Origin
Pistakee Highlands, IL
Afternoon in Pistakee Highlands on Thursday
Local time
12:00 PM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pistakee Highlands, IL to Rockford, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 23m
Distance
57.7 mi
93 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 17m
★
6 AM
1h 23m
8 AM
1h 36m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 26m
3 PM
1h 28m
5 PM
1h 35m
8 PM
1h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pistakee Highlands, IL
NIKOLAI FOMIN
Rockford, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Pistakee Highlands to Rockford is 57.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 23 minutes via Kenosha Street and US 12, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Midwest, entirely within Illinois. Expect a route that's mostly surface roads, making it a relaxed option for a shorter trip. It’s a straightforward path, ideal if you're looking for an easy connection between these two Illinois locations without much highway time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kenosha Street | 17.3 mi | 24m |
| West Brink Street | 12.4 mi | 17m |
| US 12 | 8.4 mi | 9m |
| North 2nd Street | 7.5 mi | 11m |
| State Route 173 | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| West Lane Road | 4.9 mi | 8m |
| North Division Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Fox Lake Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Kenosha Street
— 17.3 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pistakee Highlands, IL and Rockford, IL.
1
Start on Fox Lake Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Fox Lake Road
2
At end of road, turn left onto US 12
6.4 mi
·
7 min
·
US 12
3
Continue on US 12
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
US 12
4
Turn left onto IL 173
17 mi
·
24 min
·
Kenosha Street
Use the left lane.
5
Turn left onto US 14; IL 173
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
·
North Division Street
6
Turn right onto IL 173
12 mi
·
17 min
·
West Brink Street
7
Continue on IL 173
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
State Route 173
8
Continue on IL 173
4.9 mi
·
8 min
·
West Lane Road
9
Turn left onto IL 251
7.5 mi
·
11 min
·
North 2nd Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn right onto US 20 Business
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Jefferson Street
11
Turn left onto North Wyman Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
North Wyman Street
12
Turn right onto West State Street
75 ft
·
2 sec
·
West State Street
13
Arrive at destination
West State Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.8 miles from Pistakee Highlands, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 49.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 12
At end of road, turn left onto US 12
Navigation decision point
6
8.9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
IL 173 / Kenosha Street
Turn left onto IL 173 / Kenosha Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
26.2 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street
Turn left onto US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street
Navigation decision point
4
26.7 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
IL 173 / West Brink Street
Turn right onto IL 173 / West Brink Street
Navigation decision point
4
49.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
|
IL 251 / North 2nd Street
Turn left onto IL 251 / North 2nd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.95 one way
$17.89 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $9.81 | $19.62 |
| premium | $4.93 | $11.19 | $22.39 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $12.72 | $25.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.3 | 0 | $6.06 | $2.77 |
| Efficient EV | 14.4 | 0 | $5.05 | $2.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.1 | 0 | $8.08 | $3.69 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Rockford, IL
Afternoon in Rockford on Thursday
Local time
12:00 PM
CDT
Current temp
67°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
17 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 23m 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?
You'll spend about 24% of this 57.7-mile trip on highways, with the remaining portion on surface streets. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 17.3 miles along Kenosha Street. Be prepared for a transition from highway cruising to navigating more local roads as you progress. This means you’ll notice more intersections and potentially slower speeds as you get closer to Rockford.
Only 24% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.3 mi on Kenosha Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near US 12.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 23m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (US 12): Navigation decision point; at 8.9 miles (IL 173 / Kenosha Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 26.2 miles (US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
976 ft
716 ft
Total Climb
300 ft
Total Descent
348 ft
Highest Point
976 ft
~20.5 mi in
Elevation Range
260 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Rockford, IL
Full guide →Founded 1852
Rockford is a city in the Rock River Valley in Northern Illinois. With a population of over 145,000 (2019), it is the third largest city in the state.
Top landmarks
- • Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House — Usonian house
- • Herrick Cobblestone — house in Rockford, Illinois, USA
- • Haight Village Historic District — park in the 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 1h 23m. Total distance: 57.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (24%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.3 miles on Kenosha Street. 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: at 0.5 miles (US 12): Navigation decision point; at 8.9 miles (IL 173 / Kenosha Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 26.2 miles (US 14; IL 173 / North Division Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rockford, 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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