls one way, starting with Reagan 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 1.4 miles (West Diehl Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (I 88; IL 110 / Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Dixon, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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