University Park, IL to North Peoria, IL is 152.8 miles and takes about 2h 54m via I-55, I-74, and I-80, with a fuel budget near $23 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, moving from one part of the Midwest to another. It's a straightforward drive that should feel familiar to anyone who has traveled through the region before. Given the relatively short duration, it's an easy option for a single-day excursion, allowing you to reach your destination with plenty of time to spare.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
76.4 miles from University Park, IL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 29m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 55
86.6 mi
1h 33m
I 74
34.1 mi
37m
I 80
28 mi
34m
North Knoxville Avenue
1 mi
1m
167th Street
0.5 mi
1m
East McClure Avenue
0.5 mi
1m
California Avenue
0.4 mi
1m
Kedzie Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 55
— 86.6 mi, about 1h 33m
Traffic on I-55
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,093 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,450
Quietest
2 AM
~146 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 43 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 University Park, IL and North Peoria, IL.
1
Start on Lancaster Drive
130 ft·7 sec·Lancaster Drive
2
Turn right onto California Avenue
0.4 mi·1 min·California Avenue
3
Turn right onto 167th Street
0.5 mi·1 min·167th Street
4
Turn left onto Kedzie Avenue
295 ft·7 sec·Kedzie Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward I 80 West
6
Merge onto I 80
28 mi·34 min·I 80
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi·54 sec
Exit 126AToward I 55 South: Saint Louis
8
Merge onto I 55
87 mi·1 hr 33 min·I 55
Use the right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.5 mi·49 sec
Toward I 74 West: PeoriaUse 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
Trip Plan
For this 2h 54m drive, leaving University Park in the morning allows you to arrive in North Peoria by midday. With a total distance of 152.8 miles, you likely won't need more than one brief stop. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is $23, and it’s always wise to refuel before you're running on empty, especially on longer highway stretches. The 86.6-mile segment on I-55 is the longest stretch without a major highway change, so plan any necessary breaks around that.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 76.4 miles from University Park, IL, or about 1h 29m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 86.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 34 miles or 43m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 76.4 miles or 1h 29m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 22m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near North Peoria, IL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving University Park, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from University Park, IL
This is one driving day of about 152.8 miles and 2h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 34 miles from University Park, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 55 for about 86.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
First break
4.7 mi from route
~12 min detour
Inexpensiv
New Lenox, Illinois
Hours: 2–9 pm
+18157178097
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 116.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.9 mi into trip|~2m in|Kedzie Avenue
Turn left onto Kedzie Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1.5 mi into trip|~3m in|I 80
Merge onto I 80
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
5
29.4 mi into trip|~38m in
Take the exit toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 126A
Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
5
29.8 mi into trip|~39m in|I 55
Merge onto I 55
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
116.4 mi into trip|~2h 12m 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
$23.31 one way
$46.62 round trip
$3.88/gal25.4 MPG avg54 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.27
$25.68
$51.35
premium
$4.81
$28.91
$57.82
diesel
$5.40
$32.50
$65.01
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$48–$73
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 53.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $16 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
45.8
0
$16.04
$7.33
Efficient EV
38.2
0
$13.37
$6.11
EV Truck/SUV
61.1
0
$21.39
$9.78
Gas CO2
53 kg
EV CO2
18 kg (66% 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
University Park, IL
Night
in University Park on Saturday
Local time
11:43 PM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
North Peoria, IL
Night
in North Peoria on Saturday
Local time
11:43 PM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Mostly Clear
ENE 7 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
11 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
2h 54m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Pullman National Historical Park
National Historical Park
In a growing Chicago neighborhood, diverse people and stories intertwined. All were seeking opportunity. Some succeeded. Others were limited—by race, gender, or economic status. Their stories came tog...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend almost all your time on the interstate, with 97% of the 152.8 miles on highways. The longest continuous stretch on a single highway is 86.6 miles on I-55. After that, you'll transition to I-74 and then I-80. Expect frequent exits and merges as you navigate through varying levels of development across the state.
97% 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: 86.6 mi on I 55.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 55 and I 74. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near Kedzie Avenue.
Driving Effort6/10
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 152.8 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: at 0.9 miles (Kedzie Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles (I 80): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 29.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 54m. Total distance: 152.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 86.6 miles on I 55. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 14 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.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at North Peoria, IL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 14 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (Kedzie Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles (I 80): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 29.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes — Pullman National Historical Park. 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 North Peoria, IL before heading back.
