Origin
Paxton, IL
Late night in Paxton on Tuesday
Local time
3:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Paxton, IL to Champaign, 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
34m
Distance
26.9 mi
43 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Paxton, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick connection between Paxton and Champaign, Illinois, this 26.9-mile journey is a straightforward trek through the Midwest. Expect to spend about 34 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will rely primarily on I-57, Market Street, and Ottawa Road to navigate between these two points. With a fuel budget of approximately $4, the trip is highly economical for travelers on a tight schedule. Because the drive is short, it offers great flexibility for your itinerary, allowing you to reach your destination quickly without the fatigue of a long-haul commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 57 | 20 mi | 21m |
| Market Street | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| Ottawa Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North Neil Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Bradley Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Railroad Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Market Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Patton Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 57
— 20 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Paxton, IL and Champaign, IL.
1
Start on this road
16 ft
·
6 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto IL 9
172 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Pells Street
3
Turn left onto US 45; IL 9
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
South Railroad Avenue
4
Turn slight right
155 ft
·
5 sec
5
Turn right onto IL 9
345 ft
·
11 sec
·
East Patton Street
6
Turn left onto IL 9
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
South Market Street
7
Continue on IL 9
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Ottawa Road
8
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I-57 South: Champaign
9
Merge onto I 57
20 mi
·
21 min
·
I 57
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 240
Toward Market Street
11
Turn left
96 ft
·
5 sec
12
Turn left onto Market Street
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Market Street
13
Turn right onto East Bradley Avenue
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
East Bradley Avenue
14
Turn left onto North Neil Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Neil Street
15
Arrive at destination
North Neil Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 21.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 9 / East Pells Street
Turn left onto IL 9 / East Pells Street
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 45; IL 9 / South Railroad Avenue
Turn left onto US 45; IL 9 / South Railroad Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 9 / South Market Street
Turn left onto IL 9 / South Market Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn left toward I-57 South: Champaign
Navigation decision point
Toward I-57 South: Champaign
5
21.7 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward Market Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 240
Toward Market Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.21 one way
$8.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.62 | $9.23 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.18 | $10.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.94 | $11.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $1.72 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Champaign, IL
Late night in Champaign on Tuesday
Local time
3:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SSW 20 mph
33% chance
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
38 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
34m 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?
This drive is a highway-focused route, with 74% of your travel occurring on major roads. The experience is defined by efficiency, as you spend the vast majority of your time cruising on I-57. In fact, your longest uninterrupted stretch is a 20-mile segment on the interstate, providing a consistent pace before you transition to local roads like Market Street and Ottawa Road. You won't find many technical curves here; instead, anticipate a steady, predictable flow that gets you from point A to point B with minimal fuss. It is a functional, no-nonsense drive that lets you settle into a steady rhythm behind the wheel.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20 mi on I 57.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 57 and Market Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near IL 9 / East Pells Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 34m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (IL 9 / East Pells Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (US 45; IL 9 / South Railroad Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (IL 9 / South Market Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
794 ft
733 ft
Total Climb
53 ft
Total Descent
112 ft
Highest Point
794 ft
Elevation Range
62 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Paxton, IL
Full guide →Paxton (pop. 4,525 at the 2000 census) is a city and county seat of Ford County in Central Illinois.
Arriving in Champaign, IL
Full guide →Founded 1855
Champaign-Urbana is a metropolitan area in central Illinois, composed of the towns of Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy. The community is the site of the main campus of the University of Illinois, one of the great public universities of the United States.
Top landmarks
- • Orpheum Theatre — theater and movie theater in Champaign, Illinois, United States
- • Virginia Theatre — movie theater in Champaign, Illinois, United States
- • Cattle Bank — bank building in Champaign, United States of America
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 34m. Total distance: 26.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20 miles on I 57. 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 (IL 9 / East Pells Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (US 45; IL 9 / South Railroad Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (IL 9 / South Market Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Champaign, 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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