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Trip from Streator, IL to Mendota, 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

Distance

46.4 mi

75 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 56m ★
6 AM
1h 1m
8 AM
1h 11m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 5m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 58m

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 Streator, IL, IL

Streator, IL

Amar Preciado

city in Illinois, United States

Mendota, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Streator to Mendota is 46.4 miles and takes about 1 hour via I 39, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Illinois, making it a simple point-to-point connection. Given the minimal driving time, this route is ideal for a quick transfer or as part of a larger Midwest exploration. You won't encounter any major geographical shifts, so expect a straightforward drive through familiar terrain. Consider this an easy leg of your travels, perfect for maximizing time at your destinations.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 39 29.8 mi 31m
North 13th Road 12.4 mi 21m
North 43rd Road 2.4 mi 3m
6th Avenue 0.6 mi <1m
East 12th Street 0.5 mi <1m
6th Street <0.1 mi <1m
7th Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
East Main Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 39 — 29.8 mi, about 31m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Streator, IL and Mendota, IL.

1

Start on IL 18

49 ft · 3 sec · East Main Street
2

Continue on IL 18

12 mi · 21 min · North 13th Road
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Toward I 39 North, US 51 North: Rockford
4

Merge onto I 39; US 51

30 mi · 31 min · I 39; US 51
5

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 49 sec
Exit 72 Toward US 34: Mendota, Earlville
6

Turn left onto US 34

2.4 mi · 3 min · North 43rd Road
7

Continue on US 34

0.5 mi · 41 sec · East 12th Street
8

Continue on US 34

0.6 mi · 55 sec · 6th Avenue
9

Turn right onto US 34

403 ft · 12 sec · 6th Street
10

Turn left onto 7th Avenue

124 ft · 5 sec · 7th Avenue
11

Arrive at destination

7th Avenue

Where to Stop

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

city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

La Salle, IL

23 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

Toluca, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Deer Park, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.2 miles from Streator, 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 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 12.4 and 46.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
12.4 mi into trip | ~21m in

Take the ramp toward I 39 North, US 51 North: Rockford

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 39 North, US 51 North: Rockford
3
12.8 mi into trip | ~22m in | I 39; US 51

Merge onto I 39; US 51

Merge point - match speed before joining

6
42.6 mi into trip | ~54m in

Take the exit toward US 34: Mendota, Earlville

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 72 Toward US 34: Mendota, Earlville
4
42.9 mi into trip | ~55m in | US 34 / North 43rd Road

Turn left onto US 34 / North 43rd Road

Navigation decision point

5
46.4 mi into trip | ~1h in | 7th Avenue

Turn left onto 7th Avenue

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.08 one way

$14.16 round trip

$3.88/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.27 $7.80 $15.59
premium $4.81 $8.78 $17.56
diesel $3.75 $6.85 $13.70

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.9 0 $4.87 $2.23
Efficient EV 11.6 0 $4.06 $1.86
EV Truck/SUV 18.6 0 $6.50 $2.97

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% 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 26, 2026

Origin

Streator, IL

Afternoon in Streator on Sunday

Local time

4:18 PM

CDT

Current temp

45°F

Partly Cloudy

E 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Mendota, IL

Afternoon in Mendota on Sunday

Local time

4:18 PM

CDT

Current temp

44°F

Partly Cloudy

E 5 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 25 at 9:27PM 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

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 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 mostly highway, with 64% of the 46.4 miles on I 39. You'll experience a longest stretch of 29.8 miles on I 39 before transitioning to surface roads like North 13th Road and North 43rd Road. Expect the highway portion to feel like typical interstate cruising, with exits spaced out. Once you leave the interstate, the feel will shift to more local road travel.

64% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29.8 mi on I 39.

How Hard Is This Drive?

2/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 39 and North 13th Road. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 12.4 miles in.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Streator, IL to Mendota, IL is easy. At 1h with 64% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 12.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.8 miles (I 39; US 51): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 42.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Streator, IL to Mendota, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Earlville along the way.

Earlville

42.6 mi in | ~54m

About the Cities

Starting in Streator, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1861

Arriving in Mendota, IL

Full guide →

Founded 1855

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. Total distance: 46.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (64%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 29.8 miles on I 39. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 4 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: at 12.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.8 miles (I 39; US 51): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 42.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Mendota, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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