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Trip from Saint Elmo, IL to Brownstown, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

12m

Distance

6.5 mi

10 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$1

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 12m ★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 15m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 13m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 15m
8 PM
0h 12m ★

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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city in Fayette County, Illinois

Saint Elmo, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Brownstown, IL, IL

Brownstown, IL

Choco Kitty

Trip Overview

Saint Elmo to Brownstown is 6.5 miles and takes about 12 minutes via East Cumberland Road and North Main Street, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, connecting two communities in the Midwest region. Expect a local driving experience, perfect for a quick hop between towns. Given the minimal distance and duration, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East Cumberland Road 5.9 mi 10m
North Main Street 0.2 mi <1m
2nd Street 0.2 mi <1m
South 3rd Street <0.1 mi <1m
East 4th Street <0.1 mi <1m
South 2nd Street — —

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: East Cumberland Road — 5.9 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Saint Elmo, IL and Brownstown, IL.

1

Start on East 4th Street

145 ft · 11 sec · East 4th Street
2

Turn left onto North Main Street

0.2 mi · 55 sec · North Main Street
3

Turn right onto US 40

5.9 mi · 10 min · East Cumberland Road
4

Turn right onto South 3rd Street

244 ft · 10 sec · South 3rd Street
5

Turn slight left onto 2nd Street

0.2 mi · 54 sec · 2nd Street
6

Arrive at destination

South 2nd Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

3 of 3

3 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 6.2 — 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 | North Main Street

Turn left onto North Main Street

Navigation decision point

3
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | US 40 / East Cumberland Road

Turn right onto US 40 / East Cumberland Road

Navigation decision point

4
6.2 mi into trip | ~11m in | South 3rd Street

Turn right onto South 3rd Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$0.96 one way

$1.92 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 2 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $1.06 $2.12
premium $4.72 $1.21 $2.41
diesel $4.80 $1.23 $2.45

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$1

Estimated CO2 emission: 2.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 2 0 $0.68 $0.31
Efficient EV 1.6 0 $0.57 $0.26
EV Truck/SUV 2.6 0 $0.91 $0.42

Gas CO2

2 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (50% 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 Jul 10, 2026

Origin

Saint Elmo, IL

Afternoon in Saint Elmo on Sunday

Local time

12:22 PM

CDT

Current temp

71°F

Mostly Cloudy

N 1 mph 14% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 10 at 4:48AM CDT until July 10 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 10 at 4:48AM CDT until July 10 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Destination

Brownstown, IL

Afternoon in Brownstown on Sunday

Local time

12:22 PM

CDT

Current temp

71°F

Mostly Cloudy

N 2 mph 14% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 10 at 4:48AM CDT until July 10 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued July 10 at 4:48AM CDT until July 10 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

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

12m 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 characterized as a turn-heavy local route, with a 0% highway share. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be approximately 5.9 miles along East Cumberland Road. The journey will involve navigating through local streets, including North Main Street and 2nd Street, suggesting a pace dictated by town traffic and intersections rather than open highway speeds. Be prepared for frequent changes in direction as you make your way to Brownstown.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
6 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.9 mi on East Cumberland Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

2/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Main Street.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Saint Elmo, IL to Brownstown, IL is easy. At 12m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (US 40 / East Cumberland Road): Navigation decision point; at 6.2 miles (South 3rd Street): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

619 ft 590 ft

Total Climb

29 ft

Total Descent

51 ft

Highest Point

619 ft

Elevation Range

29 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Saint Elmo, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1871

Top landmarks

  • • President — historic American steamboat

Arriving in Brownstown, IL

Full guide →

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

This 6.5-mile, 12-minute drive is perfect for a quick weekend jaunt, easily doable as a same-day round trip without feeling rushed.

Family Friendly

With only 6.5 miles and a 12-minute drive time, this route is incredibly short and manageable for families with young children.

Solo Traveler

At just 6.5 miles and 12 minutes, this route is comfortable for a solo traveler, offering a quick and uncomplicated drive.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

This route is ideal for a first-time driver, featuring a low complexity rating of 2/10 and a very short 12-minute duration with no highway driving.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 5.9 miles on East Cumberland Road. 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 Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (US 40 / East Cumberland Road): Navigation decision point; at 6.2 miles (South 3rd Street): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Brownstown, 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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