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Trip from Naperville, IL to Kankakee, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 27m

Distance

70.7 mi

114 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 21m ★
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.

Best Time
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Downtown Naperville, IL, IL

Naperville, IL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States

Kankakee, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Naperville, IL to Kankakee, IL covers 70.7 miles and takes about 1h 27m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 57, Veterans Memorial Tollway, I 80 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 32.3 miles on I 57. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.96 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 57 32.3 mi 35m
Veterans Memorial Tollway 19.2 mi 21m
I 80 10.6 mi 12m
East Ogden Avenue 5 mi 10m
East Court Street 1.2 mi 2m
North Washington Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 57 — 32.3 mi, about 35m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Naperville, IL and Kankakee, IL.

1

Start on North Washington Street

50 ft · 9 sec · North Washington Street
2

Turn left onto US 34

5.0 mi · 10 min · East Ogden Avenue
Use the left lane.
3

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Toward I 355 Toll South: Joliet Use the right lane.
4

Merge onto I 355

19 mi · 21 min · Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Keep slight left at fork

1.3 mi · 2 min
Exit 0A Toward I 80 East: Indiana
6

Merge onto I 80

11 mi · 12 min · I 80
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 151A Toward I 57 South: Memphis
8

Merge onto I 57

32 mi · 35 min · I 57
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Exit 312 Toward IL 17: Kankakee, Momence
10

Turn right

260 ft · 7 sec
11

Turn straight onto IL 17

1.2 mi · 2 min · East Court Street
12

Arrive at destination

IL 17

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Will County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lockport, IL

35 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

Bolingbrook, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Markham, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 35.3 miles from Naperville, 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 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 69.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 34 / East Ogden Avenue

Turn left onto US 34 / East Ogden Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
5 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the ramp toward I 355 Toll South: Joliet

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 355 Toll South: Joliet
5
5.2 mi into trip | ~10m 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.
6
24.4 mi into trip | ~32m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 80 East: Indiana

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 0A Toward I 80 East: Indiana
6
69.1 mi into trip | ~1h 24m in

Take the exit toward IL 17: Kankakee, Momence

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

Exit 312 Toward IL 17: Kankakee, Momence

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.96 one way

$21.92 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 25 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $12.02 $24.04
premium $4.93 $13.72 $27.43
diesel $5.60 $15.58 $31.17

Estimated Tolls: $1.34

Veterans Memorial Tollway (19.2 mi) $1.34

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Tolls

$1

Total

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 24.7 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 21.2 0 $7.42 $3.39
Efficient EV 17.7 0 $6.19 $2.83
EV Truck/SUV 28.3 0 $9.90 $4.52

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 Aug 30, 2026

Origin

Naperville, IL

Night in Naperville on Saturday

Local time

9:50 PM

CDT

Current temp

68°F

Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 10 mph 16% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 9:10AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Destination

Kankakee, IL

Night in Kankakee on Saturday

Local time

9:50 PM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 5 to 10 mph 15% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 9:10AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued August 29 at 5:29PM CDT until August 30 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS Indianapolis IN

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

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?

70.7 mi in 1h 27m, mostly highway — 32.3 mi of that is on I 57.

61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 32.3 mi on I 57.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 57 and Veterans Memorial Tollway. 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 34 / East Ogden Avenue.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 70.7 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: near the start (US 34 / East Ogden Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.2 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

784 ft 656 ft

Total Climb

220 ft

Total Descent

274 ft

Highest Point

784 ft

~45.4 mi in

Elevation Range

127 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Naperville, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1890

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.

Arriving in Kankakee, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1853

Top landmarks

  • • Kankakee — Amtrak station in the Illinois city
  • • Warren Hickox House — historic house in Illinois, United States
  • • Kankakee County Courthouse — local government building 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: 70.7 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 (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 32.3 miles on I 57. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.34 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.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Kankakee, IL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

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 34 / East Ogden Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.2 miles (I 355 / Veterans Memorial Tollway): 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 Kankakee, 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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