Origin
West Chicago, IL
Morning in West Chicago on Tuesday
Local time
10:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Chicago, IL to Joliet, 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
55m
Distance
28.7 mi
46 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Chicago, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Joliet, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion from West Chicago to Joliet, you are looking at a manageable 28.7-mile trek. Expect to spend about 55 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal candidate for a simple day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via Illinois Route 59, Plainfield Road, and North Joliet Road to complete the journey. With a fuel budget of approximately $4, this is a highly economical route within the Illinois Midwest region. Because the duration is under an hour, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your schedule without worrying about fatigue. It is a straightforward, practical connection between these two points that gets you to your destination efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois Route 59 | 15.5 mi | 27m |
| Plainfield Road | 5.2 mi | 11m |
| North Joliet Road | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| South Neltnor Boulevard | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| North Division Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| East Washington Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| North Center Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West Jefferson Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Illinois Route 59
— 15.5 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Chicago, IL and Joliet, IL.
1
Start on this road
41 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
49 ft
·
5 sec
3
Turn right onto East Washington Street
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
East Washington Street
4
Turn right onto IL 59
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
South Neltnor Boulevard
5
Continue on IL 59
16 mi
·
27 min
·
Illinois Route 59
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on IL 59
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
North Division Street
7
Turn left onto US 30
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
North Joliet Road
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on US 30
5.2 mi
·
11 min
·
Plainfield Road
9
Continue on US 30
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Center Street
10
Turn left onto US 30
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West Jefferson Street
11
Turn left onto Joliet Street
174 ft
·
6 sec
·
Joliet Street
12
Turn right
272 ft
·
19 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 28.6 — 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
Turn right
Navigation decision point
3
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Washington Street
Turn right onto East Washington Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IL 59 / South Neltnor Boulevard
Turn right onto IL 59 / South Neltnor Boulevard
Navigation decision point
4
20.1 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
US 30 / North Joliet Road
Turn left onto US 30 / North Joliet Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
28.6 mi into trip
|
~55m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.49 one way
$8.97 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.93 | $9.85 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.52 | $11.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.34 | $12.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.01 | $1.38 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.02 | $1.84 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Joliet, IL
Morning in Joliet on Tuesday
Local time
10:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
55m 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 trip offers a mixed driving profile, balancing local roads with stretches that keep you moving. Roughly 54% of your time will be spent on highways, providing a steady rhythm to your commute. You should prepare for a longest uninterrupted stretch of 15.5 miles while traveling along Illinois Route 59. As you progress, the road transitions from the suburban feel of West Chicago into the more integrated transit corridors leading toward Joliet. The experience is neither a monotonous interstate grind nor a winding rural path, but rather a functional blend that changes character as you move between the two cities.
54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.5 mi on Illinois Route 59.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 55m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; near the start (East Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (IL 59 / South Neltnor Boulevard): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Joliet, IL
Full guide →Founded 1833
Joliet is a city in the Chicagoland region of Illinois, a state in the Midwest of the United States of America. It is the largest city and county seat of Will County.
Top landmarks
- • Joliet Union Station — former train station in the United States
- • Christ Episcopal Church — church building in Joliet, Illinois, United States of America
- • Joliet Central High School — public school in Joliet, Illinois
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 55m. Total distance: 28.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (54%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.5 miles on Illinois Route 59. 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: Navigation decision point; near the start (East Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (IL 59 / South Neltnor Boulevard): Navigation decision point.
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 Joliet, 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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