Origin
Springfield, IL
Late night in Springfield on Tuesday
Local time
5:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Springfield, IL to Monticello, 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
1h 13m
Distance
64.8 mi
104 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Springfield, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Monticello, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Trip Overview
Springfield, IL to Monticello, IL is 64.8 miles and takes about 1 hour 13 minutes via I 72, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically remaining in Illinois. The route is predominantly highway, making for a quick and straightforward connection between these two cities. Given its brevity and ease, it's an ideal option for a spontaneous day trip or a simple transfer.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 72 | 60.3 mi | 1h 4m |
| Clear Lake Avenue | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| West Center Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Bridge Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Washington Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North 12th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Brige Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 72
— 60.3 mi, about 1h 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Springfield, IL and Monticello, IL.
1
Start on East Washington Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
East Washington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Turn left onto North 12th Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
North 12th Street
3
Turn straight onto IL 97
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Clear Lake Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Continue on I 72; US 36
36 mi
·
39 min
·
I 72; US 36
5
Continue on I 72; US 51
24 mi
·
25 min
·
I 72; US 51
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 164
Toward Bridge Street
7
Turn right onto West Bridge Street
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
West Bridge Street
8
Continue on West Brige Street
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
West Brige Street
9
Continue on West Center Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Center Street
10
Continue on West Bridge Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Bridge Street
11
Turn straight onto West Center Street
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
West Center Street
12
Arrive at destination
West Center Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32.4 miles from Springfield, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 72 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 60.3 miles.
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 and 63.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Washington Street
Depart onto East Washington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North 12th Street
Turn left onto North 12th Street
Navigation decision point
3
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IL 97 / Clear Lake Avenue
Turn straight onto IL 97 / Clear Lake Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
63.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
Take the exit toward Bridge Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 164
Toward Bridge Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.13 one way
$20.26 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $11.12 | $22.25 |
| premium | $4.89 | $12.47 | $24.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.31 | $28.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.80 | $3.11 |
| Efficient EV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.67 | $2.59 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.9 | 0 | $9.07 | $4.15 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Monticello, IL
Late night in Monticello on Tuesday
Local time
5:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°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
1 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 13m 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?
This route is mostly highway, with 93% of the 64.8 miles on I 72. You'll experience a long stretch of 60.3 miles on I 72 before transitioning to surface roads like Clear Lake Avenue and West Center Street. Expect a consistent cruising speed for most of the trip, with a brief period of local road driving as you enter Monticello.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 60.3 mi on I 72.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 72 and Clear Lake Avenue. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Washington Street.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Springfield, IL to Monticello, IL is easy. At 1h 13m with 93% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (North 12th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (IL 97 / Clear Lake Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Springfield, IL
Full guide →Founded 1840
Springfield is a city in the center of the state of Illinois. It is the state's capital — not Chicago — and the county seat of Sangamon County. Springfield is best known for its most famous resident, Abraham Lincoln, and there are several historic sites that are dedicated to him.
Top landmarks
- • Illinois State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of Illinois
- • Lincoln Tomb — tomb of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, United States
- • Lincoln Home National Historic Site — national historic site in Illinois, USA
Arriving in Monticello, IL
Full guide →Monticello is a city of 5,500 people (2019) in Central Illinois. For the visitor, it offers a railroad museum, an art-and-sculpture garden, and some beautiful historic homes.
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 13m. Total distance: 64.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 60.3 miles on I 72. 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 (East Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (North 12th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (IL 97 / Clear Lake Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Monticello, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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