Origin
Rockford, IL
Night in Rockford on Friday
Local time
9:37 PM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rockford, IL to Forreston, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
32.3 mi
52 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockford, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Forreston, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Trip Overview
The drive from Rockford, IL to Forreston, IL covers 32.3 miles and takes about 49m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on IL 72, South Main Road, South Main Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 15.6 miles on IL 72. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.01 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| IL 72 | 15.6 mi | 23m |
| South Main Road | 9.1 mi | 13m |
| South Main Street | 4.3 mi | 7m |
| East Blackhawk Drive | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| South Church Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West State Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cedar Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 1st Avenue | <0.1 mi | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
IL 72
— 15.6 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rockford, IL and Forreston, IL.
1
Start on West State Street
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
West State Street
2
Turn left onto IL 2
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
South Church Street
3
Turn left onto IL 2
275 ft
·
4 sec
·
Cedar Street
4
Turn right onto IL 2
4.3 mi
·
7 min
·
South Main Street
5
Turn right onto IL 2
9.1 mi
·
13 min
·
South Main Road
6
Continue on IL 2
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
East Blackhawk Drive
7
Turn right onto IL 72
16 mi
·
23 min
·
IL 72
8
At end of road, turn right onto IL 26
16 ft
·
0 sec
·
1st Avenue
9
Arrive at destination
IL 26
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 32.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IL 2 / South Church Street
Turn left onto IL 2 / South Church Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IL 2 / Cedar Street
Turn left onto IL 2 / Cedar Street
Navigation decision point
3
16.7 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
IL 72
Turn right onto IL 72
Navigation decision point
5
32.3 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
IL 26 / 1st Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto IL 26 / 1st Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.01 one way
$10.02 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $5.49 | $10.98 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.27 | $12.53 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.12 | $14.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.39 | $1.55 |
| Efficient EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.83 | $1.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.52 | $2.07 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Forreston, IL
Night in Forreston on Friday
Local time
9:37 PM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
59°F
Byron, IL
16 mi 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
49m 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?
32.3 mi in 49m — 48% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: IL 72.
48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.6 mi on IL 72.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near IL 2 / South Church Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Rockford, IL to Forreston, IL is easy. At 49m with 48% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (IL 2 / South Church Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (IL 2 / Cedar Street): Navigation decision point; at 16.7 miles (IL 72): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
943 ft
690 ft
Total Climb
459 ft
Total Descent
232 ft
Highest Point
943 ft
~32.3 mi in
Elevation Range
253 ft
About the Cities
Starting 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
Arriving in Forreston, IL
Full guide →Founded 1854
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 49m. Total distance: 32.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (48%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.6 miles on IL 72. 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 0.1 miles (IL 2 / South Church Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (IL 2 / Cedar Street): Navigation decision point; at 16.7 miles (IL 72): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Forreston, 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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