Origin
West Elsdon, IL
Late night in West Elsdon on Sunday
Local time
3:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Elsdon, IL to Joliet, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
36.4 mi
59 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
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 Elsdon, IL
Moses Polonio
Joliet, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
West Elsdon, IL to Joliet, IL is 36.4 miles and takes about 55m via Adlai Stevenson Expressway and Veterans Memorial Tollway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Illinois, making it a straightforward local excursion. With no specific stops recommended, you'll encounter a mix of highway driving and surface roads as you make your way south. Plan for a relatively quick drive that doesn't require an overnight stay, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Adlai Stevenson Expressway | 11.8 mi | 16m |
| Veterans Memorial Tollway | 10.4 mi | 11m |
| Maple Road | 5.7 mi | 11m |
| West 55th Street | 3 mi | 5m |
| South Archer Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| 1st Avenue | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| North Ottawa Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| South Pulaski Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Adlai Stevenson Expressway
— 11.8 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Elsdon, IL and Joliet, IL.
1
Start on South Komensky Avenue
407 ft
·
20 sec
·
South Komensky Avenue
2
Turn right onto West 54th Street
334 ft
·
16 sec
·
West 54th Street
3
Turn right onto South Pulaski Road
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
South Pulaski Road
4
Turn right onto West 55th Street
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
West 55th Street
5
Turn left onto South Archer Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
South Archer Avenue
6
Continue on IL 171
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
·
1st Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 55 South: Saint Louis
Use the right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
Toward IL 171 South: 1st Avenue
9
Merge onto I 55
12 mi
·
16 min
·
Adlai Stevenson Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 269
Toward I 355 South Toll, I 355 North Toll: Northwest Suburbs, Southwest Suburbs
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
1.2 mi
·
2 min
Toward I 355 Tollway South: Southwest Suburbs
Use the slight left lane.
12
Merge onto I 355
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Veterans Memorial Tollway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Exit 1
Toward US 6: Southwest Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto US 6
5.7 mi
·
11 min
·
Maple Road
15
Turn left onto IL 53
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Ottawa Street
16
Turn right
111 ft
·
8 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.2 miles from West Elsdon, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 29.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 54th Street
Turn right onto West 54th Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Pulaski Road
Turn right onto South Pulaski Road
Navigation decision point
8
18 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward I 355 South Toll, I 355 North Toll: Northwest Suburbs, Southwest Suburbs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 269
Toward I 355 South Toll, I 355 North Toll: Nort...
7
18.3 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 355 Tollway South: Southwest Suburbs
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 355 Tollway South: Southwest Suburbs
7
29.9 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward US 6: Southwest Highway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1
Toward US 6: Southwest Highway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.55 one way
$11.11 round trip
$3.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $6.12 | $12.23 |
| premium | $4.81 | $6.89 | $13.77 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $7.74 | $15.49 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.73
Veterans Memorial Tollway
(10.4 mi)
$0.73
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.75 |
| Efficient EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.18 | $1.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.10 | $2.33 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Joliet, IL
Late night in Joliet on Sunday
Local time
3:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Sunny
NE 15 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 4:36PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 4:36PM 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
7 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
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?
About 32% of this 36.4-mile drive is on highways like the Adlai Stevenson Expressway and Veterans Memorial Tollway. You'll experience an 11.8-mile stretch on the Adlai Stevenson Expressway before transitioning to Maple Road and other surface streets. Expect some urban merging and dense exits as you navigate out of the initial area and approach Joliet.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.8 mi on Adlai Stevenson Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near West 54th Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 36.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West 54th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Pulaski Road): Navigation decision point; at 18 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. 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.
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 West Elsdon, IL to Joliet, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Southwest Suburbs along the way.
Southwest Suburbs
18 mi in
|
~27m
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: 36.4 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 (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.8 miles on Adlai Stevenson Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.73 in tolls one way, starting with Veterans Memorial Tollway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
Yes — we found about 5 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 Joliet, IL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 0.1 miles (West 54th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Pulaski Road): Navigation decision point; at 18 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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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