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Trip from Naperville, IL to Utica, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 10, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 28m

Distance

69.9 mi

112 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good 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 22m ★
6 AM
1h 29m
8 AM
1h 42m
10 AM
1h 33m
12 PM
1h 32m
3 PM
1h 34m
5 PM
1h 41m
8 PM
1h 25m

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

Downtown Utica, IL, IL

Utica, IL

Claudia Solano

Trip Overview

The drive from Naperville, IL to Utica, IL covers 69.9 miles and takes about 1h 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 80, I 55, North Washington Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 44.2 miles on I 80. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.97 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 80 44.2 mi 47m
I 55 12.4 mi 14m
North Washington Street 5.3 mi 11m
Weber Road 3.9 mi 7m
IL 178 2 mi 3m
Washington Street 0.5 mi <1m
West Canal Street <0.1 mi <1m
East Canal Street — —

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: I 80 — 44.2 mi, about 47m

Traffic on I-80

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~992 veh/hr typical · worst 1,284

Quietest

2 AM

~153 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

6.5×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 97 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 Naperville, IL and Utica, IL.

1

Start on North Washington Street

5.3 mi · 11 min · North Washington Street
Use the left lane.
2

Turn right onto Washington Street

0.5 mi · 51 sec · Washington Street
3

Continue on Weber Road

3.9 mi · 7 min · Weber Road
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Toward I 55 South: Bloomington
5

Merge onto I 55

12 mi · 14 min · I 55
6

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 1 min
Exit 250B Toward I 80 West: Iowa Use the slight right lane.
7

Merge onto I 80

44 mi · 47 min · I 80
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 46 sec
Toward IL 178: Utica, La Salle
9

Turn slight left onto IL 178

0.6 mi · 1 min · IL 178
10

At end of road, turn right

31 ft · 1 sec
11

Turn left

101 ft · 2 sec
12

Turn straight onto IL 178

1.4 mi · 2 min · IL 178
13

Turn left onto West Canal Street

177 ft · 7 sec · West Canal Street
14

Arrive at destination

East Canal Street

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Bolingbrook, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bolingbrook, 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

Rockdale, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Aux Sable, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 34.9 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 68.4 — 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 | North Washington Street

Depart onto North Washington Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
22.4 mi into trip | ~35m in

Take the exit toward I 80 West: Iowa

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 250B Toward I 80 West: Iowa
5
23.2 mi into trip | ~36m in | I 80

Merge onto I 80

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
67.4 mi into trip | ~1h 23m in

Take the exit toward IL 178: Utica, La Salle

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

Toward IL 178: Utica, La Salle
4
68.4 mi into trip | ~1h 25m in

At end of road, turn right

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.97 one way

$21.94 round trip

$3.99/gal 25.4 MPG avg 25 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.39 $12.08 $24.15
premium $5.00 $13.77 $27.53
diesel $5.97 $16.42 $32.84

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 24.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 21 0 $7.34 $3.36
Efficient EV 17.5 0 $6.12 $2.80
EV Truck/SUV 28 0 $9.79 $4.47

Gas CO2

24 kg

EV CO2

8 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.

Forecast as of Sep 9, 2026

Origin

Naperville, IL

Evening in Naperville on Wednesday

Local time

8:46 PM

CDT

Current temp

71°F

Rain Showers Likely

SW 5 mph 71% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued September 9 at 3:14AM CDT until September 9 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued September 9 at 2:40AM CDT until September 9 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Destination

Utica, IL

Evening in Utica on Wednesday

Local time

8:46 PM

CDT

Current temp

70°F

Rain Showers Likely

SW 5 mph 68% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued September 9 at 3:14AM CDT until September 9 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued September 9 at 2:40AM CDT until September 9 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

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 28m 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?

69.9 mi in 1h 28m, mostly highway — 44.2 mi of that is on I 80.

84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 44.2 mi on I 80.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and I 55. 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 North Washington Street.

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 69.9 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 (North Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 22.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.2 miles (I 80): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

710 ft 479 ft

Total Climb

183 ft

Total Descent

414 ft

Highest Point

710 ft

Elevation Range

231 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 Utica, IL

Full guide →

Utica is a city in Illinois. It's officially named North Utica, as it was established north of the original town of Utica that was located along the banks of the Illinois River; however, all signage official and otherwise refers to the town as just Utica.

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 28m. Total distance: 69.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 44.2 miles on I 80. 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 (North Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 22.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.2 miles (I 80): 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 Utica, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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