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Trip from Pontiac, IL to North Peoria, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 23m

Distance

72.4 mi

116 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 17m ★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 20m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Pontiac, IL, IL

Pontiac, IL

Ernest Westphal

Downtown North Peoria, IL, IL

North Peoria, IL

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

Pontiac, IL to North Peoria, IL is 72.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 23 minutes via I-74 and I-55, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, traversing the Midwest landscape. With 92% of the drive on highways, expect a relatively straightforward and efficient trip. This route is best suited for a quick, single-day excursion, making it ideal for those looking to cover ground without a significant time commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 74 34.1 mi 37m
I 55 32.6 mi 34m
West Reynolds Street 2.3 mi 4m
North Knoxville Avenue 1 mi 1m
East McClure Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
Mill Street 0.3 mi <1m
North Main Street 0.2 mi <1m
West Water Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 74 — 34.1 mi, about 37m

Traffic on I-74

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~1,645 veh/hr typical · worst 1,898

Quietest

2 AM

~103 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

16×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 35 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 Pontiac, IL and North Peoria, IL.

1

Start on North Mill Street

108 ft · 4 sec · North Mill Street
2

Turn right onto IL 116

307 ft · 10 sec · West Howard Street
3

Turn right onto North Main Street

0.2 mi · 22 sec · North Main Street
4

At end of road, turn right onto West Water Street

309 ft · 12 sec · West Water Street
5

Turn left onto Mill Street

0.3 mi · 37 sec · Mill Street
6

Turn right onto West Reynolds Street

2.3 mi · 4 min · West Reynolds Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
7

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Toward I 55 South: Bloomington Use the left lane.
8

Merge onto I 55

33 mi · 34 min · I 55
Use the slight right lane.
9

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 49 sec
Toward I 74 West: Peoria Use the slight right lane.
10

Continue on I 74

27 mi · 29 min · I 74
11

Keep slight right at fork onto I 74

6.7 mi · 8 min · I 74
Toward I 74 West: Peoria
12

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Toward IL 40 North: Knoxville Avenue
13

Turn straight onto IL 40

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Knoxville Avenue
14

Turn right onto East McClure Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · East McClure Avenue
15

Arrive at destination

East McClure Avenue

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Normal, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Normal, IL

36 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

Chenoa, IL

Fuel and coffee

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

Normal, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 36.2 miles from Pontiac, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 35.9 — 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 116 / West Howard Street

Turn right onto IL 116 / West Howard Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | North Main Street

Turn right onto North Main Street

Navigation decision point

6
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | West Water Street

At end of road, turn right onto West Water Street

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

6
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in | West Reynolds Street

Turn right onto West Reynolds Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
6
35.9 mi into trip | ~41m in

Take the exit toward I 74 West: Peoria

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 74 West: Peoria

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$11.05 one way

$22.09 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 25 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $12.17 $24.33
premium $4.81 $13.70 $27.40
diesel $5.40 $15.40 $30.80

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 25.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 21.7 0 $7.60 $3.48
Efficient EV 18.1 0 $6.34 $2.90
EV Truck/SUV 29 0 $10.14 $4.63

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 Apr 25, 2026

Origin

Pontiac, IL

Morning in Pontiac on Sunday

Local time

8:08 AM

CDT

Current temp

72°F

Sunny

NE 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 10:12AM CDT until May 3 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 10:09AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

North Peoria, IL

Morning in North Peoria on Sunday

Local time

8:08 AM

CDT

Current temp

74°F

Sunny

NE 8 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 10:12AM CDT until May 3 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 10:09AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

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

2 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

1h 23m 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?

You'll spend most of your time on the interstate, with 92% of this 72.4-mile route being highway driving. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 34.1 miles on I-74. The route transitions to surface roads like West Reynolds Street for the final portion of the drive. Expect a consistent flow of traffic and frequent exits as you approach the Peoria area.

92% 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: 34.1 mi on I 74.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 74 and I 55. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near IL 116 / West Howard 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 72.4 miles you will encounter 11 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 (IL 116 / West Howard Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West Water Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.

About the Cities

Starting in Pontiac, IL

Full guide →

Pontiac is a small city of about 12000 people on old Route 66 in Central Illinois.

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: 72.4 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 (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 34.1 miles on I 74. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 6 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 116 / West Howard Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West Water Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at North Peoria, 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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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